In Steve's own words...

When I first picked up an acoustic guitar in my mid-teens, my repertoire was limited—until I discovered ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. That album was a revelation. At the time, I had no idea Dylan had drawn so deeply from our own folk traditions to shape many of his songs.

Later that same summer, I found myself at Sidmouth Folk Festival, where I saw Martin Carthy perform live for the first time. Another moment of discovery!

Carthy is name-checked on the back cover of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan as a source of some of Dylan’s melodies, and suddenly, the music I had assumed was purely American revealed its deep British roots. These songs - woven from a tradition stretching across the Atlantic - felt both familiar and transformative. It was an inspiring time, a period when Dylan’s poetic sensibility collided with the narrative power of folk music.

Another pivotal influence came when I went to an early Arvon Foundation creative writing course where the poet Ted Hughes read to us. Hearing his words - raw, elemental, offered yet another dimension to my songwriting. Like Dylan’s and Carthy’s music, Hughes’ poetry carried that same fusion of tradition and innovation, a quality I’ve always strived for in my own work.

This album is a tribute to those formative influences. Across these 12 songs, I revisit the worlds of Bob Dylan and Martin Carthy - two artists who shaped my musical journey and set me on a path I’m still walking.