Each month, we’re creating playlists full of songs that help people keep their heads above the waves. Have a listen to April’s playlist below, and read about why we’ve chosen each of the songs!

‘Slam’ by Seaway

The dudes from Seaway stopped by our pop up shop in Cardiff before playing a sold out show in Clwb Ifor Bach. While they were here, they shared some positive lyrics on our vinyls – including this one: “Everything is cool, man” – which is something we’ve been saying a lot in our shop in the face of adversity! It’s just a feel good posi-vibe song.

‘Stressed Out’ by Twenty One Pilots

Twenty One Pilots have been on my radar for a while, but I’ve not properly listened to them until recently, and now I can’t get this out of my head. To me, one of the key messages within this song is about how difficult it is growing up and all the stresses that come with it – wishing you could go back to simpler times. But put across in a really fun, bouncy way.

‘Mirrors’ by Justin Timberlake

Sometimes you’ve just gotta throw on a cheesy pop song and do a little shimmy. Justin Timberlake is the king of pop. No further explanation needed.

‘The Appeal & Mindsweep I’ by Enter Shikari

We sat down for an interview with Enter Shikari when they recently headlined the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, to talk about mental health and the power of music (keep your eyes open for a video of the interview very soon!). These guys nail it in terms of using music to get across an important point. To me, the reason this really jumped out to me is the repeating message “you are not alone”.

‘The Poets Cry For More’ by Being As An Ocean

Being As An Ocean are another band that I’ve heard of but not really listened to until recently. This album is a great work of art – a mixture of ambience, spoken word, and heavy music, I think the best way to sum it up is: “passion”. This song’s a little bit heavier and so obviously won’t necessarily be to everyone’s tastes – but when I first listened through the album, it was this song, and specifically the line “I’ve made mistakes, but my mistakes have not made me” that really stood out to me.

‘Love Me’ by The 1975

This song’s here more for the fun feel rather than any specific deep lyrical content. It’s a song of fun 80s-esque vibes that makes me want to shake my booty, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

‘Scar Tissue’ by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

This one’s a bit of a throwback! To me, this song sounds like it should be the soundtrack to a drive to the beach on a sunny day. Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of those bands that got me into music so they’ll always hold a special place in my heart. Turn this one up loud and imagine yourself relaxing on a beach, away from any troubles (or even better, go relax on a beach away from your troubles!)

‘Faux’ by Novo Amor and Ed Tullett

Music can be such a beautiful thing – and this song is probably best summed up as beautiful. If you haven’t already heard of Novo Amor, you really should (and you have now!). This is a great song to close your eyes and relax to – which may be helpful if you feel yourself getting worked up and stressed out.

‘Bloodline’ by The Slow Show

This is another nice, chilled out tune to float away to. This sounds like something you should be hearing while you’re curled up having a cup of tea, and reading a good book.

‘Can I Kick It?’ by A Tribe Called Quest

It’s always good to shake things up a little bit by throwing some different genres together. What better way to introduce hip-hop into this playlist than with this classic. It’s a feel good hip-hop song that’s not just about guns and bling – so it’s something that everyone can get into. Best enjoyed: while chilling in a hammock.

‘Porcelain’ by Moby

Another throwback! Again, a song that’s more about a chilled out vibe than any particular lyrics. But this song’s about as mellow as they come – pop it on chill out.

‘When It Rains, It Floods’ by Samuel Little

We met Sam a few years ago when he played a solo set in Cardiff. Straight away we knew that he was on the same page as us. He shared his story about all the difficult times life had thrown his way (and how when it rains, it floods – that when one thing goes wrong, so many other things can go wrong) but he also shared the message that music can play such an important role in helping you stay positive. I just love the optimism in the line “If this world’s got it out for me then at least I know I’m thought of”. Right on, Sam.

‘Untitled’ by Knuckle Puck

This month we had a stall at Knuckle Puck’s sold out show in Clwb Ifor Bach to be selling our merch with a message, and getting people talking and thinking about mental health (big shout out to Jealous Lovers Club for having us along to this show!). Knuckle Puck’s latest album is called ‘Copacetic’ which it turns out means ‘Fine, excellent, ok, in order”. So I think it’s a nice little reminder that “Everything is copacetic” (plus you’ve learned a new word now. Sweet!)