The Ophelias is a band that’s been marked by great change in recent years: both personal and communally. Moving out of their hometown of Cinncinati, releasing their album Almost in 2018, and graduating college all helped lay the stage for their new record Crocus. Still remaining true to the experimental and quickly-witted spirit on which they’ve built their foundations, Crocus provides another impressive showing from the group, lined with full string arrangements, and the backing of many friends and collaborators.

We reached out to the band and asked them to compile a mix for us. They came back with a compilation of songs where the sounds of orchestral and indie intersect. Read the band’s thoughts behind the playlist and listen in below.

One of the hallmarks of The Ophelias’ “sound” is Andrea’s violin parts. We love songs that use orchestral elements, and this playlist is all examples of songs that sit somewhere between orchestral and indie. We wanted to include a wide range of songs, from the re-imagined version of “Where The Time Went” with a full twelve-piece orchestra to heavier songs like “Bottom of the Barrel,” which centers on electric cello and drums. We love genre-bending, and so many of these songs gracefully cross between genres and feelings.

Listen and order The Ophelia’s new album ‘Crocus’ – out now via Joyful Noise: