After a string of popular singles dating back years, New York native Samia released her debut album The Baby via Grand Jury on August 28th of 2020, "Big Wheel" included:

The record is a fun, possibly underrated — sometimes poppy and sometimes folky — indie rock album about "the trappings of young adulthood," to quote ex-BV contributor Ashley Bardhan's 7.9 Pitchfork review.

We've had it in regular rotation since it came out, and so we asked Samia if she would let us know what she's been listening to lately. She obliged, and made us a playlist with old and new favorites, including a track from the great new Innocence Mission album, one of Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief's newest solo tracks, and a now-classic tune by Lucinda Williams. Check out the whole thing — with her words — below (and listen on Spotify).

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WHAT SAMIA IS LISTENING TO:
in her own words

Anjimile – 1978
This is my favorite song off of Anjimile’s debut record. we have a lot of mutual friends and I’ve admired him from afar for a while now – we got to speak on the phone recently and discovered we both have songs on our records inspired by our grandmothers. This one is just such a poignant and beautiful dedication and self-reflection that makes me cry every time.

Annika Bennett – "Your World"
Annika is a long-time friend of mine and the first time I heard this song it floored me. It’s just such a universal sentiment, the feeling of being enamored with someone else’s life in comparison to your own and the allure of leaving your own problems behind. She’s so good at being honest/conversational and deeply profound at the same time.

Adrianne Lenker – "Anything"
It just feels like reading a diary entry that spans years and it’s so sensory…i love everything she’s ever written but this one is a unique reminder that specificity can be relatable in songwriting as long as the narrator is passionate about what they’re singing.

Del The Funky Homosapien – "Mistadobalina"
He sampled “Zilch” by the Monkees and created this whole character based around the name Mr. Bob Dobalina who’s like this guy trying so hard to be cool that he is decidedly the opposite of cool. The most potent memory of this summer for me is probably listening to this song in the car a million times.

Stephen Day – "Twenty Two and Some Change"
I listen to this pretty much every day!! It’s just effing relatable!! Young adulthood!

A Tribe Called Quest – "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo"
This is one of my favorite songs of all time. My sixth-grade teacher used to play it all the time and make us watch the music video. It was my introduction to storytelling with that kind of levity. Another song of the summer for me!!

The Weepies – "Stars"
I’ve been listening to this record nonstop for a year but just recently fell in love with this song!! It’s just such a beautifully straightforward poem about being grounded in love and the world. It’s comfort!!

Lucinda Williams – "Joy"
This is my screaming in the car song. I love the choice to repeat a phrase until it’s uncomfortable. It’s what real anger feels like, at least to me…just wanting to yell the same thing over and over again.

Wye Oak – "I Know It’s Real"
The final track on my favorite Wye Oak record. I heard this last summer for the first time like fully weeping to myself on a boat and it was embarrassingly cinematic. The lyrics are pretty spiritually affirming; “Still I’m alive, stronger than energies riding on my back, anchoring every day to the last”.

The Innocence Mission – "On Your Side"
I’ve never heard this sentiment expressed so effortlessly. One of my favorite voices of all time.

Listen to the playlist:

And another one from Samia's album: