Today's Song: Days of Spring's "Earthbound" Gives Us a New, Hopeful Vision for the Future

Let’s talk about hope, dreams and the search for a happy place: This is “Earthbound” by Italian duo Days of Spring.

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Listen: “Earthbound” – Days of Spring

2020 has been exhausting from every point of view, especially the mental one. In these trying times, I asked myself a question that still seeks an answer; what is it that, in particularly unstable situations, gives man comfort? I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and maybe an exact answer doesn’t even exist. After all, some people find solace in food, some in other people, some in the little things of everyday life. We at Atwood Magazine do it with music, and this time we want to tell you about a song that we could call a real honey for the soul. This is “Earthbound” by Days of Spring.

Days of Spring are an emerging duo, born from a love for music and the purpose of getting rid of the heavy mental burden given by the lockdown. It was created from the desire to make their voice heard and give space to as many creative minds as possible. For example, take a look at the covers of the works released so far, like the Blanket Sessions EP and “come out and play” – made by artists who are close to the group.

Between M83, Sigur Rós and Linkin Park, Days of Spring present a piece made of melancholy, the search for happiness, and hope; it’s no coincidence that the main source of inspiration for “Earthbound” was the Disney film “Soul”. In fact, the movie led the duo to reflect on how intrusive thoughts can impact everyday life, and on the importance of one’s dreams.

All of this came together simply and smoothly in the song, as if it was meant to come into the world.

Along with the film, the random discovery of an interview from the 1980s with a girl suffering from depression was of great importance. The latter responds to every question with a blank stare, stating that she no longer has any reason to live. The interview doesn’t seem to go well, as the interviewer behaves mechanically rather than empathetically. Days of Spring, however, resume the interview – recording it again, with the singer’s voice – and give an alternative ending to the girl’s story, offering “Earthbound” as a refuge for anyone who feels the same way.

I will keep you safe
I’m your saving grace
Leave it all behind
No more weights to mind.

The song has a simple beginning, with only the rain as a background and two dry questions – the same with which the interview begins: “What was happening? Were there some problems?”. A moment of silence, the questions then continue. And here’s the girl’s answer, who shyly says she has trouble believing in herself. To keep her company, there is still only the rain in the background, along with a hint of the piano. Here, however, we hear a crescendo that leads to the lyrics of the song; the singer and her words become first a refuge for the listener, then true saviors. At the end, it is again the piano and the rain that dominate the song, but there is no more danger; you are no longer alone, and tomorrow will be a new opportunity to be reborn and flourish, like cherry blossoms during the Days of Spring.

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