A year in the making - no thanks to me - is the album art for my friends The Ocean Doesn't Want Me. I did the artwork/photos for their previous album As The Dust Settles as well and that also took me damn near a year to complete.

My concepts were solid, but as with most things, the longer I sit on it the more I start to second guess the ideas and execution. But hey, these things take time right and they've also been busy finishing up mixing of the tracks etc. so no harm no foul. I just like to be way more punctual you know?

So the concept of The Reins in brief is; a letter from the older generation to the younger generation saying; take the reins, we f**ked up. You deal with this.

There are four songs and thus four photographs representing each song.

Droughts & Floods - The older generation who are handing down the reins with difficulty knowing that they are giving something broken to the younger generation. The topographical map represents rivers and land. — Droughts & Floods - *The older generation who are handing down the reins with difficulty knowing that they are giving something broken to the younger generation.* The topographical map represents rivers and land.

Let Blood - The daughter. Father finds difficulty communicating with her in this "male centric/man made" world. That is also why I chose to make it a rather awkward/disturbing image. — Let Blood - The daughter. *Father finds difficulty communicating with her in this "male centric/man made" world*. That is also why I chose to make it a rather awkward/disturbing image.

We Remember - The Son. Ultimately our fathers mistakes lie heavy on our shoulders (more so than it should perhaps). So we are left to toil in the dust and dirt to try and repair what doesn't work. This shot was all in camera whereas t… — We Remember - *The Son. Ultimately our fathers mistakes lie heavy on our shoulders (more so than it should perhaps). So we are left to toil in the dust and dirt to try and repair what doesn't work.* This shot was all in camera whereas the other two I did the overlays in post.

Young Ones - The ignorance of youth, taking things on too eagerly perhaps and in their haste repeating the same patterns and same mistakes. Unlike the other images there is no overlaid image here. I wanted to capture it as simplistic as possibl… — Young Ones - *The ignorance of youth, taking things on too eagerly perhaps and in their haste repeating the same patterns and same mistakes.* Unlike the other images there is no overlaid image here. I wanted to capture it as simplistic as possible to show the "virginity" of youth and being young and perhaps foolish. That is also why I chose the fetal position.

And then for the cover image up top. I just liked that it almost looks like some sort of chemical reaction taking place. I had no concept for it and this was just something that I spotted by chance whilst house cleaning and then photographed.

Those are the images and the concepts and very short stories behind them and how I interpreted the lyrics to the songs and the explanations by the band as to what they mean for them.

Order their damn album when it drops. This is hard work.

Thanks for reading.