With Wichita’s first snow right behind us and Thanksgiving just around the corner, warm music is coming into season. The Sunflower has you covered.

Pamela Dominguez

With the brisk winter months rapidly approaching, it’s time to transition into a mellow mindset with music to match. The frosty season demands a warm counterpart to fill the void created by subzero temperatures and holiday stress.

The calm, almost sleepy, characteristic of acoustic covers pairs so sweetly with the aesthetics of a chilly day. Featuring Angus & Julia Stone, Band of Horses, and The Lumineers, the bands I chose are all fronted by artists with toasty voices that are perfect for snowfall.

Topped off with indie holiday classics like “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood and “The Last Snowstorm of The Year” by Hippo Campus, this playlist is best paired with a fuzzy sweater, a steaming beverage, and an evening spent bundled at home. The city might be frozen, but this collection of heartfelt odes will keep any sleepy soul warm throughout the winter months.

John Darr

It hurts like hell to walk through a winter storm, but at the same time, there’s hardly anything more majestic. The imposing silence of cold air and the spiritual gleam of fresh snow make for heavenly music-listening conditions.

My selection kicks off with Arcade Fire’s heart-rending “Neighborhood #1: Tunnels.” The song’s glittering piano and driving drums pair beautifully with its lyrical story of kids fighting to survive a snowpocalypse.

From there, I’ve included the gorgeously atmospheric “Into the Well.” Mree’s lush fingerpicked guitar lines and soft vocals are the perfect accompaniment to a walk through snowy woods.

For the sadboys out there, I’ve got Bladee’s “Romeo,” whose synth flurries come to life over a shifting foundation of 808 kick drums and panoramic hi-hat rolls. Vivid lyrics like “When I’m in your area the flowers start withering / Ice world, everything glittering” grant the track a sweeping cinematic feeling.

Following “Romeo” is my blizzard pick, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma’s “Blue Nudes I-IV.” The track’s crushing waves of melodic sound are the perfect match for weathering snowfall.

No snow playlist is complete without Bon Iver. I’ve picked my winter favorite, “Michicant,” for this playlist. The call and response between Justin Vernon’s floating vocal melodies and twinkling guitar riffs, the soft gallop of percussion in the background, and the track’s swelling alt-country finale make for a perfect snow listen.

Mariah Perkins

As a transplant in Kansas from Michigan, music can be my connection to friends and family back home, but also a nostalgic pull to a place I loved living. This Thanksgiving will be my first without going home or having anyone visit. There is no doubt I will be turning on “Michigan” by Milk Carton Kids and “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and the Heart to sink into the home sickness.

The next two songs I added—“Good Friends, Bad Habits” by Owen and “Broadripple is Burning” by Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s—are tunes that give me visceral memories. They are both songs I’ve played on guitar and sang with my friends as well as played loudly in my car alone.

My selection ends with “Ohio” by Damian Jurado, an obvious nostalgic song. But, in this case, my strongest memory when I listen to this song is seeing Damien Jurado last fall at Barleycorn’s. It will be interesting to see what songs will bring me back to Wichita when I’ve moved on after graduation.