December 04, 2023
If you're a fan of indie music, you'll probably think, "Oh, a newcomer on IMC!" And you're right! This is Harley Eblen's first feature on IMC as a singer-songwriter. But what you may not know is that we've featured his work many times before, sometimes without even realizing it! Indeed, Harley is an excellent cello player, and he enhances many songs you've already heard on IMC.
And this brings us once again to the sense of community we have created. We are here to build connections. And it works. Harley has found many artists on IMC to collaborate with, including Dominic Romano. And we love those songs born after a meeting on IMC; we've actually grouped them in a secret playlist we've called "IMC Babies." As we'll soon have enough of them, we plan to release a special podcast with these songs and some huge surprises. But we'll talk more about that later.
In fact, I might have a big commonality with Harley: we're the kind of human beings who believe we're better at helping others shine than shining ourselves. You may have recently discovered this in the "IMC Rewind" podcast; some of you contacted me, very surprised to learn that I had written and recorded over 300 songs myself and that you can't find a single one on Spotify. As I explained, I've always been better at promoting other people's music than my own. At least, that's what I think. And it's possible that Harley believes he's better at enhancing other people's music with his cello than releasing his own music. It's just a supposition, of course. Because maybe, after all, it's just a matter of available time. Yes, working for others takes time.
Before this new single, his Spotify only had 7 songs. The last one was released in March 2022. Yes, almost 2 years ago. And it was "Red Moon Night" with Dominic Romano. Oh, really! A song that we covered on IMC! Dominic Romano, a member of the IMC Family, and recently featured 2 times on IMC, is also a talented producer, as we recently wrote, who has collaborated notably with Luna Keller on her upcoming album. And Dominic Romano is also behind the song you're discovering today, "The Last Day of December." We keep repeating it: the world of indie music is very vast but sometimes very small. If you discover this world, you'll realize that many people know each other. It's like a mega-community, where like-minded people recognize each other, even in the darkness, amid the 120,000 tracks uploaded to Spotify every day.
But let's focus on the heart of the matter now: "The Last Day of December." A title that seems amusing, as Harley Eblen chose the first day of December for the release. But you'll understand why this title when you listen to this little musical gem. In fact, that's what we did dozens of times. And every time: the same magic.
First of all, there's no intro. The song starts directly with Harley's warm vocals. And compared to his previous releases, there's a change on the vocal side. They are much more restrained, almost whispered, to capture the emotion of the poignant and relatable lyrics. What is the song about? It's a feeling that many of you may have experienced if you live far from your family and only see them for the holidays at the end of the year. This is the case for Harley, as he explained to us:
"I moved away from home when I was 17, and I've lived an ocean away from most of my family since then. I spent last Christmas with part of my family that I don't see often, and it was both beautiful and challenging. I saw how much people had grown and aged, and realized how much time I had missed out on."
I talked about a feeling, I should rather say several feelings. First of all, guilt. This is the dominant feeling in the song. And you feel this guilt a lot in the vocals, hence the restraint needed for the message. And in the lyrics, several times: "I never meant to leave you alone," for example. But Harley himself confided what he felt when he had to board the plane and leave his family after Christmas:
"It's about the feeling of leaving behind family as the holidays come to a close. Grappling with the tension between the love of the people you're close to, and the love of pursuing something important to you. Being with people you love is so warm and special. It's always worth it, but leaving when you know that you don't connect as often as you'd like can be gut-wrenching."
I understand this intense feeling. My girlfriend had to leave her family to come live with me over 10 years ago, on the other side of the country. Of course, distances in Europe are much smaller than in the USA, and our 7-hour drive may seem very short to Americans. But for a European, driving for 7 hours is still exceptional. Moreover, when a European learns that some Americans sometimes drive for 2 days to reach their destination, he realizes how immense the USA is, an immensity he had never suspected. But every year, just after Christmas, I see in the eyes of my girlfriend and all the members of her family the same thing as Harley: tears that quickly rise. And these 7 hours of driving home, filled with silence that we dare to fill because we feel guilty, are sometimes endless and tear the heart apart. This is what Harley describes in the song during his return flight:
"It's the last day of December, and I'm up above the clouds / Coming down to home / Thinking "every good decision still comes with a price" / I never meant to leave you alone."
The second prevailing feeling is the sense of being responsible for abandonment. Sometimes for reasons that are personal and the result of past decisions that had to be made. Choosing where to live is an act of maturity, and it is sometimes difficult for those who choose to stay in the same place to understand. But it makes you think, as Harley explains:
"It's hard seeing people I love so much struggle, and not knowing how to be there for them. When they were heading to the airport, I told my sister that I loved her. Without missing a beat she said "I love you more" and I was a mess. I don't have regrets about the path I've taken, but it really made me think about the decisions I've made and wonder what could have been different."
