Saturday 3 January 2015

The Light Broke In - What's the artwork all about?

I mentioned a while back that I would at some point post a blog explaining the album artwork in a bit more detail.  As many of you already know the artwork was beautifully done by Mark Wilkinson.  It was based on a very lovely sketch by Wednesday S who also wrote and co-wrote many of the lyrics on the album and was constant inspiration and muse during the writing and recording process.  The concept was born out of discussions around the album's themes and includes lyrical references as well as a nod in the direction of musical heroes, and a nod towards my late Father.

I'll break it down into the distinct elements of the picture, and hope to explain as best I can the reasons why they are there.

1. The Kestrel.  This is an element that was also present in the artwork of the previous album - on the rear cover of the booklet, there is a Kestrel hovering in the blue sky seen through the window of the room.  In the case of "The Delicious Company of Freaks" this was a direct lyrical reference from "These Dark Hills" which include the line "The Kestrel in the clear blue sky tells me you are here today".  This all stems from the strong affinity I've had for the Kestrel since my father first pointed one out, hovering above the heathland on the North Downs, just above the Pilgrim's Way.  I became fascinated by the bird, its ability to hover in the air, then plunge to catch its prey.  Its colouring, the grace with which it moved through the air, its speed.  So the Kestrel remains a symbol for my relationship with my Dad, and often on journeys of great importance a Kestrel, or another bird of prey has been near by, watching over me.

2.  The Light.  It was important for both of us that the title of the album could be represented by light breaking in, and knowing that Mark is a master of capturing light in his artwork, we knew he would be able to portray the sunlight breaking through the window of the ruined folly perfectly.  There is also a lyrical reference to "Lazy Sunday Morning" as there are "Dust motes in the air" just below the Kestrel.

3. The ruined Folly.  We needed to house the scene somewhere which was a shelter, but that had been taken over by the nature around it.  The staircase at the back leads somewhere unknown, which is a lyrical reference to "What comes Next" - "My path divides here, leading to the unknown, but I am ready to prove that I have grown".  There's also an element of reference to "Let it all Go" as a Folly is by definition a construction which has no purpose, and the constructs of history, gloom and gathering dust are all things which have no purpose except to stand in the way of your own progress.

4. The Large Glass of Red.  This is a direct lyrical reference to "The Light Broke In" which contains the lines "Her colour was filled in, a large glass of red, and so it continued to fill the darker spaces in her head".  However, as Clive Hewes rightly questioned - why is it knocked over?  There are two reasons for this.  The first is a deliberate reference to one of my favourite pieces of Mark Wilkinson's artwork - the cover for Marillion's second album, Fugazi.  The second is that the protagonist of the piece is absent, he has left in a hurry and knocked the glass over, the dog, initially starts, but knows his owner will return, as he always does, so goes back to sleep.

5. The Dog.  This is a direct lyrical reference to the "Black Hound" in "See you on the Brightside".  It is said that Winston Churchill referred to his depression as a "Black Dog" and this imagery has always struck me as accurate.  This dog though, is sleeping, and also represents that loyal companion who is always there when you turn your head to find him.

6. The Hat.  This is the "Travelling Hat" that I'm wearing in "What Comes Next".  It's based on a hat I bought in Hong Kong (after having written the song, we realised I needed a travelling hat to match the spirit of the song, so where better?).  The hat stall on which it was bought had a shelf labelled "Big Head".  I knew immediately, this was the shelf my hat would have to come from - unfortunately, many of the hats on this shelf were too small for me.  This is the hat that fitted perfectly and kept the sun off my head while we were there.

7. The bed-roll.  This was one of Wednesday's ideas.  There needed to be the sense that someone was using the folly as a shelter, as a temporary home before moving on to whatever was next for them.  The detail Mark has put into it astounds me each time I look at it.  It describes the well worn traveller without ever having to meet the human who sleeps on it.

8. The Guitar.  Well, as the lads who spent 3 weeks crossing America with me discovered, I don't survive well without contact with a guitar for very long, so the guitar had to be travelling too.  This is a direct copy from a photo I sent to Mark of my Crafter 12-String Guitar which was used on a few songs of the album.  It also shows off the lovely Souldier strap I use for the guitar.

9. The Hills.  Having just moved to the Cotswolds, Mark's own interpretation of the landscape behind the folly was perfect, putting me in mind of Leckhampton Hill.

If there are other elements of the Artwork, or indeed the lyrics that you'd like me to explain, please do ask.  And if you don't yet own the album please do check out the sounds here: The Light Broke In

Happy New Year to all of you Delicious Freaks :)