The Old Forge was named after a holiday lodge that I visited with my boyfriend Benjamin Jackson. It was our first holiday together and while not particularly glamorous, it felt magical for the few days that we spent there. We naturally took our instruments and decided to write something together to savour the memory. In this regard, the composition for The Old Forge was very much a collaborative effort.

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Starting off with a simple melodic idea, we started venturing off into more abstract territory with compound and contradicting time signatures. Each of us wrote our own parts while similarly working together to create something memorable. It also gave us the chance to connect with each other in a way that words might have struggled. Our shared love of music brought us closer together and has continued to do so years later.

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This piece not only reminds me of those magical few days at the lodge but it also symbolises everything that my teenage self wanted: the privilege of finding someone to love and to love me in return. Whereas my teenage self would have been scared to share my sexuality, I now feel free and proud to share it. The liberating experience of going on this holiday as a gay man with my boyfriend will always remain a special part of my life and this piece celebrates it perfectly.