Hollow Hand has always been a vehicle for Kinghorn-Mills’ songs, and it remains so, but having felt the spark and connectivity of being around more bands, he decided to change tack. “The way I've made albums previously has usually been huddled away in the tradition of a bedroom producer,” says Kinghorn-Mills. “But with this one I expanded my horizons and it made me realise there's so much more to playing, and being in a band, than just recording the songs.”

Since releasing 2023’s Your Own Adventure—which drew acclaim from the likes of Mojo, Uncut, and Shindig!—Kinghorn-Mills found himself collaborating with Caitlin Rose, Aoife Nessa Frances and supporting MJ Lenderman on a European tour. When Kinghorn-Mills came back he was bursting with a newfound creative zeal. “Seeing all these different types of bands play, it just made me reflect,” he says. “It makes you step up your game and it creates a feeling that you want to do better. I don't want to ever feel like I'm going through the motions so I decided to start again.”

Along with Oliver Newton (drums) and Leo Clarke (bass) they got together in their new studio space in Brighton and tracked the songs live as a band. “With three of us being involved from the beginning, and all invested in it together, it feels like a group effort, which is a new thing for us,” Kinghorn-Mills says. “Our studio became really important as a creative space and, while it’s not Abbey Road, we were really able to up the production value.”