As we edge closer to the end of another year, telltale signs of the season begin to appear. Holiday music drifts from every retail store (which can be either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your mood and your enthusiasm for Mariah Carey). Neighbors string lights on their houses, gladdening the hearts of neighbors and power companies. And, of course, Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay lists materialize. Recapping your favorite songs and artists from 2025, and giving all you social media exhibitionists an opportunity to share your tastes with the rest of the world.
Here at Harney and Sons, “sharing our tastes with the rest of the world” is more of a business model than an end-of-year impulse. But naturally, we keep track of our most popular teas, which made us wonder: could we create a multisensory experience by coming up with a list of musical artists that pair with and complement each of our Classic Collection’s top-selling flavors?
Happily for blogging purposes, the answer was yes. (And if any of our pairings expand your gift-giving ideas this season, so much the better).
Classic Collection
- Artist: Clara Luciani
- Song: Cette Vie
- Album: Mon Sang
- Genre: French Pop
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Created as a homage to Parisian tea shops, this medium-bodied, caffeinated blend of three teas is complex and fruity. With a delightful Earl Grey-like aroma, Paris offers a sweet taste featuring caramel and black currant, accented with hints of vanilla and lemony bergamot.
Our pairing: Clara Luciani, a warm-voiced singer-songwriter who grew up in the suburbs of Marseille, France. Melodious, seductive, and subtly complex, Luciani’s rich pop songs offer layered smoothness with an inner kick (hardly surprising, for an artist whose influences range from Françoise Hardy to PJ Harvey).
Together, they create a moment that feels unmistakably French: like sitting by a café window, watching the world go by.
- Artist: Laura Marling
- Song: Caroline
- Album: Pattern in Repeat
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Genre: Folk/Indie Folk (UK)
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Named for Earl Charles Grey, this traditional black tea originated in 19th century England. Crafted for connoisseurs, our high-grade caffeinated tea (a combination of large black leaves and brown oolong leaves) includes silver tips, which add delicate, fruity notes to the overall lemony flavors. Pleasantly sweet and light-bodied, it’s possessed with the power (some say) to relieve stress and aid its drinker’s digestion.
To complement Earl Grey Supreme, we’ve picked Laura Marling and an easygoing tune that lends itself to relaxation and reflection. Raised on a farm in Hampshire, England, Marling (inspired by traditional folk music) writes delicate, intimate songs in a style all her own: one that has made her one of the most accomplished songwriters in Britain’s “nu folk” music scene.
- Artist: 404 Band
- Song: Ma7fazty
- Album: Single-Track Release
- Genre: Egyptian Pop-Rock
Listen on Spotify or on Apple Music
A premium, light-bodied tea, our Chamomile Herbal (made with Egypt-sourced chamomile flowers) is the perfect choice for relaxation. Whether you’re taking the edge off a stressful afternoon or winding down at the end of your day, this tea’s mild, floral, slightly sweet taste is echoed by its smell (which also contains the subtle scent of apples).
Matching that authenticity is 404 Band, a Cairo-based group that serves up intensity with a groove. Like its paired tea, 404 Band’s music blends a light sweetness with subtle complexities: soothing listeners while welcoming them into a deeper, richer experience.
- Artist: Lord Huron
- Song: Meet Me in the Woods
- Album: Strange Trails
- Genre: Alternative/Indie
Listen on Spotify or on Apple Music
Our most popular flavored tea worldwide is an assertive blend of black teas and three types of cinnamon, combined with orange peel and sweet cloves. Originally developed by my grandfather in the 1980s, the popularity of this caffeinated (but sugar-free) tea has grown steadily. Its extremely flavorful taste is enhanced by an aroma of spices and citrus.
The music of L.A.-based indie rockers Lord Huron offers a comparably deep experience. Bold and glowing with warmth, their songs hold both invigorating sweetness and a lingering heat.
- Artist: Fleetwood Mac
- Song: Dreams
- Album: Rumours
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Genre: Soft Rock
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Comprised of small, hand-rolled “pearls” gently infused with jasmine flowers, our Dragon Pearl Jasmine tea (located, after much searching, in Fuan, China) has been aptly described as “pure joy.” This light-colored, medium-bodied, and caffeinated brew has a sweet, floral taste and a fragrant aroma.
