Office Poll: What The Interview Editors Are Listening to During Quarantine

The coronavirus pandemic has altered our lives in many different respects, some of which we are not yet even able to fully understand. But one thing that’s certain is our collective struggle to find joie de vivre amidst the darkness. When we find ourselves in times of trouble, from breakups to economic collapse, we turn to music for answers. And like a friend, we know music will always be there—winter, spring, summer, or fall. Life may be pouring down on us like misery, but at least we have the music. We’ll always have the music. Below, the Interview editors reveal the albums and songs they have been listening to during quarantine. Our playlist is eclectic, electric, and most of all, encouraging. Now hit play.

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NICK HARAMIS

Editor-in-Chief

“I’ve been listening to Fiona Apple’s Tidal a lot. Actually, I’ve been really leaning into my entire Lilith Fair Smoker’s Section playlist: Aimee Mann, Skunk Anansie, Tracy Chapman, the Beths (Hart and Orton). I get the sense, whether or not it’s true, that my girls are all thriving in quarantine.”

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“I’ve been mediating between CHIC’s 1977 eponymous album and Angèle’s Brol La Suite. CHIC is my all-time favorite band and this record brings me back to my best NYC summer nights. I haven’t listened to an artist more than Angèle in the past two years; I don’t speak a lick of French, but I’ve been trying to learn for the sole purpose of understanding the lyrics I’ve been mispronouncing all this time.”

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“I’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time listening to Whitney Houston: The Greatest Hits, Disc 2, which, as everyone probably remembers, is all of the iconic Whitney remixes. It’s been really amping me up during the monotonous days. And obviously I’m still obsessed with Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, which is the pop album no one has given us in so long.”

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“Kind of Blue by Miles Davis has become my go-to break from the news and podcasts. Good WFH vibe, whatever that means…”

ERNEST MACIAS

Editorial Assistant

“I usually start my day with Haim’s Something to Tell You, a quintessential post-breakup album for gays and girls—sorry, I don’t make the rules. A standout and personal favorite from this album is the soothing F-U anthem ‘You Never Knew.’ Then I move on to Shania Twain’s UP! with a few of her classics mixed in here-and-there (‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ all day). I then move on to Donna Summer’s On the Radio: Greatest Hits, Vol. I & II. I keep going back to Donna for obvious reasons, but when I’m feeling particularly gloomy or sad, I blast ‘No More Tears (Enough is Enough)’ featuring Barbra Streisand and instantly my sorrow turns into empowerment. Another album I keep playing over and over is Madonna’s Confessions on the Dancefloor, especially when I’m cleaning or taking a shower. I put on a mean show for my plants and candles. They seem to enjoy it—no complaints thus far. I must mention two songs, otherwise, I could lose my membership to the LGBTQ+ community: Lady Gaga’s ‘Rain on Me,’ a triumphant return to the dancefloor with Ariana Grande and her ponytail, and Paulina Rubio’s ‘El Ultimo Adios,’ a drunken breakup song by my favorite Mexican gilded pop diva.”

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SARAH NECHAMKIN

Digital Editor

“I hate to be like every media tote-carrying girl in Brooklyn, but I, too, have Fetched the Bolt Cutters, and in doing so, have unlocked some sense of clarity in a world of incremental chaos. It’s the ideal quar opus: 51 minutes of ex-hating, dog-barking, and floor-stomping that will surely piss off the downstairs apartment dwellers. Slightly less of-the-moment, but eternally appreciated: a re-watch of Walk the Line has had me cooking to Johnny Cash and June Carter, and sunny open-window days call for Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, and The Supremes.”

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“Christine and The Queens’s La Vita Nuova has been a staple of quarantine for me, specifically the song ‘People, I’ve Been Sad.’ I don’t know what it is about that song, but it just sticks with me. Might have something to do with the fact that it’s one key higher than—and has nearly the same chord structure as— ‘National Anthem’ by Lana Del Rey, which will always and forever be one of my favorite songs. Additionally, at the risk of coming off as the least creative person contributing to this list, I would say After Hours by The Weeknd has been a favorite of mine. I’m currently at my parents’ house in suburban Massachusetts, and I often find myself listening to music while rollerblading, at night, alone, around an empty school parking lot near my childhood home. Songs like ‘Faith’ and ‘Nothing Compares’ are always queued.”

“I’ve been listening to Future’s High off Life. It’s been making me feel super nostalgic—I miss my wild summer nights and toxic summer loves, but it gives me something to look forward to. It’s also helping me workout every day!”

“My friend sent me a Spotify playlist called Sea Shanties, which is basically a collection of old-timey, seafaring, maritime hymns. They help transport me to a time and place far, far away from here.”

Listen to the playlist below, and follow Interview on Spotify for more.