Clocking in at almost 1.5 hours this album attempts to navigate through the trials and tribulations of my time living in the Netherlands, from landing and holidaying on a houseboat (Boeringwetering), living in the ghettos (Holdendrecht), running out of cash in the oud west (De Baarsjes), the cafe I ran with my partner (331west), and then its undoing and our undoing (Admiraal De Ruijterweg, Gilles Van Ledenberchstraat & Joan Melchior Kemperstraat).

Some solitude (Bilderdijkstraat Pt. 1) and a workaway project– finally getting ourselves together again (Vorden), The unfortunate evening in Ireland that ruined it all (Belfast), recovering and regrouping (Bilderdijkstraat Pt. III, Het Amsterdamse Bos, Het Vliegenbos).

Our forever summer (Krachtighuizen),  camping loss and longing (Het Veluwe), the long hot mid-summer walk, and the mood of the Netherlands after the MH-17 disaster (Westerpark), staying in squats (Pretoriusstraat). 

Couchsurfing in Utrecht (Rietdiepstraat), trying to stay positive despite having to sleep in the park (Vechtdijk), the desperation in the noord (Poort van Waterland) and closing with the bittersweet end (Van der Pekstraat).

This was perhaps one of the most extreme years of my life and things I learnt, and did during this time will stick with me for a long time.
I don’t regret going, but wow, would certainly do it differently next time around!

• written during my time in the Netherlands in December 2013 – October 2014
• mixed and edited from October 2014 – April 2015.