Holindrian & The Human Revolution: Playlist

In 2010, I was a senior in high school, on the verge of graduating and beginning college, and, amongst the many other things that occupied my time, I was on the precipice of completing my first novel. Now, fifteen years removed from that first attempt, I can say that it wasn't good--but at 145,578 words, I still feel a tinge of accomplishment. Though, if I could, I would wave a wand and recall all the print editions I let escape into the wild. The sprint to finish that story was fueled by long, multi-hour sessions after school at the family computer with my earphones listening to various instrumental pieces, most notably Gustav Holst's The Planets ("Jupiter", in particular). Three of the chapter titles directly reference songs, while some scenes were inspired by the lyrics or music video imagery, such as "The Saints Are Coming" by Green Day and U2. That first novel, Sacrifice of Angels, has not been entirely written off. In 2015, I did return to it to scavenge select plot threads, characters, and even whole scenes to be drastically reworked (and rewritten) as I forged something new (and hopefully of improved quality).

In the abandoned sequel (which ballooned to 172,518 words before I decided the writing wasn't worth pursuing), the opening chapter, "Back in Black", continued the trend that originated quite organically throughout my senior year.

In a creative writing class, at least three separate short stories owe their very existence to the songs "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer", "How Far We've Come", and "Viva La Vida".

When I began writing Holindrian in 2014, the song that most directly connected to the themes of the story was "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from Les Miserables. The song sung by Etienette in Part III was written to capture that same feeling of a people who have too long been passive and overburdened, who, now roused, will not so easily return to the bonds of their previous lives.

This curated playlist is an extension of Holindrian & The Human Revolution--for, were the considerable financial investment not so considerable, know that I would have commissioned an entire soundtrack to share with you all. The relationship between these songs and the plot, themes, and characters should become plain once the book is released. Until then, enjoy this playlist (if you should happen to listen to it).

I encourage everyone to click the link below and listen to the acoustic cover of "Carry On Wayward Son" by Norm Strauss. Unfortunately, this version isn't available on Spotify, but his vision is the one I consider most tonally appropriate.