As I’ve written the Emily O’Brien series, certain songs have made me think of the characters and their problems – the same way certain songs speak to me in my own life. I still remember a day about ten years ago when flooding took out our driveway, and we really didn’t have a lot of spare cash. I heard the song “Good Life” by Audio Adrenaline and suddenly my perspective changed from feeling sorry for myself to counting my blessings.
I was listening to my iPod the other day and the song “Streets of Gold” by Needtobreathe came on. I can’t hear that song without thinking of Emily and Alex. So I decided to make a playlist of some of the songs I associate with each book. Sometimes it’s just a line or two from the songs. Other songs seem to go along with the mood of the book.
Needtobreathe is my absolute favorite band of all time so it’s no surprise that their songs pop up on my list a lot. :) Enjoy!
Vengeance is Mine
“Streets of Gold,” Needtobreathe
“Winds of Change,” Kutless
“I’m Not Alright,” Sanctus Real
“More Time,” Needtobreathe
“Fly,” Jars of Clay
Buried Truth
“Fool,” Satellite Soul
“Signature of Divine,” Needtobreathe
“Grace,” Jars of Clay
“Through Smoke,” Needtobreathe
“Every Reason,” Smalltown Poets
Foul Play
“Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been,” Relient k
“I’m Not Who I Was,” Brandon Heath
“Martyrs and Thieves,” Jennifer Knapp
“Let Us Love,” Needtobreathe
“The Older I Get,” Skillet
“Life on the Edge” Eli
I have playlists on my iPod that are “soundtrack albums” for a couple of my novels. Some are songs specifically referenced in the books, others are just songs I might associate with a particular character.
I’ve seen more and more authors do this, too, so I guess we aren’t the only ones who tie music to our writing.