Music Monday 🎧 Bands That Changed My Life

Surprise! This is a new feature I’ll be having on the blog. Music is the most important thing in my life and I honestly can’t hold back from incorporating  it into my blog any longer. It’s mostly just going to be lists and me gushing over my favourite bands. I might try and do some album reviews, but honestly I’d be even worse at those than I am with books. Music has always been a part of my life. I grew up listening to a variety of 80’s glam metal and pub rock. It’s safe to say it definitely played a part in the music I love today.

I totally get if these posts aren’t everyone’s thing, that’s fine. Feel free to skip them over! And don’t worry! There’ll still be TONS of bookish content here. That said, I hope you enjoy these new music posts and find some new songs and bands to fall in love with.

I figured the best way to kick this off was to talk about bands that changed my life. These bands all had a huge impact on me during various points in my life and I’m eternally grateful. I can’t express in words how much I love music.

Kisschasy (Alt Rock)

iTunes • Spotify

Let’s start at the beginning, yeah? Okay, so until around 2004 I honestly didn’t care that much about music. I was content with whatever was on the radio, but then I saw a Kisschasy music video on TV and it was the first time I ever really stopped and paid attention. Kisschasy were what really made me love and appreciate music. They’re an Australian band, but unfortunately aren’t together anymore 💔

The Album that Changed Everything: United Paper People (2005)
The Song that Changed Everything: Do Do’s & Whoa-Oh’s

Favourite Songs

Pierce The Veil (Post-Hardcore)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

From the first most important band in my life to the current. I will never be able to put into words what Piece The Veil helped me get through. I will forever love this band. I relate to so many of their songs and lyrics. Their song Hold On Till May means absolutely everything to me and helped me out of a really dark place ( I plan on getting lyrics from it tattooed on me). I think I’ve watched every single video of them that exists on YouTube. I’m so happy I was able to meet them and tell them how much I loved their music. I love this band so much it’s overwhelming. Words can’t express.

The Album that Changed Everything: Collide With The Sky (2012)
The Song that Changed Everything: Hold On Till May

Favourite Songs

Simple Plan (Pop Punk)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

Not long after my discovery of Kisschasy I saw a music video for Perfect by Simple Plan on TV. This changed everything. I heard Welcome To My Life and it was the first time where I ever felt like someone understood me. This Song Saved My Life is such a perfect description of my relationship with music. I owe a lot to Simple Plan. 12 years later they’re still writing songs that I relate to.

The Album that Changed Everything: Still Not Getting Any… (2004)
The Song that Changed Everything: Perfect

Favourite Songs

Fall Out Boy (Alt Rock)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

From Simple Plan I found a little band called Fall Out Boy. I discovered that there was an ENTIRE scene dedicated to this kind of music and people who loved it. Enter MySpace and 2005 Emo/Scene Lauren, who finally felt like she actually belonged somewhere for the first time in her life. P.S: The hiatus Fall Out Boy went on was the worst years of my life.

The Album that Changed Everything: From Under The Cork Tree (2005)
The Song that Changed Everything: A Little Less 16 Candles, A Little More “Touch Me”

Favourite Songs

Panic! At The Disco (Alt Rock)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

I’m making the photo the original Panic! At The Disco, because that’s what impacted me the most. A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out is one of the greatest albums ever. I found Panic! not long after I found Fall Out Boy. Panic! And Fall Out Boy were probably the first ever obsessions I really had as a teenager and I would spend hours on MySpace and LiveJournal fangirling over them. I met Brendon Urie in 2014 and being able to tell him that Panic! was one of the first bands I fell in love with was amazing. It’s been torture seeing the band go through the split and lose all the members, but I’m so happy Brendon is still continuing on.

The Album that Changed Everything: A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out (2005)
The Song that Changed Everything: I Write Sins Not Tragedies

Favourite Songs

My Chemical Romance (Alt Rock)

iTunes • Spotify

I can’t mention Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco without completing The Emo Trinity™ and speaking about My Chemical Romance. Whilst I wasn’t the biggest fan in the world, MRC did play a huge part in my teenage years. I still have such a vivid memory of purchasing The Black Parade when it was first released. They were another band that I’d spend forever talking about on LiveJournal. A part of me will always be devastated that I never had the chance to see them live.

The Album that Changed Everything: The Black Parade (2006)
The Song that Changed Everything: Welcome To The Black Parade

Favourite Songs

All Time Low (Pop Punk)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

I started listening to All Time Low in 2006 and it’s been incredible watching them grow as a band. They have come so far and I’m super proud of them. They’re just such a fun band and incredible live. Their songs have some really important messages too that have really helped me like Therapy and Missing You. I really want to see them live again. Hopefully they’ll come back to Australia soon!

The Album that Changed Everything: So Wrong It’s Right (2007)
The Song that Changed Everything: Six Feet Under The Stars

Favourite Songs

5 Seconds Of Summer (Pop Rock)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

5SOS is probably one of my newest “had an impact on me” bands. I didn’t really start listening to them until late 2014. My nana passed away in August of 2014 and I was in a really bad place. I was extremely close to her (and even now I still have trouble dealing with things). Anyway, I decided to out of the blue watch a 5SOS interview a few months after she passed (because it was on my Tumblr dashboard) and it was the first time I laughed. Like TRULY laughed since she’d been gone. 5SOS became my outlet for reminding me that it was okay to smile and laugh again and to keep living.

