EPK
December Friend
In a Warmer Way
Street date: September 27, 2024
In a Warmer Way, the second full-length album from December Friend, showcases the collaboration of singer-songwriter Joel Leviton, John Wlaysewski (of Late Cambrian), and keyboardist extraordinaire, Jeff Victor. The album kicks off with the tight driving groove of “Just Beginning,” a song that pays tribute to forging early friendships through music, and covers themes of finding warmth in cold times, accepting flaws, and connection. Recorded at home studios in Minneapolis and Brooklyn during 2023, the album blends timeless storytelling with contemporary production.
Bio
December Friend was born out of the pandemic when Leviton reached out to friends Jeff Victor (Minneapolis musician, composer, and producer) and John Wlaysewski (of Brooklyn-based band Late Cambrian) asking if they wanted to collaborate on a new project. Thankfully, they said yes. All songs for December Friend’s initial album, Splendor Never Dies, were recorded remotely in home studios in Minneapolis and Brooklyn during the pandemic. They followed the same formula for December Friend’s latest release, In a Warmer Way, recording songs written by Joel Leviton at home studios in Minneapolis and Brooklyn. Leviton says, “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.”
Songs
- Just Beginning (4:33)
- Pulling from the Shade (4:01)
- All Young Lovers Disappear (4:14)
- Sugar and the Cosmic Ride (4:18)
- Even when the Night Turns Blue (2:10)
- Snow Angel Cold Man (4:23)
- Face in a Frame (3:26)
- Another Word for Yesterday (3:34)
- Everyone’s Your Child (4:37)
- No Fadeouts (4:29)
All tracks are FCC clean.
Recommended tracks 1, 4, 8, 10.
All songs written by Joel Leviton
Produced by John Wlaysewski
Mixed by Black Eiseman
Past Press
“[Splendor Never Dies has] descriptive pieces, virtually no clichés, sentences that sound like they came from natural conversations, and words chosen that are seldom if ever used in song lyrics….’Every Flower Every Scar’ is exceptional….Leviton’s songs are penetrating observations, yet they maintain the order of attracting the ear with their perfect marriage of lyrical images and compelling music…. Some people like processed American cheese but many would prefer cheddar. This music is cheddar.” -Americana Highways
“[I]t is the sort of music you hope everyone working at the intersection of indie and rock would make….With the release of Splendor Never Dies, December Friend has set a new benchmark for others to try to reach. Good luck with that….’Slow Smiles’ is everything that indie music is about. Proper indie that is….Calling an album lovely might give the wrong impression, but this is truly lovely.” -The Big Take-Over
“‘Every Flower Every Scar,’ ‘Rise Like a Song,’ ‘B’s Magic Sound’ and ‘Skater Kid’ are slow rock ballads that illustrate the fine composition and vocal performance of December Friend frontman Joel Leviton, something which is even more strongly accentuate on the beautiful album closer ‘Ghosts in the Wind.’” -Rootstime
A very well thought out record that really connects with the listener, there is much beauty to be embraced in these stories that touch on the human experience. -8 out of 10 Take Effect
Social Links
Contact
Krista Vilinskis, Elephant & Flowers Media
elephantsandflowersmedia@gmail.com
612.242.1727
December Friend 