The solo-esque project began as a songwriting outlet in 2016 for output that didn’t fit with other projects. The vision was initially a bedroom artistic venture, but a dear friend suggested Matthew Carlson make a real record, and Harborcoat became a functioning band that plays shows and records with an ever-evolving cast of musicians. The phrase “Joy Is Elusive”, and the name of their latest album, appeared in Carlson’s head one day, and the singer/songwriter/guitarist wrote it in black Sharpie on a piece of paper and tacked it to the wall above his studio computer. Originating from Grand Ledge, Michigan, Harborcoat is a rousing dose of English pop-rock that recalls the Smiths, 1908s new wave, and the 1990s Brit-pop invasion.