Smooth, floral, and timeless, Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” shares the same calm confidence. Offering depth beneath seeming simplicity, the song’s classic feel rewards listeners with a timeless, trend-transcending experience, just as it has since its debut on the 1977 album Rumours.
- Artist: Brandi Carlile
- Song: Human
- Album: Returning to Myself
- Genre: Folk Rock/Alternative Country/Americana
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Hailing from Washington State, this marvelously brisk, caffeine-free tea produces a wonderfully fresh, minty aroma, as well as a crisp-tasting tisane. Besides its deliciously refreshing flavor, this light-bodied tea can help calm an overly active stomach.
The songs of Brandi Carlisle (another Washington State native) carry a similarly cooling calm, but with an undercurrent of power. Her latest round of bracing, steadying songs may be heard on her eighth studio album, Returning to Myself, released on October 24, 2025.
- Artist: JVKE
- Song: Golden Hour
- Album: this is what ____ feels like (Vol. 1-4)
- Genre: Indie-Pop
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Our ultimate strong, sweet, and spicy chai tea, this full-bodied caffeinated blend features black tea from India, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and natural cardamom and vanilla flavors.
Similarly, the music of JVKE balances comfort with complexity, radiating mellow warmth through lush chords and glowing melodies. His hit “Golden Hour,” a Top 10 hit in the U.S., was also embraced internationally, in countries from the United Kingdom to Germany to Switzerland.
- Artist: Sam Fender
- Song: Talk to You
- Album: People Watching (Deluxe Edition)
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Genre: Alternative/Indie
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Researchers have traced the heritage of this tea back to the black tea the English drank in the 1800s. Put plainly, this is China black 100% Keemun: the ideal way to start your busy day. Strong and simple, this medium- to full-bodied caffeinated tea boasts a toasty aroma, paired with a straightforward, mellow flavor that offers hints of toast and honey.
Equally strong and simple is Britain’s Sam Fender. Armed with working-class clarity and a full-bodied sound, Fender writes melodies and lyrics that are straightforward, bracing, and honest. His most recent release, People Watching, was recognized with the Mercury Prize (awarded annually for the best album recorded by a musical act from the United Kingdom or Ireland).
- Artist: Bon Iver
- Song: Holocene
- Album: Bon Iver
- Genre: IndieFolk
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Known as the “Queen of Teas,” our Darjeeling is grown high in the Himalayan mountains. A blend of 1st flush and autumnal teas, the flavor of this medium-bodied, caffeinated tea delivers a blend of bright citrus notes, with darker notes of stone apricots and plums. Similarly, the aroma presents a good mixture of pineapple, grapefruit, and other scents.
The music of Bon Iver shares a quiet, layered intimacy with our Darjeeling. Offering crisp, nuanced songs that unfold slowly and invite reflection, the music of this indie folk band (founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon) is fragile, atmospheric, and quietly transformative.
- Artist: Conan Gray
- Song: Care
- Album: Wishbone
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Genre: Pop
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
A lightly flavored green tea with a delicate citrus aroma. Light-bodied and caffeinated, it offers a bright, tangy array of orange and other tropical flavors.
The music of Conan Gray is delicate but polished, featuring clear vocals and emotional sharpness: in other words, brightness with bite. This clean, honest track shares its paired tea’s sweetness (with just a hint of tartness).
- Artist: Awesome City Club
- Song: Talkin’ Talkin’
- Album: close:to
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Genre: Japanese City Pop
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Not every Sencha on the market is from Japan. This one, however, is. Originating in the Central Shizuoka province and supplied by the Kaburagi family, it may be found in homes throughout Tokyo. Medium-bodied and caffeinated, its mild vegetal flavors include light accents of citrus and toast. In short, this pleasant, approachable green tea is suitable for all days and moods.
Launched in 2013, Awesome City Club is a three-member band that makes pleasant, approachable music influenced by “city pop”—a cosmopolitan genre (mixing soul, funk, and other musical elements) that first appeared in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Like the tea it pairs with, the bright, upbeat vibe of “Talkin’ Talkin’” suits all days and moods.
Ready to Mix Teas and Tunes?
All it takes to get started is a visit to our tried-and-true Classic Collection, a detour to either Spotify or Apple Music, and a pot of boiling water. Enjoy your sipping and shuffling, and we’ll catch you next blog!
