• WHAT WERE YOU HOPING TO GET OUT OF THE RETREAT?

After many months of lockdown, I thought that spending some time secluded from the rest of society in the UK’s most remote mainland wilderness was the perfect medicine. I was not disappointed! Beyond that, I was keen to learn more about storytelling songs and interested in Jon’s approach of “building a world” for his songs to live in.

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• WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST TAKE AWAY?

Jon had an interesting approach to writing songs based upon traditional folk tales, where liberties can be taken, focusing on the core heart of the story etc. I’ve since used this to good effect in a few songs (including a song based upon the Brothers Grimm story “The Juniper Tree").

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WHAT WAS YOUR HIGHLIGHT?

Swimming in a sea loch on a glorious sunny day. Becoming a selkie (seemed like an inconvenience at the time, but I’m growing to like it).

And, also watching everybody’s songs that were neonates blinking helplessly in the sun one day develop over 24 hours to become big strapping things able to hold their own in a gig the following night. Amazing.