Anyone who knows the real Kyle Kushman knows I LOVE music, but a few tracks are on heavy rotation when I’m working with weed. Whether I’m tending to my crop or chilling out with my Homegrown Cannabis Co. buds, my stereo is ALWAYS on.
And with good reason.
It’s not just because I love a lung-busting singalong, especially with some well-cured Strawberry Cough. And it’s not just to help me relax. It’s to help boost yields and improve the health of my plants.
Before I share a list of my favorite tunes, I’m going to explore why music and marijuana go so well together, like Simon and Garfunkel, Sonny and Cher, Eric B, and Rakim.
I’m going to tell you exactly why a good ol’ singalong can make your plants HAPPY, even if you’ve got a terrible voice!
Kyle Kushman Cannabis Playlist: A Symphony of Music and Marijuana
Throughout history, weed and music have gone hand in hand. Jazz, rap, reggae, country, you name it, cannabis has made its way into just about every musical genre.
There are countless songs about weed, and many artists thank cannabis for their creativity.
Some still hide their love of weed, others have gone full Willie Nelson!
Cannabis is renowned for being expansive, for boosting creative focus, but marijuana can help with timing too, with keeping a beat.
It can open up and dissect a moment, infinity in an hour, as William Blake once said.
Marijuana can increase the ability to perceive sounds, opening your ears to a broader range of tones.
It makes your eyeballs dilate, why not your earballs?
Let’s face it, music and marijuana both ROCK. But how does music improve yields???
South Korean scientists discovered that playing music to plants, especially classical music, boosts growth and enhances development.
It’s thought the vibrations and waves stimulate plant cells, speeding up movement of nutes and boosting the immune system.
I completely agree, though my plants prefer epic rock ‘n’ roll ballads.
But it’s not just the music. You must have heard stories about old-school gardeners talking to their plants?
It’s not as crazy as it sounds.
We breathe out carbon dioxide, even more so when talking and ESPECIALLY when singing, and plants LOVE a healthy dose of C02.
Next time you’re in the tent, stick your playlist on and start belting out those tunes.
No need to be shy, they’re only plants and they won’t judge you (not like your neighbours).
Fill your tent with your voice, your energy, and your C02.
The plants will absorb your breath (maybe even a part of your spirit). They’ll use it to grow and you’ll be forever connected like a pair of entangled particles.
At least until you’ve smoked it all.
Singing to your plants is the ultimate in organic C02 delivery, and it’s a great way to get those endorphins PUMPING!
The Ultimate Kyle Kushman Pruning Playlist
The time has come to reveal the top tracks that get my toes tapping. Some are perfect for pruning, others for kicking back with the finished bud.
I hope they inspire you to create your own pruning playlist. Your plants will LOVE you for it.
By-Tor and the Snow Dog – Rush
‘By-Tor and the Snow Dog’ is an epic 8+ minute song by Rush. Their entire 1975 ‘Fly by night’ album takes you on a journey, but I always find myself skipping to this particular song.
It’s the band’s first fantasy-themed release and drummer Neil Peart’s debut single. It was written while they were high as kites, and it shows. The instrumental segments are perfect for rocking out while watering.
Tom Sawyer – Rush
Another Rush hit I can’t get enough of is ‘Tom Sawyer,’ the best track from their 1981 album ‘Moving Pictures.’
I was always a fan of the Mark Twain novel, and pruning to this song brings back a little nostalgia over my childhood. The lyrics really resonate. I love its ‘be rebellious like a child‘ message.
Nothing beats listening to this track with a hard-hitting Kush in the bowl, something like Homegrown’s Blackberry Kush is ideal!
The Keeper – Chris Cornell
‘The Keeper’ by Chris Cornell is a humbling song, perfect for singing your soul out. He was lead singer of grunge pioneers, Soundgarden, and wrote this song for the 2011 film ‘Machine Gun Preacher.’
The track paints a picture not only of the main character, Sam Childers, but also Cornell. It’s a testimony to how he and Childers reject adulation – ‘just a man with faults like any other.’
Cornell battled with addiction from his early teens. The depth of feeling and honesty in his lyrics makes me hang on every word.
I often turn to this song when I’m experiencing one of those inner-self-exploration moments. When I want to breathe out for a while.
My plants love him, and I miss him.
I couldn’t not include him on my official Kyle Kushman cannabis playlist.
Sideways- Citizen Cope
Here’s a far-out song for you. ‘Sideways’ by Clarence Greenwood, aka Citizen Scope, never hit the charts but is BIG in pop culture.
After a chance encounter with artist Santana, ‘Sideways’ became a featured track on their ‘Shaman’ album. It went on to debut at number 1 and had nearly 300,000 record sales in the first week.
