Some things in this life just go together. Peanut butter and jelly—grape, of course. Timberlands and New Yorkers—all year round at that. Haley Bieber and her staple Erewhon smoothie. And now, um, hardcore music and plants? We know what you’re thinking because we thought the same thing at first, too. But curb your dismissive queries for just a moment while Spotify and Brain Dead crystalize the connection between horticulture and heavy music—stay with us now.
It’s been well documented—by at-home gardeners and expert scientists alike—that queuing up your favorites mix is a great way to help your botanical babies grow big and strong—supplementary to the required dosage of water and sunlight, of course. From Bach’s classical concertos to the blithe scatting of ’70s psych-jazz, years of studies suggest that supplying plants with a healthy diet of tunes can lead to faster, healthier growing patterns, giving you just another reason to check in on what your individualized Spotify Daylist is dishing out.
But sometimes gentle melodies and fluttering falsettos just ain’t cutting it—for both the vibrant vegetation and the musically fanatic among us. Truthfully, we all could use that intense shot of adrenaline only hardcore music’s storied anthology can provide, and, as it turns out, our treasured greenhouse guests could too. In a 2013 experiment led in part by plantsman and horticulturist Chris Beardshaw, plants exposed to steady blasts of heavy hymns bloomed with larger, more disease-resistant flowers, disproving once and for all that hardcore is bad for the youth—foliage, flesh, or other. So, even if high-octane head-bangers aren’t your go-to choice for plant fertilizer, you simply can’t deny science—now, tell Granny to put down the watering hose and throw on some vintage Bad Brains.
Embracing this intriguing scientific revelation, Spotify and Brain Dead have teamed up to create a specialty capsule dedicated to redefining what gardening looks, feels, and sounds like. Featuring a series of gardening gear and gadgets that bring a new edge to your personal planting experience, the custom collection adds a tinge of rage to the otherwise peaceful practice courtesy of the innovative music streaming service and the famed L.A. streetwear brand.
Including a canvas pot, a watering can, and a pair of gardening gloves with an accompanying smock—all embossed with the unmistakable Brain Dead logo—“Plant Growth Through Extreme Noise” ups the ante as you begin to round out your sorted selection of shrubbery this season. Completed with a few staple items from the classic brand—i.e., t-shirts, bandanas, tote bags, and trucker hats—this collection tastefully blurs the line between grunge rock and your green thumb.
Taking proactive plant care to the next level, Spotify collaborated with Beardshaw on a specialty music mix tailored to ensure you and your houseplants are head-banging in tandem. Stacked with notable names like SPY and GEL from across the diverse and spirited genre, Spotify’s Hardcore Gardening playlist makes for a great listen whether you’re in the mood to mosh among the masses or mulch your magnificent marigolds so they’re ready by summer.
Capped off with a duo of events dubbed as “half-concert, half-gardening” experiences, the finale of the 360-degree collab fully exposes the badass side of botany. Hosted in Houston on May 2 and Los Angeles on May 4, the off-kilter collaboration invited diehards of every genre and genus to show out for a night filled with live performances from artists included on the Hardcore Gardening playlist all while the plants soaked in all those sweet, sweet frequencies.
Walking home with exclusive t-shirts, plant seeding packs, and food droppers only available at the live events, hardcore heads and agronomy aficionados unite thanks to the culture-bending minds at Spotify and Brain Dead.
