The Constant Fight With Contentment was the title of the first solo album I wanted to make. I'd wanted to call the album that when I first thought about making it in 1998.
The Noble Grape had basically decided not to record again, and I wanted to carry on in the tradition of an album per year. So I started writing. I formed a small demo band that made some recordings, and then I wrote some more, and then had a relationship or two, then wrote some more and then it was 2003!!!

By then I'd met a grand chap called Mickey Simmonds (ex partner of Fish, ex Mike Oldfield keyboardist, ex musical director with Paul Young, Joan Armatrading and others, and most importantly, a current Rutle!!) whose arrangement and production versatility is in marvellous display all over the album. He brought the previous barren years to an end.

We worked on some basic tracks, and then he brought in illustrious friends such as Mickey Moody (ex Whitesnake) on guitars, Gary Barnacle on saxes, Sid Gauld on horns and so on. I came back and added some personal touches, and...

I still had to call the album The Constant Fight With Contentment. It seemed that's what I'd been doing for those four years, and that's what most of the songs are about anyway.

Ps: Mickey nicknamed the album "Smee" after the name he christened me with.