The Maine are a five-piece rock band from Arizona whose emotional, pristine pop rock makes you want to roadtrip through a twilight desert landscape with your boo — four windows down and the pedal to the floor. And as the wind whips your hair and the sun caresses the backs of your necks, you can’t help but think: “Yo, this song is tight as helllllll.”

Upon the release of their fifth LP, American Candy, the band was kind enough to curate a playlist to accompany these aforementioned long jaunts through the desert. Below you’ll find an eclectic playlist filled with the sorts of road trippy fare you might expect from Neil Young and Ryan Adams, and some newer gems like “Buttercups” from Nai Harvest and the dreamy “Scorpio Moon” by the Tulips. It is a hodgepodge of aural treats that work equally for the purposes of driving solo or cruising with a significant other, though according to singer John O’Callaghan, it mainly functions to keep you awake, lol. Below you’ll find O’Callaghan’s playlist and some words of wisdom. Below that, one of the best illustrations we’ve received for this series–a stray red shell roamin’ nonchalantly through the Arizona interstate system, which also sort of looks like the Kalimari Desert from Mario Kart 64. Enjoy!

John O’Callaghan on his mix:

“I’m unsure as to how many times I’ve made the six hour journey from Phoenix to Los Angeles, but one thing I’m certain of is the necessity to have solid tunes to make the desert drive ride a bit more bearable. I know it’s a bit of a scatter-brained collection, but it kept me company and kept me awake which is always important when operating a motor vehicle. Hope these jams find you in the highest of spirits. Wear your seat belts my friends, and look out for those red turtle shells. Cheers!”