Here’s a pic of me pulling an indecisive face. I’m trying to work out what to do next, artistically speaking.It’s a weird time. The eye of a plaguey storm. We’re likely to be heading back into full-on lockdown soon here in the UK and while I’m lucky to have a relatively secure job and little personal risk, that doesn’t mean I’m unaffected. I find myself lacking concentration. Do you find that? Hard to focus on anything weighty, long, meaningful.

I’ve been throwing around ideas for the next album. Is it a scifi concept album? Is it a looser collection of songs that will allow space for the big long prog rock epic that is currently brewing? Is it a combination of the two?(I might be combining those two ideas into some chimeric monster album)

But, is it the right time to be thinking of an album? That’s a big load of music, a large statement. I’m not sure now is the time to be making big statements. it might be the time for lighter distractions. Individual songs. Sillinesses.

Not sure.’Just follow your muse. You’re an artist, do what feels right’.But a lot of that view of the artist – that we’re instinctual, creative, making decisions in the moment without too much thought – is fiction. Getting an album written, recorded, mixed, mastered, released? That’s a big project with lots of moving parts. Musicians who get stuff done are project managers as much as ‘artists’.

So I’ve decisions to make about what the next things I release are.I reckon those two album ideas that have been knocking about are about to become one idea.I reckon before that there might also be:

– Another demo tournament. I enjoyed the last one.

– Revamped ‘Seven Bells John’ songs plus the short stories that go with them (yes these exist). That’ll include new versions of Through These Veins and Ironbark which I’ve nearly finished. They sound fantastic.

– Individual single releases.

Probably that’s what will be happening. Maybe.