The first song I remember hearing
Emmylou Harris – ‘Tougher Than The Rest’ (Bruce Springsteen cover)
“My aunt lived in Los Angeles, California, and she would drive us around and put on [this song]. That’s one of the earliest songs that I remember hearing.”
The first album I owned
Alanis Morissette – ‘Jagged Little Pill’
“I had it on tape and I listened to it until the ribbon snapped… It was on my mum’s Walkman and I specifically remember being on a road trip from Toronto, Canada, [where Levy grew up] to Florida and listening to it over and over again. Five days in the car with your family and you need to just check out and put on some very angry music.”
The first gig I went to
Alanis Morissette at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada
“It was the ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’ tour and I was lifted out of my body. I was a teenager and that album was really cutting deep. It has moments of rage, it has moments of extreme sensitivity and vulnerability and I was just deeply in my feelings, singing along, feeling freedom. And then, about 10 years ago, I saw her at an ice cream store and I was too scared to say hello. It was before [Levy’s hit sitcom] Schitt’s Creek and everything went mad.”
The song that reminds me of home
Joni Mitchell – ‘California’
“My mum would play Joni on car rides to my grandparents’ house. I always thought she sounded a bit like a yodeller when I was very young. And then I got to that age where it all clicks and now I will follow Joni off a cliff.”
The song I wish I’d written
Rihanna – ‘Umbrella’
“I was a host on MTV at the time it came out – and I got to interview her. It was the greatest thing because my hopes were very high and she was really cool.
“I was throwing dance parties at the time. I used to do these iPod DJ sets in Toronto once a month at this amazing Ethiopian restaurant that had a little dancefloor at the back. I would put these playlists together and that song was always in what I would call my ‘Power Hour’, which was that sweet spot between 11.45pm and 1.15am when everyone would kind of get there and things would get rowdy.”
The song I can’t get out of my head right now
Tyla – ‘Water’
“I’m not really on TikTok but I hear it’s a TikTok thing now. It’s a great song and I will never not like hearing it.”
The album I can no longer listen to
The Postal Service – ‘Give Up’
“It’s tied to a time in my life and a relationship that was quite meaningful but something I don’t need to relive. It’s quite amazing how music shapes the emotional landscape of our lives.”
The song that makes me want to dance
George Michael – ‘Freedom! ’90’
“One of the all time best pop songs, I think. I would put it on when I was doing those dance nights [in Toronto] and the minute that those first few bars kicked in people would know.”
The song that makes me cry
Frank Ocean – ‘Moon River’
“It kicks you in the gut. I was once in an A.P.C. store in New York City with him and we were in changing rooms beside each other. He had absolutely no idea that I was in the room beside him. And, you know, all you try to do is not look like the weirdo in the changing room beside Frank Ocean.”
The song I do at karaoke
Les Miserables – ‘One Day More’
“I love karaoke. It’s the bravado [of this song] – and then if you get the right people in the room, they join in. I’ve been in situations where not only are people joining in, but they’re also doing the harmony. It’s a triumphant end to the night.”
The song I want played at my funeral
Leona Lewis – ‘Bleeding Love’
“I would probably get someone famous in to sing it too. Or just play a recording of myself singing ‘One Day More’.”
‘Good Grief’, starring, written and directed by Dan Levy, is streaming on Netflix now