"I had the genesis of the idea for "Soft Focus" when myself and Shayne Byrne (producer/collaborator) were making my first album "Romance&Melodrama". The basic idea that I had was to do something that was a bit more lo-fi, stripped-back and direct. I love lo-fi music and it has been a big influence on the music I write and listen to since my late teens, and I've always wanted to do something in that vein as soon as the opportunity arose.
I had the songs already written, so it was just a case of getting them down and finding a way to frame them appropriately, and, where possible, create interesting moments within the arrangements, instrumentation & production to push the songs forward into new and interesting places.
Myself and Shayne yet again worked remotely, bouncing files back and forth from our respective studios in Derry and Carlow. I knew I wanted things to be a bit more stripped-back and direct, but myself and Shayne were still able to take risks and use sounds and effects that were a bit of a departure for us both, creating a cross-section of different musical landscapes and genres that I feel work to create a piece of work that we can both be immensely proud of." - HUTCH