This album I was very excited about when I was writing and recording it, basically back to back with The Butterfly Crush, but the type of song was giving me the impression that I needed to refine the production somewhat. They needed a cleaner, more professional approach as against the self-produced, garage album effect of Butterfly.

I managed to get this done by sending all the master files to my good friend and professional collaborator Mickey Simmonds, who took the raw stuff, knocked off the edges, tweaked the sounds, and re-produced in fine manner. Although he complained about how loud the background noise was on the recordings, he made a terrific difference to the produced outcome. Although he did leave one bad snare shot in the last track, that I’m finally getting used to.

The writing was all done in Percy’s Studios No.2, the large workshop studio I had between 2005 and 2007 before we moved house. During this time a baby was born, our daughter Emily, and some of the writing was the immediate effect of a baby in the house – “six o’clock in the morning, trying to get some rest, don’t really sleep anymore, just close my eyes and open again”.

The album’s penultimate song is the instrumental reprise of the first track, and looking back I had several ideas, all featuring voices. At one point I had a version with Tony Hancock, Nick Drake, Kenneth Williams and others talking over the top. But an interview I did with my late Nan was the winner, as it also signalled a project I’ve had in mind for some years, about a musical history of Wollaston. It at least gives a feel of what could be done. Thanks Nan, and God bless.