The fall season here in the central coast differs from what people typically imagine- it’s more of a foggy summer. We don’t have the first few inklings of snow or the bright orange leaves you’d see across the country, but I think that makes fall in Santa Cruz special. Whenever I see ‘fall’ playlists or music, I’ve never been able to get in that fall mood.

The songs that have been compiled here are all songs that I think capture the feeling of a central coast fall, and these are songs that you can listen to while drinking a pumpkin spice latte while also wearing a t-shirt because it’s still too hot to drink coffee and wear a sweater at the same time.

The Summer Ends by American Football
This song perfectly harnesses the fleeting feeling of leaving behind summer and transitioning into the fall. It feels like when the temperature begins to drop, and the air gets a little crisper. Going from spending the days out at the beach to a classroom or a nine-to-five, waiting for the warmth again.

Falling apart by Slow Pulp
This track mixes that foggy, hazy feeling and an element of warmth with the twangy guitar like the sun peeking through on a cold day. The song’s lyricism is a bit dreary, but it’s backed by a comforting melody that offers a sense of warmth in the cold. It’s about wanting to fall back apart, as the title suggests; falling back into old self-destructive habits, wanting to just look alright from the outside. It’s comforting despite how depressing it may sound from that description. The sun still shines through the clouds, even if it feels freezing. Or you can just turn on the heater.

Anything by Adrienne Lenker
Anything leans into the aforementioned melancholy of the fall season; it’s gentle, quiet and heartfelt. It’s about loving someone who isn’t giving you what you need and who doesn’t fully bring you into their life. The song itself could double as a winter song or just a song for a rainy day. It’s soothing, like a lullaby, while pulling on your heartstrings slightly. I first heard this song on a rainy day when I was on the train up at Roaring Camp, and I think that’s the type of scenario this song is meant to be played during.

Heather by the Carpenters
This song is a fully instrumental track, so it’s a great break from all the sad lyricism of the other songs so far. To me, fall has always been a whimsical season. I’ve found that I associate it with creatures like gnomes and little elves, and I think this song perfectly represents those little forest guys. It has this whimsical harp playing, giving it the slightest fairytale feel. It’s a good song for running around in Nisene or Henry Cowell with friends on an adventure.

Dreams by The Cranberries
The title of this song is exactly how it sounds- dreamy. The soft vocals accompanied by the smooth guitar feels like when you wake up on a freezing morning but your room’s been warmed from the sun shining through the blinds. When I was younger, my mom used to always play the Cranberries in the car. Hearing this song reminds me of falling asleep during long winter break road trips.

America and George Martin’s Ventura Highway
A song about traveling to the west coast to escape the cold, I can’t not include it. It is the California fall song in my opinion. I used to hate old music when I was a kid, but this song has really grown on me. It’s the same with just living in Santa Cruz- I always hated being here during the colder seasons and wished I was somewhere with snow and falling leaves, but I’ve grown grateful for our weather here, like the song.

The Bug Collector by Haley Heynderickz
This song is an honorable mention, and it’s very melodic in the way it describes caring for someone through the bug metaphor. It’s rather poetic and it has that same aforementioned magical forest vibe. If you ever go to Nisene Marks a few days after the rain you’ll find yourself surrounded by mushrooms and banana slugs, which would be a perfect environment to listen to this track.

Girl Scout Cookies by Mom Jeans
Midwest emo is the genre of fall, in my opinion. A genre known for its twinkly guitar sounds and sad lyrics, I think it just encapsulates that seasonal depression. This song is about wanting to go back to happier times with someone or finally feeling happy with a person again. I think this song is perfect for people who enjoy something a bit more fast-paced compared to the rest of the songs on this list. It’s a great introduction to the genre as well.

To close off the list, here are some honorable mentions that didn’t make it fully on here but still deserve their spot in the fall rotation: King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1 by Neutral Milk Hotel, Shady Lane by Pavement, Workeatsleep by A Great Big Pile of Leaves, and Call it Fate, Call it Karma by the Strokes.

Some of these songs are definitely depressing, but don’t let these songs bring you down. Enjoy the fall! It’s the season of turkey and pumpkin spice lattes. So, making sure to grab either one of those while listening to this playlist is my recommendation.