Music
10 Sep 25

Student Special: The Ultimate College Commute Playlist

As part of our Student Special, Jenna Thompson selects some essential tunes to while away those journeys to and from class.

College commutes can be unpredictable – early mornings, crowded buses, long walks across campus. Sometimes it’s 20 minutes of quiet, and others it feels like an entire odyssey before you even step into class. A good playlist makes all the difference. It can set the tone for the day, lift your mood, or carve out a sense of personal space in the middle of chaos.

This mix blends dreamy indie, mellow pop and soulful beats to keep you grounded yet alert. It’s a soundtrack for half-asleep mornings, post-lecture decompressing and everything in between. The right songs can make a routine trip feel intentional, turning that time in transit into a moment to reflect, reset or just enjoy being in motion.

And because it’s always nice to hear voices close to home, we’ve included a few up-and-coming Irish artists alongside global favourites. You’ll find tracks from Galway dream-pop group NewDad, Dunboyne star CMAT and alt-pop collective Soda Blonde, as well as the likes of Ailbhe Reddy, Kojaque and Orla Gartland.

Together, they add a familiar texture to a playlist that balances comfort with discovery…

1. ‘Digital Love’ - Daft Punk
2. ‘Have Fun!’ - CMAT
3. ‘That Life’ - Unknown Mortal Orchestra
4. ‘Open Your Eyes’ - STRFKR
5. ‘forever’ - Charli XCX

6. ‘Radio’ - Paolo Nutini
7. ‘Shuggie’ - Foxygen
8. ‘People Everyday (Metamorphosis Mix)’ - Arrested Development
9. ‘LOVE. feat. Zacari’ - Kendrick Lamar, Zacari
10. ‘Passin’ Me By’ - The Pharcyde

11. ‘Why Don’t You’ - Cleo Sol
12. ‘From These Heights’ - Jelani Aryeh
13. ‘Bully’ - Soda Blonde
14. ‘Sofia’ - Clairo
15. ‘Prom’ - SZA

16. ‘Love It If We Made It’ - The 1975
17. ‘Where Do We Go Now?’ - Gracie Abrams
18. ‘I Don’t Recognise You’ - NewDad
19. ‘Road Head’ - Japanese Breakfast
20. ‘What Once Was’ - Her’s

21. ‘Uncatena’ - Sylvan Esso
22. ‘Archie, Marry Me’ - Alvvays
23. ‘Space Song’ - Beach House
24. ‘On Melancholy Hill’ - Gorillaz
25. ‘Oblivion’ - Grimes

26. ‘Cherry’ - Chromatics
27. ‘Make It Forever’ - George Clanton
28. ‘CHOO CHOO’ - Fizzy Orange
29. ‘Pitch The Baby’ - Cocteau Twins
30. ‘Variations On An Aria’ - Really From

31. ‘Heartbeats’ - The Knife
32. ‘VINE-GLO’ - Honk
33. ‘Autumn Sweater’ - Yo La Tengo
34. ‘Enjoy The Silence’ - Depeche Mode
35. ‘This Must Be The Place’ - Talking Heads

36. ‘Baby’ - Ariel Pink
37. ‘This is The Day’- The The
38. ‘Looking Happy’ - Ailbhe Reddy
39. ‘No Hands’ - Kojaque
40. ‘You’re Not Special, Babe’ - Orla Gartland