With Butterfly Mind, I wanted to create an album that reflected my own “creative ADHD”, a rejection of staying in one place for too long. After the minimalist, mallet-led atmosphere of Late Night Laments, I felt a strong pull toward something more volatile and diverse. The title itself is a nod to this shifting, eclectic nature, as well as the wide-ranging contributions from a cast of musicians that spans generations of my musical influences. Working with the incredible rhythm section of Nick Beggs and Richard Jupp provided a different kind of energy, allowing the songs to move from the intense art-rock barrage of “Say Your Goodbyes” to the more funk-inflected, rhythmic drive of “Always the Stranger.”

The recording process involved a blend of structured songwriting and spontaneous experimentation, including my own take on Frank Zappa’s “xenochrony” method—re-purposing solos and sounds from unrelated recordings into entirely new contexts. This allowed for some truly startling moments, such as Peter Hammill’s “demonic” chants and Ian Anderson’s signature flute work disrupting the groove of the opening track. It was also deeply moving to collaborate once again with Ben Coleman, whose elegiac violin brought a sense of history and continuity to pieces like “About the Light That Hits the Forest Floor.” Mixed by Steven Wilson to capture both the “jittery chaos” and the “ethereal beauty” of the sessions, Butterfly Mind is a celebration of a four-decade journey—one that remains as unpredictable and enthusiastic as the day it began.