Monday Moods: “June Swoon”

Your musical pairing for that summertime sadness.

Lana Del Rey was definitely onto something. I know most people on the West Coast get amped up this time of year—warmer weather, more daytime hours, creative happy hour specials—but this Monday Mood is dedicated to those of us who miss that crisp AM air and those afternoon marine layers. We start things off with Ian Sweet’s “Drink the Lake,” a track off Show Me How You Disappear, the full-length she released back in March on Polyvinyl Records. Says the artist of her recording, “It turned into a pop anthem of seemingly silly ways to try and forget someone, like saying their name backwards, but I feel these devices contributed to my healing.”

Next up is Emily James with “the list.” We featured James a few Moods ago, but as long as she keeps releasing fire tracks, we’ll keep adding them to our own list! “I wrote and produced it myself at a time when I was weighed down with a literal list of things I had to get off my mind,” says James. “Sometimes we can’t bring ourselves to say everything that we wish we could say directly, and this song was my alternative.”

California-based rapper/singer Phora released heartbreak hotel back in February via his own imprint Yours Truly Records, and this track—with songstress Destiny Rogers on the hook—is a beauty. Simple acoustic guitar over a rim shot beat allow Phora’s lyrics to really be the star. Releasing June 24, Sarah Walk’s Simply EP is the stripped-down follow-up to 2020’s critically acclaimed Another Me. The EP also features a stunning cover of “nothing compares 2 u,” in addition to 3 versions of songs found on her LP.

Last up, LA’s Mini Trees (aka Lexi Vega) offers up “Spring,” a track from her debut album, set to be released in the fall on Run For Cover Records. According to Vega, the track is “meant to be somewhat of a lighthearted love song about growing old with someone. It confesses contrasting feelings of both fear and security that come with being vulnerable and fully known by another person. The underlying message is one of hopefulness though, resolving with the choice to believe this person will remain a constant in my life despite the changing nature of everything else.” A fitting theme for all of us as we emerge into a new world this summer.

As always, you can check out our entire Stay Golden playlist on Spotify. Make sure to give it a follow so you can stay up on all our favorite Golden State selections.