10 Indie Songs To Get You In The Mood For Summer

Summer is the season for discovering new songs and enjoying the freedom and joys of being young. I’ve got songs for all the feelings and stages of summer – the exciting beginning, the slow-moving middle, and the bittersweet end.

Hare are 10 indie songs to get you in the mood for summer.

1. Something Like Summer – Caveboy

An upbeat, catchy indie pop song that catapults you right into summer. The complex layers of sound and the strong synth beats will make you want to dance and run around wild all summer long. Through their evocative lyrics, Caveboy express the liberation and confusion of growing up. The messy fleeting romantic relationship is evident as they elude to the classic summer love trope.

2. I Dare You – The XX

Set against a dreamy electro-pop backdrop, this song is all about the feeling of infatuation with someone. It’s about lying on the grass soaking in the summer sun on those lazy summer days, where your days are taken up thinking about that special person. It takes the childish phrase ‘I dare you’ and pushes it to its limits, exploring the full extent and power of it.

3. Naïve – The Kooks

A well-known song that screams summer with its youthful air and catchy lyrics. It’s about the falling out of a romantic relationship and the ensuing heartbreak. Set against an upbeat drumbeat and guitar riffs, Pritchard’s voice as he hits the higher notes in his distinct British accent adds to the song’s appeal. It’s an addictive piece that’ll have you singing the lyrics for years to come.

4. Like You Want To – Kita Alexander

This song is about finding the right balance between confessing your true romantic feelings to someone you’ve known for a while, but also wanting to maintain that special friendship you built up. The tropical synth and strong lyrical echo evoke a hopeful and positive vibe which will also make you feel relaxed.

5. Dollar – Thelma Plum

The repetitive lyrics and hand claps make for upbeat acoustic jam which goes hand in hand with summer. This contrasts the bitterness in the lyrics as it’s about coming of age, particularly the summer before college which is the season everyone seems to ‘grow up’.

6. No Better – Lorde

Lorde tells the journey of her deepening infatuation with someone as the seasons change. Matched with the pulsing electronic synth beat, this song so clearly illustrates the sweaty, stickiness of the summer heat, thanks to her vivid imagery. The motivational chorus is an anthem for young folk to give them hope to get through the summer heat and their melodramatic youth.

7. Better – Mallrat

The airy acoustic airy nature of the song makes you want to dance around in the summer heat, enjoying the freedom of youth and holidays. The soft-spoken vocals are about happy, carefree moments but the ache that some friendships don’t last and moments definitely don’t last, making them bittersweet. But they also seem to touch on a darker subject matter of a friend who might have passed away from substance abuse, and it’s about Mallrat making sense of it.

8. Chateau – Angus & Julia Stone

The dreaminess of this song from the famous sibling duo will have you twirling around and dancing in the sunset, and itching to travel. A mix of acoustic and alternative pop with an underlying bass drum beat, it has a euphoric feel. The strong harmonies about young love and willing to do anything for the person you love, wanting adventure and living life to the fullest, the feeling that you’re invincible. The accompanying music video is simply stunning, a perfect representation of wanderlust.

9. Ho Hey – The Lumineers

This song has a strong acoustic sound with joyous chants in the chorus that make you want to sing along and clap your hands. At the same time, it evokes a sense of sadness that summer is ending, and it’s about realising you’re grown up. It’s time to move on and carry on with life. There are no more long, lazy summers. It’s simplistic and refreshing with the right amount of bittersweet ache.

10. At Home – Crystal Fighters

A perfectly blended mix of electronica and Basque instruments, it creates a feeling of summer daydreaming and an underlying ache making you want to reunite with the ones you love, a common summer theme. It’s about going off and doing your own thing, the hunger to find yourself, and the comfort in knowing the people who feel like family are waiting for you to come home. When you’re ready, they’ll welcome you with open arms.

Have you heard of any of these indie summer songs before? Which one is your favourite? What are your favourite indie summer songs that I haven’t included?

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