Check out the new single from December Friend, the musical collaboration of singer-songwriter Joel Leviton, John Wlaysewski (of Late Cambrian) and Jeff Victor on keys. ‘No Fadeouts’ builds steadily with tumbling keys lifting Leviton’s heartfelt vocal, which ranges high in the chorus, an emotional performance to reflect his sensitive words on life and friendships: “A voice not used fades away.” In the accompanying video, images of the musicians performing are interspersed with old film footage, reinforcing the sense of thoughtful nostalgia.
The single is from ‘In a Warmer Way’, the second full-length album from December Friend. The collaboration was born during the pandemic when Leviton reached out to his musical friends, inviting them to work on a new project. The result was the group’s debut, ‘Splendor Never Dies’, which was recorded remotely in the players’ home studios in Minneapolis and Brooklyn. The new album has been recorded the same way and the method seems to work – these are superbly crafted and created songs. Leviton says of the songs and songwriting: “For me – it’s all about the song. A song should give something to the listener, an observation, an inspiration, a feeling, a memory, a reflection. A song is meant to be an interaction between the writer and the listener; the writer can introduce the conversation, and then it’s up to the listener to interpret the song and find where and how it fits their life. My goal with a song is no filler – every word and phrase is intentional.”
