The sleeve design for Garden Gate's Magic Lantern

The inspiration behind the cover

It is usually the ‘idea’ behind a record sleeve design that takes time. It's about finding that elusive spark, the perfect image that encapsulates the album's theme or narrative. There have been times when I've spent weeks grappling with different concepts, scouring through countless images on Google and Pinterest in search of inspiration. However, sometimes, from the first moment I hear the music, or even just glimpse the title, a fully formed image comes into my head and all I need to do is get it onto the page.

The Garden Gate LP Magic Lantern is out tomorrow, thanks to everyone who has preordered. The vinyl is sold out at source, but there should still be copies available in the shops.

Below are some of the reference images that helped kick-start my initial idea for the sleeve. I also spent a lot of time looking through Tripping The Light Fantastic by Kevin Foakes, it comes highly recommended.