I love this track for mellowing out. It’s peaceful, soulful, and perfect for when couch-lock hits after a busy day in the grow room.
My plants love it, too – I sometimes play it to them at lights-out so we can all unwind together, preferably with a full jar of Dos-si-dos.
More Than a Feeling – Boston
‘More Than a Feeling’ is a rock classic. It’s a feel-good anthem that I can’t help but sing out loud.
When the song hit the charts in 1976, it earned the band gold and platinum records. Nobody had seen such a unique combo of prog rock and 60s pop.
When I pump up the volume of this track, I’m back to my early days of weed and feel thankful for all this adventure has brought me.
That’s why it’s perfect for rocking out with an old-school Sativa like Purple Haze.
Marijuana is more than a feeling!
Soft – Kings of Leon
‘Soft’ is a brutally honest retelling of an encounter lead singer Caleb had with a supermodel. It’s upbeat while also a little dark. The backing track is the perfect beat for doing methodical tasks like mixing DIY organic fertilizers.
Kings of Leon, like Steve DeAngelo, are proud advocates of legalizing marijuana. Frontman Caleb openly talks about how the munchies helped him beat anorexia.
They’ve also sent audiences wild by skinning up fatties on stage and sharing a toke or two between songs. My kinda band!
You – Candlebox
Candlebox was one of the last big-name bands to hit during the grunge wave in the 90s. ‘You’ is my favorite song from their 1993 debut album.
The lyrics follow lead singer Kevin Martin’s experience with drug addiction, and how he had an epiphany that inspired him to turn his life around.
He’s renowned for stating that anything organic like marijuana or mushrooms is natural and not drugs.
Like ‘Sideways,’ I turn to this song when it’s time to relax. It’s a great tune for pruning, curing, and drying my buds, and that is why I had to add it to my official Kyle Kushman playlist.
The Joker- Steve Miller Band
Formed in the ‘Summer of Love,’ Steve Miller Band released an impressive list of hit singles that accompanied the hippy days of the 70s.
With this free love and liberal era in mind, it’s no surprise that my favorite song, ‘The Joker,’ makes multiple references to how lead singer Steve Miller aka the ‘Space Cowboy’, enjoys marijuana.
I could listen to this tune all day. It ALWAYS improves my mood, great for pruning and training my plants.
The line ‘I’m a midnight toker’ makes me grin every time, too.
Especially when I’m toking at midnight with my super-productive Sweet Island!
Going to California – Led Zeppelin
Northern California is known as the Emerald Triangle. It produces an AWESOME amount of weed, more than the rest of the US put together.
Led Zeppelin’s Going to California opens with a woman smoking all the stuff. He then heads to Cali in search of a ‘girl out there with love in her eyes and flowers… in her hair.’
The long pause in the track suggests the flowers he wants are possibly part of a different type of female. Throughout the song, other subtle and cleverly worded references sneak through.
I love to sing along to this track when harvesting and pruning my buds. It’s a nod to the wonder of marijuana and the profound effects of our favorite flower, enjoyed best with some well-cured Skywalker OG.
I Am the Walrus – the Beatles
The final Kyle Kushman playlist spot goes to The Beatles. It was a toss-up between ‘I Am the Walrus’ and ‘With a little help from my friends.’
A song about love, happiness, and getting high with friends is a winner in my eyes. However, the fun lyrical genius and hilarious backstory to ‘I Am the Walrus’ makes it a regular go-to pruning tune for me.
Lennon famously wrote three songs while on multiple acid trips and put them together to create this mind-bending hit. Many believe the track has hidden subliminal messages about smoking pot, and I love the fact that I can sing THIS song to MY plants, long after Lennon has passed.
Homegrown Cannabis x Good Music Is Music To My Ears
While your modern musician doesn’t have to worry about censorship, it’s fascinating to explore the lyrical creativity of these old-school bands.
They had far more rules to bend when it came to penning their words, and it must have been a whole lotta fun!
Your pruning playlist doesn’t have to be as old-school as mine, but it’s fun to get out of your musical comfort zone from time to time.
Explore different stuff, let yourself be inspired.
Music has a profound way of moving us, altering our mood, making us feel things we didn’t know were there.
Cannabis has similar properties and when you combine them, the impact is incredible.
My advice: make a playlist, sing to your plants, watch your happiness levels SOAR! Never stop growing.
If you have a top ten pruning playlist, share it with the official Homegrown Instagram page with the hashtag #pruningplaylist or send a dm to Respect My Region on IG and together we can be an inspiration!
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This article was produced by Kyle Kushman, Homegrown Cannabis Co., and Respect My Region.
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