Hey readers and writers!

Do you listen to music while you’re reading or writing?

For me, it’s almost essential. Music helps me slip into the right headspace while I’m sitting at the computer. It also helps me tune out the rest of the outside world. It’s almost like dimming the lights in a theatre before the movie starts; it cues my brain so I know it’s time to slip back into my Dreadpunk Universe.

Lately, I’ve become slightly (okay, deeply) obsessed with making writing playlists on Spotify. There’s something I love about curating the perfect mix of songs that feels like a mirror for the on-the-page narrative.

I’ve made a Dreadpunk playlist.

A playlist for my debut novel, London Dead.

I’ve even made a playlist for my current work-in-progress, tentatively titled Cold Bodies. I love listening to it while I write.

I also love that you can create custom album covers for the playlists.

Writing with music doesn’t feel like I’m just sitting there staring at the computer screen. It almost feels like I’m in the world of my stories, surrounded by fog and walking gaslit cobblestone streets teeming with the rotten dead.

Now, I know this topic tends to divide people. Some readers and writers need absolute silence. Others love having music while they read or write. We all have our preferences.

But for those of us who do write or read with music, it seems like we almost universally agree on one thing: no lyrics.

Let me know in the comments if I’m wrong about that one.

Anyway, that may be why I’ve fallen down a very specific rabbit hole lately — cello covers of popular songs.

If you’ve watched like Tim Burton series, Wednesday, you probably remember the iconic cello rendition of “Paint It Black.” Not only did it set the tone perfectly, but the actress, Jenna Ortega, actually learned to play the cello for that scene (she also studied fencing, archery, canoeing, boxing, and German for the role). Now that’s commitment.

They used instrumental string covers of pop songs in Bridgerton as well, giving the show a modern feel despite the historical setting.

Lately, I’ve been exploring instrumental string covers of industrial and hard rock songs. Some of my favourites have been “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails, as covered by Midnite String Quartet. Or “Living Dead Girl” by Rob Zombie, reimagined by Vitamin String Quartet. “Zombie” by The Cranberries is given new life by Benny Martin and The Wong Janice.

There’s something about hearing a melody you know, without the distraction of lyrics, that keeps my brain engaged. I also love how stripping a song of the familiar lyrics can give it new meaning.

Just listen to Street Spirit (Fade Out) by 2CELLOS—originally by Radiohead—and you’ll hear what I mean. You can almost feel the lyrics without anyone singing a single word.

Or listen to Coldplay’s The Scientist by Brooklyn Duo, which seems to tell a story all of its own.

I love Gnus Cello’s cover of Bury A Friend by Billie Eilish for the same reason. It has a dark unsettling mood that mirrors that off-putting vibe of the original song, but without lyrics it somehow feels even more twisted, especially with cellos and piano to draw out the dark melody.

What about you? Let me know in the comments.

Do you read in silence?

Or do you put on movie soundtracks? Lo-fi beats?

Or do you listen to songs with lyrics (I could never)?

Also, I’d love to know if you enjoy making playlists as much as I do!