Dinner has a sound in our house before it has a smell. Something warm goes on in the background while dinner is prepared and the table gets set — nothing loud, nothing that competes with conversation, just enough to signal that it’s almost dinner time.
The playlist has changed over the years, but the feeling has not. Music holds a special place in the memory bank of our families and mealtime is the perfect time to make a deposit.
If your family leans the same direction we do — warm, acoustic, a little bit country, a little bit folk — here are 20 songs that make up our go-to dinner prep & dinner playlist.
The Playlist
- “Family” — Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
- “Find Your People” — Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
- “Dance with Everybody”—Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
- “I Will Carry You” — Ellie Holcomb
- “Feels Like Home” — Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
- “Chance” — The National Parks
- “You are Gold” — The National Parks
- “Wildflowers” — Drew Holcomb
- “Ring the Bells” — Johnnyswim, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
- “Banks” — NEEDTOBREATHE
- “I Like to Be With Me When I’m With You” — Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
- “Gratitude” — Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
- “Let’s Stay Home Tonight” — NEEDTOBREATHE
- “Sweet Ever After” — Ellie Holcomb
- “Dragons” – Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors
- “Love Like This” – Ben Rector
- “Sparrows and Lilies” – Pat Barrett
- “Mine” – Ellie Holcomb
- “Love Anyway” – Drew & Ellie Holcomb
- “Crowded Table” — The Highwomen
We love Drew & Ellie Holcomb and they truly have been a soundtrack to our family through the years. From dancing in the kitchen to dancing with our daughter at her wedding they hold a special place in our family tree. The other artists move naturally in and out of Drew & Ellie with a similiar vibe and lyric. Of course we had to round it out with The Highwomen & the song that gave this whole brand its name.
How to build your own
Pick one or two artists whose sound already feels like your house, and let Spotify’s “Related Artists” and autoplay do the rest of the discovery work for you. Keep the volume low enough that it’s a backdrop, not a performance — the goal is to add a little background music to your family time.
Save this list for your next dinner, and tell us in the comments what’s already on your family’s rotation — we’re always looking for the next addition.