And then the last feeling that comes to overwhelm us in these moments is indeed loneliness and emptiness. It is often during the return journey that questions arise, and thoughts rush into our heads. Like us, during our 7 hours of driving. Like Harley, in his return plane:
"As it was coming time for me to get on the plane back home, I sat down at the piano in my grandmother's living room and started to write. I don't write often these days, but there are times when it's the only way I know how to process what I'm experiencing. The beginnings of this song came to me in one sitting, and I finished it on the plane coming home."
Loneliness and the feeling of emptiness are often great inspirations for writing. Moreover, how do you think we can write such long articles without any problems in a hyper-connected society? We need to isolate ourselves early in the morning in a closed room, away from all noises (except for the birds), and above all, without distraction: no smartphone within reach, no social networks. This is also one of the tools proposed in my upcoming "toolbox for musicians" that I will unveil in early 2024 on the new IMC. Keep in mind that you can't create anything with notifications every 3 minutes. And I know that Harley also practices these moments of isolation that are beneficial to artistic creation. I do it for writing. Harley does it to work on his music (more often on others', it's true). I believe he was talking about the subject in a video on Instagram with a green plant in his hand, explaining that it was the only companion he allowed during his creative periods.
That's why we selected this song. For the artist's state of mind since we understand this mindset and work philosophy. But especially for the originality of his writing. Most songs talk about love, romantic relationships, romantic separation, sometimes hatred, sometimes anger, but the feeling of guilt "for living far away" is never the subject of songs. At least, in 22 years of music promotion, it's the first time I've heard an artist approach this subject with so much finesse and talent. And then you quickly realize that many people are in this situation, without necessarily talking about it, and it becomes obvious that this song will be relatable to a lot of people.
Another interesting point of the writing is its fluidity. There's no chorus, no repetition. From a text perspective. Yes, from a melodic point of view, you can easily identify this chorus that comes back and starts with "Another come, another gone." But the lyrics differ each time.
And there are, of course, other little details that made us have an immediate crush. Let's now discuss the production of the song. Benjamin Wilson helped Harley turn this raw demo into the little gem it has become. He brought all his talent to make the project grow without distorting it. Then there's the participation of Dominic Romano, where Harley came to record the vocals. What makes the difference then? First, as we've already mentioned, the way the lyrics are sung: with a lot of restraint. Almost whispered, not to hurt the listener's ear. As if Harley already felt guilty enough about hurting hearts during the separation, it seems like he has the desire not to add to it with exuberant and exaggerated vocals, singing with a lot of tact. Just like not repeating the same lyrics in the choruses, as if leaving was already a crime in itself, Harley does not repeat the same lyrics over and over again to "drive the point home."
Then there's this very delicate piano in the background, but which is nevertheless the "skeletal" structure of the song, on which everything else rests. Including these magnificent layers of cello. As a cellist, it would have been a shame for Harley Eblen to skip his favorite instrument! And it turns out that it marries wonderfully well with the piano.
What also seduced us in the production is this desire to keep the authenticity of the recording. If, like many people, you usually listen to your favorite music on your smartphone, you won't notice anything. But if you use a high-quality headset, you'll notice small details. Like the sound of the finger on the piano keys. Like the noise of the creaking wooden chair. These noises, often considered "parasites," are unfortunately most of the time destined for the trash during the final mixing stage. I myself, in my own productions, for many years, got rid of them. Perhaps unconsciously to express my overly present perfectionistic side. But in this specific case, they mainly serve to reinforce the authenticity of the message sent. After all, this message of love tinged with guilt is delivered by a human being, not by a mixing console or a machine. And this choice to keep the small details is both humble, brilliant, and unquestionable.
Finally, there's something we haven't talked about yet. The final aesthetic aspect of the song. There's a very cinematic side to "The Last Day of December," carried by Harley's enchanting cello. Yes, at a time of year when we love Christmas movies (which is also a booming industry), we can easily imagine this song in a Christmas movie. The cinematic potential is enormous. And we wouldn't be surprised if that were to happen!
The impact of this song on the listener is quite strong. Just close your eyes, and you teleport into that plane, sitting next to Harley, and you share all his emotions. Few artists open the doors of their hearts with such ease. Harley Eblen has an incredible sense of sharing, and when we created IMC, we imagined people like him for our community. A genuine human being, who doesn't cheat, who serves the community a lot with his work in the shadows, and who also knows how to shine humbly with his own songs. One can only bow to this artist and politely salute him, adding nothing more than a sincere "Thank you, Sir."
Reach out to Harley Eblen
This article is part of the artist's promotional campaign.
