Better late than never, right?
Right??
I have a million excuses for why this didn’t launch alongside JOYRIDE #4 but they basically all come down to one thing: SDCC. Our fourth issue launched in the middle of a week-long comic book party and I just didn’t have the mental bandwidth to write this up. And then the post-Con fever swept me up, a million things happened…
… and I kinda forgot. Whoops.
But still, the playlist lingered on Spotify, demanding to be released. And so here it is, alongside my liner notes.
LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE HERE
Track #1: “Can We Still Be Friends” by Tobias Jesso Jr
We’re starting off pretty on-the-nose here. This really does feel like a turning point in Uma/Catrin/Dewydd’s relationship with one another; Catrin and Dewydd have both bared secrets they’ve kept hidden to Uma and she is NOT handling it well. She doesn’t WANT to hurt. She wants to still be friends. But her anger is getting the best of her in every way. I know a little something about letting anger control you - and Jesso really lands the feeling here.
Track #2: “Glitter” by No Age
This song has been on about half the writing playlists I’ve ever assembled - it sits somewhere between melancholy, regretful, and lovely… words I think describe Dewydd rather exactly. Uma’s gotten under his skin and he’s starting to wonder if he can finally bare his soul. This is just the first step… and as you’ll see in the second arc of JOYRIDE, D’s life is going to be changing in extremely huge ways as he reveals what lies in his heart.
Track #3: “Seraph” by Mas Ysa
Uh, oh. Jorn’s here. And he’s pissed. And Uma’s going to make one hell of a bad decision.
Track #4: “Survive” by Chelsea Wolfe
The team is torn asunder - and we’re into pretty dark territory. No one does the darkness of the heart quite like Chelsea Wolfe. I’d recommend the entirety of her album “Abyss” - but this one in particular speaks to the heartbreak of losing those you rely on to survive. Heartbreak, thy name is Joyride.
Track #5/6: “No Guilt in Pleasure” by MS MR / “High By The Beach” by Lana Del Rey
Welcome to Uma’s very worst headspace. There’s nothing quite like feeling morally superior - it makes you do dumb things out of anger and pride, all the while feeling like you’re doing the RIGHT thing. It can be fun. It can be exhilarating. And at the end, when the high has worn off, you’re left being a total fucking asshole whose left relationships in tatters just so you can fuck off and feel good. Uma started the Joyride to run. Is it any wonder she’s falling into the trap of prideful loneliness?
Track #7: “True Love Knows” by La Luz
Oh, Dewydd. Poor, poor, lovely Dewydd. He’s an INCH away from giving up. From letting his brother tell him who he is. He’s gone sleepy and sad. He’s tired of running. I imagine this song is just playing on repeat, letting him know he can finally sleep.
Track #8: “New Kid” by Ex Hex
Catrin, on the other hand, is throwing a middle finger in the air to all that. She’s learned everything Uma had to throw down about independence - and now, by using Uma’s words from Issue #1, she’s taking a stand. She’s not a princess… she’s a warrior. And she’s starting to truly accept who she is. This track has been her theme song since moment #1 - but I’ve waited to share it until now.
Track #9: “Little Star” by Royal Headache
OH SHIT UMA’S BACK AND SHE’S NOT AFRAID ANYMORE.
AND JORN SEES THE PART OF DEWYDD HE CAN’T CHANGE.
“When things turned rough, that’s when I knew that I loved you.”
Track #10: “Bury It” by CHVRCHES
This one should be pretty self-explanatory. It’s all there in the book and the lyrics. All that pain, all those angry moments with Uma at the top of the book - this is where it all gets buried. Because Uma finally shows her trauma. She starts running towards her friends, rather than away from her past. Also, this song has a LOT to say about Catrin and Dewydd, but you’ll get more of that in Issue #5.
Track #11: “LIFE” by HEALTH
As the team blasts off into the galaxy at high speed - just turn this one as loud as you can and imagine where they might be headed. They’ve got their wholes lives ahead of them. Fun fact: this was once the last panel of JOYRIDE - and while the rest of the book was reworked when we were picked up to ongoing, we knew we wanted to bring them all together as a team, crew, and friend group before heading into the unknown of Volume 2.
They don’t know what they want, but they know they’ll find it together.
See you in September for the release of JOYRIDE, VOL 1: IGNITION - as well as ISSUE #5: “The Kissing Planet.” Even if you got the singles, you should check out the $10 trade - it’s got a whole new playlist and even a fun way to share it with your friends.
And if there’s anything JOYRIDE is truly about, it’s the power of friends.
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