Since the disbandment of The Mojo Fins, song writing continued apace for me. But instead of songs finding their way out into the world via the usual “writing/rehearsing/releasing” cycle they simply gathered dust in boxes on a shelf. After some cajoling I did find myself playing live again in a new band context. This band includes the talents of Nick Van Vlaenderen (Drums) Oddur Runnarson (Guitar – ex-Lamb) and Paul Pascoe (Bass – Beat Hotel/Barry Adamson) and despite the challenges of the ‘fits and starts’ recording approach undertaken during lockdown, we were able to capture the playing of everyone barring Oddur. You’ll just have to come and see us live to witness the brilliance of Mr Runnarson.

In order to get things going in a live sense, some songs from those boxes found their way into a live set. Things Have Changed happened to be one of them. It immediately felt exciting to play live and garnered a great reaction from the audiences that we played to during this time. It appears on this EP in its full studio realisation resplendent with the addition of the wondrous sax, flute and violin of my friend, the legendary Charlotte Glasson (Nick Cave/Divine Comedy/Charlotte Glasson Band).

The song itself has its roots in very a specific moment of time when I was visiting family in Belfast with my young son. We were staying in a flat overlooking an area of Belfast I had lived in during my late teens and very early one morning, before my son awoke, I found myself staring out on this half lit old stomping ground as it slowly came to life and was flooded with the memories of the people I had known when I lived in the city as well the recollections of the mesmeric childhood summers spent back in the place that always felt like home.

The lyric therefore draws on these recollections of people, places, attempts to fit in, musty under-stair aromas and the displacement of my parents in early 1970’s which resulted in their emigration to the safe arms of Brighton.

A beloved childhood Spider-Man top (purchased in Belfast during one of those summer holidays) also finds its way into those lyrical recollections albeit now worn by my son and also appears on the cover artwork for this EP, modelled by him.