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Don't Forget To Breathe

by Harborcoat

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD version of 'Don't Forget To Breathe'. Includes 16 tracks, and CD wallet style packaging with full photos, liner notes, and credits. Artwork and design by Matthew Carlson.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Don't Forget To Breathe via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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1.
Brightening 03:05
2.
3.
4.
See The Sun 04:04
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Dylan Thomas 03:42
13.
14.
15.
The Postman 03:09
16.

about

Don’t Forget To Breathe is not so much a musical compilation as it is a sonic documentary capturing the world in, and around, Harborcoat. From the band’s first single ‘See The Sun/The Circus Is In Town’, through to a spate of new recordings, and accompanying essays, it’s a glimpse into the formation and evolution of a band and the man at its creative center, Matthew Carlson

Covering a six year span, Don’t Forget To Breathe seems to tell a much deeper and richer story than that time could provide. Two brand new songs with the full band kick things off. ‘Brightening’ and ‘Measured’ were originally recorded as a part of the Joy Is Elusive sessions in 2020, but were not chosen to be in the songs for the finished album. After some additional tracking, the finished tracks were originally readied for digital release. As the project gained steam, it was clear that instead of two singles, Harborcoat had the beginning of their new collection of songs. 

Our Legacy is “a protest song for the Trump era” in the eyes of Carlson. The song was penned in the wake of the George Floyd murder and Carlson recorded and shared an acoustic version during the lockdown. Then, amidst an ever-growing chorus of folks seeking to whitewash the actual history of the United States, Carlson recorded a full arrangement of the song, playing and singing all of the parts himself. As Billy Bragg once penned himself, he became sort of “a one man Clash”.

A trio of songs from the Joy Is Elusive sessions provide a glimpse into the band playing songs for the record for the first time. These cabin demos feature just three or four members playing through live versions of the songs as they are learning on the floor in the recording sessions. These barebones versions are an illustrative example of how a song begins, the life it builds when played by a group of folks in the same room at the same time, and where a song can go with a full band and a vivid musical imagination.

The tracks from these sessions are also a tremendous example of the healing power of music. The cabin demos were recorded less than four weeks after Carlson’s father had died very suddenly. 

“I nearly called the sessions off”, Carlson says. “It seemed pointless to try and make something after that loss. I couldn’t see anything but hurt and was simply unable to imagine feeling happy or productive again.”

But with the support of friends and bandmates and family, the sessions rolled on thankfully, and within these demos from that week in September of 2020, you can feel the weight and the relief in the room if you listen for it closely. The evolution of these songs and their origin point is a compelling look at the creative process, and a window into one way of coping with immense grief.

The second half of the collection is a series of cover versions from Carlson and the band. Four of these recordings are from work that Carlson has done in 2023 as a part of his Substack, What Am I Making. In an ongoing series he has called Mixtape For A Future Self, Carlson records cover versions of songs with which he has a specific emotional connection and then shares them along with the details of that connection in an effort to better understand and explain himself and his struggles with mental illness. The series has also featured collaborations with longtime musical soulmate David Baldwin, even featuring a song with both of his daughters playing as well. 

The other four covers in the back half of the collection are pulled from a series of compilation and tribute projects; ‘Old Toy Trains’ and ‘Valley Winter Song’ come from the vaunted Bermuda Snowhawk holiday comps. ‘The Other Place’ is a highlight from the 2022 tribute to Guided By Voices, All Good Kids. While the enclosed, and utterly charming, version of American Analog Set’s ‘The Postman’ is a conflagration of homage, excitement, and enough Two Hearted to not know when to stop.

This series of songs stands as a testament to the power of relentless creativity, and to the resilience of creating important work with the people in your life that matter. Don’t Forget To Breathe reminds us to listen - and to create - deliberately, and with open hearts. 

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released June 30, 2023

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Harborcoat Grand Ledge, Michigan

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