With the conclusion of Reading & Leeds Festivals and the August Bank Holiday weekend, the unofficial end of summer has passed. Time to think about getting back to uni or, if you’re a prospective first year student, get excited about all the new friends you’ll make and the bedlam of Fresher’s Week.

Even if you’re not going to university (either at all, or just not your first choice) and you didn’t get the A-Level results you wanted – don’t get too disheartened. Uni, like life, is about the connections you make and the experiences you have, not the grades you get.

The Student Playlist is based in Leeds but we have volunteer writers in nearby Huddersfield, and as far away as London, Cardiff and even Hong Kong! If you’re reading this and want to get CV experience for a prospective career in the media or journalism, please get in contact via Facebook or hit us up on Twitter (@StudentPlaylist).

We’ll be publishing a special feature in the coming weeks about the best independent stores in Leeds – a kind of Fresher’s Guide for record collectors new to the city. It’s a great place for new and second-hand vinyl, with two of the longest-running independent stores in the country (Jumbo and Crash) thriving alongside a handful of other outlets.

Anyway, while you’re packing your life up in boxes for the big move in September, have a listen to our selection of the best new tracks released throughout August. Many of them are previews of exciting new albums to come in the rest of 2017 – including Kelela, Cut Copy, Weezer, King Krule, Beck, Four Tet, The Killers and Taylor Swift.

Check out our Spotify playlist of all the best new tracks released in August 2017!