Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that I obsessively listen to music while I’m doing… Well, pretty much everything. I have mild tinnitus and it’s rather distracting, plus the right music gets me into the zone for whatever I’m working on.
Now, up until 2016, I listened to the same thing constantly while I wrote: the Lord of the Rings complete soundtrack by Howard Shore, which might be the best soundtrack ever created(except for maybe The Hobbit soundtracks, which are also godly). This was great and I still listen to it all the time, but something else happened in 2016: I transitioned to working entirely from home. And I spent an incredible amount of time writing and editing books.
I’ve always listened to other things while I did paid work–usually some kind of rock and roll or metal–but this year I found myself needing to increase the size of my fiction writing playlist or change it altogether. The soundtracks simply weren’t doing it for me anymore. So I set out on a grand journey of musical exploration.
During my search I focused on music that combined fantasy elements with the guitar I love so much, and I’ve found some incredible albums to get me through 2017. Note that most of this music isn’t actually new, but it’s new to me.
Check out these albums in 2017:
1. Who You Selling For by The Pretty Reckless
This one is actually the most recent–and the most surprising–addition to my list, having only come out in October 2016. I’ve liked The Pretty Reckless since I discovered them a year and a half ago, but this album is the only one I like enough to listen to while I’m writing. It’s got a rather eclectic song list with several different sounds but a common theme of powerful lyrics, and it really shows the range of Taylor Momsen’s voice.
2. Dreamtale — Literally all of their albums
Do you like metal? Do you like fantasy? Do you like songs that tell a story? Well then you’ll love every single album by this incredibly talented Swedish metal band. They have six albums and most of them are pretty long, and this is definitely the band I listen to most often while writing.
3. Life Screams by Lacey Sturm
Lacey Sturm is the former singer of Flyleaf, a Christian rock band I used to like, and now she’s doing solo stuff. This album has some really heavy lyrics and has proven to be excellent inspiration for certain heavy scenes.
I like a couple of Iron Fire’s albums(they have eight), but Revenge is definitely my favourite. It’s also one of their oldest albums, but that’s not really a concern for me. The most important thing is that this music tells a story and is gritty enough for even the darkest stories I tell.
These twins take all kinds of songs and turn them into amazing harp melodies. Also, they wear awesome costumes and make videos for many of their songs. They have an impressive four albums and show no signs of stopping any time soon.
Do any of these interest you? What will you be listening to in 2017? Let me know in the comments below or by Tweeting to @DiannaLGunn.