The Album that Changed Everything: 5 Seconds of Summer (2014)
The Song that Changed Everything: Don’t Stop

Favourite Songs

 Bring Me The Horizon (Metalcore)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

The band that made me fall in love with post-hardcore and hardcore music. Bring Me The Horizon was one of the first “heavier” bands that I listened to – not including being obsessed with Ohio Is For Lovers by Hawthorn Heights. Like Simple Plan, Bring Me The Horizon introduced me to a whole new genre of music that I had never even considered listening to before. They also have songs that focus on mental illness and the lyrics have resonated with me so much.

The Album that Changed Everything: Suicide Season (2008)
The Song that Changed Everything: Chelsea Smile

Favourite Songs

We Are The In Crowd (Pop Rock)

iTunes • Spotify

WATIC is such a fun band with music that takes me to My Happy Place™. Being a girl in this scene is not easy so seeing female fronted bands has always been really inspiring to me. Tay, the vocalist, is someone who I really look up to and aspire to be like. We’re the same age and I can relate to her lyrics about relationships and life in general so much. I’m really sad that WATIC are currently on an indefinite hiatus.

The Album that Changed Everything: Guaranteed To Disagree [EP] (2010)
The Song that Changed Everything: Both Sides Of The Story

Favourite Songs

Marianas Trench (Pop Rock)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

Like most of the other bands I’ve talked about I found Marianas Trench during a pretty hard time in my life. I related to some of their lyrics so much and I really appreciated how honest Josh was about his own illnesses and addictions. Watching videos of them on YouTube when I was sad or listening to their music really helped a lot. I think I watched pretty much every interview they ever did back in like 2011-2012.

The Album that Changed Everything: Ever After (2011)
The Song that Changed Everything: Haven’t Had Enough

Favourite Songs

The Maine (Alt Rock)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

I’ve been listening to The Maine since 2007 and their transformation has been insane. Whilst they may not have been as prominent as bands like Pierce The Veil or Fall Out Boy, they’ve always been there. It’s been awesome seeing them grow as a band and their album Forever Halloween is one of my favourite albums ever. I definitely relate to a lot of their lyrics especially in songs like Fucked Up Kids and 24 Floors.

The Album that Changed Everything: Forever Halloween (2013)
The Song that Changed Everything: I Wanna Love You (Akon cover)

Favourite Songs

Mayday Parade (Alt Rock)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

Like The Maine, I feel like I’ve been listening to Mayday Parade forever. They were one of the first bands I found after Fall Out Boy. I would listen to Miserable For Best on repeat. Their songs make me feel things I’ve never experienced and it’s amazing. I was supposed to see them headline last month, but I got sick and I’m still pretty heartbroken, haha.

The Album that Changed Everything: A Lesson In Romantics (2007)
The Song that Changed Everything: Miserable At Best

Favourite Songs

You Me At Six (Alt Rock)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

I spent several years obsessed with YMAS and I still adore them to pieces now. They were one of the bands who I’d watch videos of on YouTube and feel happier. Like most of the bands here I’ve been following them for pretty much their entire career and it’s just been incredible seeing them grow as people and musically. They were one of the first bands I saw live and it was amazing. Josh replied to me on Twitter the other day and it’s safe to say I freaked out a lot.

The Album that Changed Everything: Sinners Never Sleep (2011)
The Song that Changed Everything: Gossip

Favourite Songs

PVRIS (Alt Rock)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

Pvris are one of the newest bands that’s on this list. I’ve only been listening to them a couple years, but they’ve definitely become one of my all time favourites. They are so incredible talented, it’s hard to believe that their debut album is their debut because it is so polished. They make it look like they’ve been doing this forever. Their sound is so fresh and unique. Lynn is a wonderful human being and she inspires me a lot.

The Album that Changed Everything: White Noise (2014)
The Song that Changed Everything: St. Patrick

Favourite Songs

Paramore (Alt Rock)

iTunes • Spotify • Twitter

Paramore was the first female fronted band I found in the pop punk/alt rock/hardcore scene. As I said above it’s not always fun being a girl in this scene, you’re often accused of only liking the bands for the male members or being “fake”. People try to say that because you’re a girl then you don’t belong in mosh pits or can’t listen to heavier music. Finding Paramore really helped me realise that hey girls belong here too. Hayley’s a huge inspiration of mine. Like with Panic!, it’s been sad seeing Paramore’s members slowly leave, but knowing that Hayley and Taylor still want to keep the band going is awesome and I love how much Hayley pushes across that Paramore IS a band. Seeing them live was AMAZING.

The Album that Changed Everything: RIOT! (2006)
The Song that Changed Everything: Misery Business

Favourite Songs:

There’s so many more bands I could have mentioned, but we’d be here all day so. I hope this has helped you find some new music!!

Do you listen to any of these bands? Tell me some of your favourites! I’d love to know whether music has ever helped you or had an impact on your life in some way.

I hope you’re all having a fantastic day xx