The story of Sealand stuck with me the most after reading the book. It’s a story so ridiculous, you probably couldn’t make it up. Yet, it’s informed by real, vivid portrayals of what makes these people tick and the factors that led to the ever-escalating nature of the tiny country. When I read the story of being assaulted by pirate radio boats armed with Molotov cocktails, I immediately envisioned this fully fleshed-out action set piece in the style of “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which inspired the hectic track, “A Rusty Kingdom.”

For me, the exciting part of this collaboration was seeing the breadth and scope of Ian’s writing and just how many different, nuanced tales could be strung together around a central theme. It was very important that I didn’t make the collection from one note and didn’t only focus on one emotional aspect of the book. Instead, each track has its own central theme and emotional core I sought to explore. In “Waste Away,” I explored a theme of helplessness, and in “The Next Frontier,” the desperate longing for change. I hope anyone listening feels compelled to do further reading on the issues Ian has shone a spotlight on, like climate change, pollution and oil dumping. If listening to this causes even one person to have more respect and admiration for the ocean, I would be happy.

Anki