Stella Dunai's playlist for finding your people
Following the release of her latest single ‘Move on!’, contemporary folk artist Stella Dunai gave us her soundtrack for making friends.
Photo: Estella Paltos
1. ‘Fool’ by Adrianne Lenker
This song is a big inspiration for my latest single, it's goofy and joyous, the lyrics are a little nonsensical but have such a warm friendly feeling. It all sits on the top of a plodding looping repetitive guitar line just like Move on!
2. ‘Friend City’ by Rozi Plain
So pure and cute, it reminds me of making friends as a little kid.
3. ‘Summer Sweat’ by Hannah Cohen
This song was a staple in my friend group last summer. It sounds like driving out to the river to swim, sitting in the yard, cooking together.
4. ‘Friend Crush’ by Friends
Love a platonic crush/love song. It’s fun, playful and so relatable.
5. ‘Treehouse’ by Alex G, Emily Yacina
A beautifully innocent and childlike way to talk about meeting someone new and accepting them into your life. (I think this is a love song but it totally works as friends too).
6. ‘Pop Song’ by McKimmie
This is such a janky and infectious song. I heard it from a friend in the car, became obsessed with it, showed it to so many other friends, it got added to playlists that I then heard at parties and in people's cars. About a year later I found out that this is a local Melbourne artist and I literally know one of the band members.
7. ‘Pretty Pimpin’ by Kurt Vile
A playful, unserious, song talking about an evolving personality and sense of self, much like how I see friends and the people around us shaping and changing us in ways that can catch you by surprise.
8. ‘End of a Friendship’ by Julia Jacklin
Although this is a song about ending a friendship, it still felt fitting to include it because some people are only meant to come into your life for a chapter, and that can still be such an impactful connection.
9. ‘Haunted Mountain’ by Buck Meek
Whimsy, magical and sweet. All the things I like in a friendship.
10. ‘Clay Pigeons’ by Michael Cera (originally by Blaze Foley)
“Sing a song with a friend, change the shape that I’m in.” A beautiful meditative song about moving through life as people and things come and go.
Words by Stella Dunai.