Written as part the Solent Seascape Project Artist Residency 2025:

25% of all sales go to the Solent Seascape Project, a collaborative long term initiative, working to restore multiple habitats across the Solent strait – a diverse estuarine system between the Isle of Wight and mainland England.

Each track corresponds to a place along the Solent coastline and features field recordings captured on location, please see Angela Harding's 'Song Map' for further details.

Field Recordings:

Lanterns Pt. 1 - Wind and waves @ Tennyson Down, Isle of Wight
Wight Paint - Waves @ Appley Beach, Isle of Wight
Long View - Beach sounds @ Southsea Beach
Rafts - Nesting birds @ Hayling Island Nature Reserve
Sea Sisters - Solent Outdoor Swimmers @ Hayling Beach
Salt Forest - Masts @ Chichester Harbour
Selsey Dawn - Storm & sea @ Selsey Bill

"My grandfather, George Walters, was a sub-mariner based in Portsmouth for a time. I never got to know him, he sadly passed away before I could walk, but I do often wonder if there is a strand of longing and wonder sewn into my DNA; I've always loved the sea, being close to the sound of it and the size of it, and in particular have found myself drawn to the Solent coastline since me and my family moved to Hampshire 7 years ago. It's the closest I've ever come to a sea-view, and I've loved exploring the varied landscape with my children, in all weather.

To be awarded this residency has been a real gift, an excuse to get out there and dig a little deeper, to meet the people that play their part in Solent communities, to tell their stories and give voice to the silent elements in need of our support. The work the SSP does is remarkable and I'm very happy to play a small part in amplifying their message.

And so, since May I've found myself on deserted beaches at dawn, meeting outdoor swimmers as the sun comes up, staring across the Solent from Tennyson Down as the day ends, climbing narrow ladders to the peak of lighthouses at Hurst Castle, hiding from thunderstorms at Selsey Bill, interviewing (occasionally perplexed) people at Spinnaker Tower, heading out on calm waters at Chichester Harbour, and eventually getting my feet wet at Hayling Island. It's been a joy, it's been an education, and mostly it's been deeply inspiring.

I hope the songs I've written shine a light on parts of the coastline it's easy to overlook, I hope they make people think about this seascape and why we must give it our care and attention, and I really hope it inspires people to spend time exploring the area."