'Granola' Genre: The Sound of the Modern Hippie

Written by Zoe Tevyaw

Noah Kahan, The Lumineers, Hozier…you’ve probably heard songs from these artists, whether on pop/alt radio, in coffee shops, or on TikTok, where they have all found tracks of theirs trending throughout the past year. These acoustic-oriented acts all exist on similar Spotify playlists that depict a very specific vibe: “wanderlust,” “fall feels,” and “coffeehouse” being a few of the most popular within this kind of music. 

But what is this genre? The typical subject matter and use of modern songwriting/production strategies makes it just too alternative-leaning to be modern folk or bluegrass, while still stripped down enough to be disqualified from soft pop or indie. They can occupy the same musical space as the “sad girl” bedroom scene featuring Phoebe Bridgers and Lizzy McAlpine, but there is still a clear yet hard-to-define distinction. Not to fear, however, because the internet has made the decision for us by adopting this sound into what’s being dubbed “The Granola Aesthetic.” 

Granola - like the food? Yes. And to understand how we got from just a great breakfast topping to defining an entire genre of music, we have to go back to the beginning and start with August, 1969: Woodstock. Outside of the music being performed, Woodstock was horribly overcrowded and under-equipped to supply food to the 500,000 festival-goers who found out the hard way they couldn’t live on LSD and Rock n’ Roll alone. They starved during the first two days of the event, until the head of a hippie commune and his people began dispersing thousands of dixie cups full of granola to the masses. Woodstock got granola into these counterculture kids’ minds and mouths, and its status as an eco-friendly, non-industrial food kept it stocked in their pantries, thus beginning a long association between granola and hippies.

That hippie movement waned going into the 80s and 90s, yet exists in some capacity within many subcultures today, including the “granola” or “crunchy” aesthetic, taking its name from the longstanding cultural significance of the food. These are the folks trying their best to get off the grid or reduce their carbon footprint: the outdoorsy, the adventurous, and those disillusioned by society for its lack of eco-consciousness and connection. 

They are very connected to other trending movements of the past few years, like the more generic “hipster” aesthetic that adopted a counterculture-lite set of ideals, the “cottage core” folks that want to reject capitalism and live in tiny cabins with their friends, or the “#VanLife” movement which has seen young people living and traveling the country out of a van to exist more heavily in nature. On a more stereotypical surface level, they are the birkenstock-wearing, R.E.I. rewards-holding, kombucha-drinking members of society that are definitely going on a hike at sunrise this weekend.

So how does this connect back to The Lumineers or Hozier? Very simply, those of this aesthetic have decided that this style of music – too alternative for folk and too acoustic for pop – sounds the way their lifestyle feels. These artists and their songs exude enough of that specific feeling for Spotify to create such a specific playlist as “Wanderlust.” They vocalize the modern hippie hold-ups and existence through their lyrics, and provide the perfect “crunchy” acoustic atmosphere for singing around the campfire. 

A perfect example is Noah Kahan’s new single “Stick Season,” released this past July. Kahan’s song has reached over 40 million streams, owed in part to its massive TikTok virality upon release. A resurgence of its trending status was also seen in late September due to the transition from summer into what Kahan has dubbed “stick season”: when all the leaves begin to fall and leave empty trees. The lyrics heavily resonate with those of the granola aesthetic. With lines like “Doc told me to travel but there’s COVID on the planes” and “you once called me ‘forever’ now you still can’t call me back,” it’s easy to both see the clear connection to the adventurous and woodsy, while still showing signs of being rooted in the modern age. 

The Lumineers are another quintessential granola act, though perhaps more pop-oriented than many of the genre’s other key players. With mainstream hits like “Ophelia” and “Ho Hey” that you still hear on the radio today (each having over 800 million streams), the group widened the scope of the genre while remaining true to the earthy, acoustic sound that defines it. In latest Lumineers news, their song “Cleopatra” – off of the same 2016 album as mega hit “Ophelia” – has recently been privy to new internet fame, and is being used as a soundbite for teens dancing in the rain, showing off their hippie-esque outfits, and singing along to the camera.

With the pattern of artists going viral with “granola” songs as of late, we expect that the genre will continue to grow and seep its way further into the mainstream. There’s not yet a dedicated genre playlist on Spotify, as the coined term is still solidifying its claim to this sound, but a quick search will bring up countless user-made playlists to introduce you to the top tracks, and provide a great soundtrack for the next time you find yourself filled with wanderlust.