Hello, Ervin. Was there a single moment during recording where you felt this album had become something truly special?
Weirdly, and sadly, it was when my friend and producer of my last three albums, Aeron Z Jones died. He had finished producing all the tracks and then he was gone!
The record shifts between quiet folk and rocky moments. How did that balance come together?
In the studio, myself and Aeron were very open to trying something different and being creative with the instruments we were playing. Most of what happened after I wrote the songs was pretty organic.
How did you find the strength to finish and release an album dedicated to someone you lost?
Aeron was and is well loved in the songwriting world, and I really think he would have thought it a waste if I had not released it. I know he was working with a number of other songwriters, and there was (and still is) a lot of energy being put towards completing what he had started.
Do you write with a full album in mind or do the songs find each other along the way?
The songs find each other along the way. Most of the songs were written recently, but a few had been written years ago, but had not yet found an album home.
What made you choose the title track for an animated video?
I was working with an artist (Simon Glossop) on the artwork for each single. His great artwork for the “When I Think” track was interesting and I felt there was a good possibility of animating the line art it contained. I contacted Hodman Animation and Mike Hodman confirmed that the line art would indeed lend itself to animation. The song was written soon after my wife Dorothy died and Mike knew Dorothy (she was best friends with his mother). I’d always wanted to have an official video on YouTube, so I let Mike do his stuff. I’m very pleased with the result.