I’m currently in the process of writing my second Ashfeathers album. To do so, I’ve made use of a technique I’ve used a few times before – I asked people to send me pictures that might inspire songs. People did! Here’s a diary I’ve been keeping (and sharing with Ashfeathers fans via my mailing list).
September 4 2024 – Songwriting has begun!
I asked people to send pictures and I’ve had some fantastic submissions. I asked for anything beautiful, unusual, wistful, quirky, strange or awe-inspiring.
What have I done with the images so far?
I’ve printed them out, stuck them into a brand new notebook and started brainstorming lyrics around them. At the same time I’ve started several lists – lists of possible song titles, of possible song subjects and of random interesting lines I’ve come across recently.
My theory is this: whether you come up with songwriting ideas quickly or slowly, the percentage of good ideas remains the same. So I might as well come up with as many ideas as possible as quickly as possible, then sift through them for the good ones.
At the same time I’ve started jamming and doodle on my guitar with microphones switched on. There are a couple of good ideas so far that I’m not going to share right now cos it’s just me playing guitars and going ‘la la la’.
So that’s where I am with the new album. We’re right at the start, but making progress.
September 30 2024 – First new song, Distant Worlds
The first new song has turned up. It’s called song Distant Worlds. I’ve only got a rough first draft recorded, but that’s enough to know how the song will go.
Distant Worlds is about the idea that the things we see in the night sky – the moon and stars and galaxies – can transport us away from the mundane things in our normal everyday lives.
How did the pictures help?
There were several different inspirations for the song. One of them was a picture someone shared of a sculpture that looks like someone about to take flight. I found myself wondering where they were flying off to:
And also this picture, which isn’t of the night sky, but does have ‘Moons’ in the file name and made me think about looking at the world in a different way. 
And the final ingredient was that I happened to read something that mentioned ‘common meter’ which is the poetic meter that lots of very well known songs and poems are written in – think Amazing Grace or pretty much anything by Emily Dickinson. I couldn’t remember deliberately writing in that meter before so I did for the verses.
October 20 – Ankle Deep
The first picture I pasted into my new songwriting notebook was a black and white photo of a boy standing ankle deep in a lake with a huge net in his hands. After a few days flicking through the notebook, ruminating and noodling about on my guitar I realised he was probably trying to catch a magical creature in order to use it in some sort of spell.
Obviously.
So that’s what new song Ankle Deep is about.
I’ve recorded a demo version of it that I think has come out pretty well! Vocals and guitar, plus a bit of percussion, a little synth line and some rough backing vocals in the last verse. Not the finished version at all, but it’s good for a first draft. Slightly eerie chords and a 5/8 meter to create the slightly creepy atmosphere.
So that’s where I am as of 9th November. I’ve actually got about 8 songs drafted in some form, the two above are just the ones I’ve recorded first draft videos for. I’ll keep you posted as the album develops.