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PVRIS’ Lynn Gunn: The 10 songs that changed my life
PVRIS vocalist Lynn Gunn reveals the 10 songs most personal to her…
- Words:
- Jennyfer J. Walker
We take a deep dive into the songs that make PVRIS vocalist Lynn Gunn want to sleep, cry and, er, eat rice pilaf… It's quite the eclectic mix to be honest, and great if you love a bit of Florence And The Machine.
The first song I remember hearing...
Enya – Orinoco Flow (1988)
“My mom would put Enya on to help me sleep. I remember whenever this was on I’d be like, ‘Oh shit, I gotta go to sleep now.’ I’m gonna assume she played it because it really calmed me down. Does it help me sleep now? Nooo, I just go right out nowadays. I seem to be perpetually tired (laughs).”
The song that reminds me of my childhood...
Paula Cole – Where Have All The Cowboys Gone? (1996)
“This is a funny one because I have this one super-vivid memory of being in the kitchen at my parents’ house, sitting on a stool and looking at the microwave while rice pilaf was cooking. I remember the colours of what I was seeing, it was all yellows and oranges, and it was dinner time and I just remember that song being on. I haven’t had rice pilaf in a while, but when I do I think of that memory and that song.”
The song that inspired me to be in a band...
Sum 41 – Fat Lip (2001)
“This is gonna sound silly – even I wasn’t expecting to say this, but then I just thought about it and was like, ‘No, Fat Lip was the song.’ When I was in elementary school my brother was super into Sum 41, and I remember him watching the music videos and playing along to their songs on guitar. I was like, ‘That looks cool! I wanna do that!’ It took me a couple of years to start my own band after that.”
The first song of ours I heard on the radio...
PVRIS – You And I (2016)
“It was a radio station in Pennsylvania and I tuned in online to listen. It was a cool feeling, but very surreal. It still is, sometimes. Although I feel like I’ve yet to actually hear anything of ours on the radio besides that – I just have friends who text me to say they’ve heard something, all the time. But I’ve literally never heard our songs on the radio since then.”
The song that was hardest to write...
PVRIS – Unreleased (TBC)
“It’s the stuff I’ve been working on. I’ve been in a lot of sessions with different people the past few months, and some of the songs have been really hard to finish. What’s the vibe of them? My headspace and my perspective is very different – I’m just in a better, more realistic, open and embracing headspace. I hope that translates into the music. We always have a loose time frame to get things done – at least our management does, just to make sure we actually move forward – but personally I’m in no rush. I never wanna rush anything.”
The song that reminds me of my first love...
Death Cab For Cutie – Transatlanticism (2003)
“This was a big one. That whole album reminds me of my ex. We were constantly driving back and forth to each other, so whenever I was in the car with her because she was dropping me off or she’d pissed me off – that would always be playing. When I hear that record and that song I’m immediately reminded of her.”
The song that picks me up when I'm down...
Florence And The Machine – Dog Days Are Over (2010)
“When I’m in a horrible mood, this song always seems to come on and it’s like, ‘Oh! You’re good. You’re okay now.’ It’s like a little sign. Whenever I hear the harp at the beginning I’m like, ‘Oooh.’”
The song that makes me cry...
Daughter – Youth (2013)
“I wouldn’t say this happens anymore, but it used to all the time. I remember one of my friends put it on a mix CD he made me for my birthday when I was in high school. I was completely blown away by it. Every time I heard it, it just broke my heart. The sadness comes from the message and overall sound – it’s so pretty.”
The song that makes we want to be a better person...
Flint Eastwood – Queen (2017)
“This might be cheesy ‘cause we took her out on tour, but there’s a song called Queen by Flint Eastwood. The message is all about being a boss, and she herself is a boss – she’s very positive, hard-working and is just a really genuine person. She inspires me all the time.”
The song I'd like played at my funeral...
Florence And The Machine – Sky Full Of Song (2018)
“I haven’t actually thought about this much before (laughs). I know I always talk about Florence, but this song is definitely a funeral-friendly song. The chorus is literally, ‘Take me down, I’m too tired now.’”
