“I’m Lost, Please Help Me” Part Two

A mid-career (too optimistic?) reshuffle

I sit here with an album I’m so very proud of. I’ve said to Sas (my wife, first line of support and second listener to my music) a few times that this is the best sounding record I’ve made yet (maybe just so I’d hear the certainty myself). More than that though, it holds together better than I’ve managed before.

Ten months ago, I didn’t even know I was already sitting on the bones of it.

Listen to the first single from Bring Our Light To Every Corner

“I Don’t Know How Much Longer I Can Do This”

This is where I was in the beginning.

I admit, I wasn’t having the most mentally sturdy 2025. Two extremely busy years at the label and the financial strain that came with that, had left me emotionally worn out.

As I saw it, I was eighteen years into making Scrimshire records, fifteen years into being self-employed, still financially insecure, with eight Scrimshire albums behind me and no consistent build up.

Paralysis

Sitting amongst hours of unreleased music, the variety of songs I’d accumulated between 2021 and 2025 was confusing me about who I was as an artist.

I was lacking confidence. I was convinced I was baffling listeners and making bad decisions. I was quickly becoming paralysed by the fear of making more.

I was (am) afraid of a lot of things but I’m working through it. Scared of looking a fool, so never going all in, and seeing things falter as a result. Afraid of being too bold, or too bland, of being seen, of not being seen. Spinning. Lost.

But I Love This

Making records, sharing music, I want to do it always, I just needed some clarity and a path.

So, I finally started asking for help.

I wanted to actually let go and give control of my direction to someone who would guide me out of the woods. Jed Hallam, Love Will Save The Day, had once suggested to me the brilliant idea of a board of fan/friend advisors. At the time, the thought of organising that sent me into more paralysis. But I did start making calls to friends…

Some of the people I spoke to thought it was time to approach other labels, take the business end away from me too, so I could finally just be a writer and a producer.

“Tell Me Honestly”

But I would still need to know what I was bringing them. I needed an independent listener. One who wouldn’t be worried to tell me what they thought.

I decided to ask my friend Ben (Benjamin Smith aka Echo Empire, our longtime PR at Albert’s Favourites and manager to James Alexander Bright) whose music taste I love and honesty I love even more.

I sent him several folders of songs in differing stages of production. I labelled a few pieces I thought were the magic but I personally hadn’t fitted together. I put in some random stuff, I had all sorts in there, maybe three or four albums worth of music, collaborations with Amanda Whiting, Joshua Idehen, K.O.G., Margomool, Dwight Trible and many more.

Liberation

The first surprise was that letting go was really powerful, it was liberating. Even so I expected coping with the feedback to be difficult, I’ve been so very bad at it in the past.

But then again, producing projects for others in the last few years has really helped me kill my ego. It’s reduced the defensiveness about my ideas. Now I focus more on the greater good and the joy of the process. Discovering different ideas and exploring them with all my energy is a joyful experience.

So, when Ben’s thoughts started feeding back, I was surprised again that I was genuinely excited by it all.

“Are You Up For Something Radical?”

It was late July 2025 when Ben called me. The sun was warm and I was standing outside Crystal Palace pool about to go for a swim.

“Lose the vocals.”

I took a deep breath and then I laughed, a lot. To hear a confident, new idea I’d never have considered felt like a new world opening up.

“You’re the focus, establish your craft, show off your work, let the songs breathe.”

And this is where album nine finally began…

Please Help Me

This is the bit where I ask you. And if you want to ask me for help, don’t be shy, but me first…

I release these albums myself, on my own label - I do the marketing, collaborate with the PR, create the content, work with distributors, do the accounts. Everyone who engages, by sharing, listening and most importantly by buying contributes to making these records and continuing this journey.

You can pre-order or pre-save Bring Our Light To Every Corner now (vinyl via Bandcamp), or just as good, ask your local shop to order copies in. We love record shops. They can contact me or our distributor Prime Direct Distribution.

BUT simply by engaging, leaving a comment, making the experience human, here and on other platforms, it makes it all seem more possible to navigate.

And in the meantime, here is the first single from the album. Fourteen minutes and fifty five seconds of something I’m really proud of.

Adam

x