A key element that benefitted in this way was a chance to re-examine the guitars. I left the studio with a niggling doubt about the direction and sound of many of the parts recorded, and so having the opportunity to take a fresh look was essential. I’m delighted with what we managed to achieve – no making do, this was about getting it as right as possible.

In terms of how it sits with the collection? Well, I’ll let my fans proclaim their verdict. It’s the audience that matters the most to me. For the sake of clarity, it continues to explore the original narrative: my personal experience of wrestling with mental health and thankfully finding my way back to clarity, the search for truth and reconciliation, forgiveness, the absurdity of being human, the ageing process, and above all, love in its many forms and how it is still the only answer.

This new clutch of compositions continues to focus on my personal journey through mental health challenges. This time, however, you may notice a subtle shift.

As I moved through the chaos of bitter regret and intense feelings of shame and anger, the guided therapy I received at the hands of my wonderful therapist began to shine a light on the truth.

It required revisiting various episodes that had plagued me in my waking hours for years. That was far from easy, let me tell you — but the results were nothing short of transformative.

The stories contained in these seven new songs are (for the most part) the conclusions I drew from the realisations that blossomed and helped me navigate from the darkness into a breathtakingly soft light — one that, for the first time in many years, gave me a sense of peace and calm.

The titles are, I hope, fairly self-explanatory. But by way of giving you a route map in, perhaps a short explanation of each wouldn’t go amiss:

‘(Don’t Wanna Be A) Rock ’n’ Roll Star’ – a tongue-in-cheek exploration of my true feelings about the nonsense of what a ‘rock star’ even means.

‘Some People Are Trash’ – looking back at some of the terrible relationships I’ve encountered along the way, as I tried to make sense of this often awful business.

‘Strong Enough’ – reflecting on my own inadequacies and feelings of utter powerlessness.

‘Falling in Love is Harder (Than You Could Ever Prepare Your Heart For)’ – probably the best song I’ve ever written. It captures my true love and how I feel about growing older, alongside the prospect of one day having to relinquish those intense feelings of devotion through death.

‘Nothing to See Here’ – pondering the idiocy of the internet and social media.

‘Before I Break’ – underlining my struggles in dealing with the world in general, how unjust it feels, particularly towards the most vulnerable, and how selfishly people often regard them.

‘Creeping Up Slowly’ – an observation of loss and longing.

I admit, it is an intense collection, but I can’t help it. The songs dictated the terms to me — I really had no choice. Ultimately, though, they are just songs, and I sincerely hope you find something within them that resonates with your own life. 

After all, we are all just flesh and blood, heart and human spirit. One and the same.

I sincerely hope this new music is loved, hated, debated, embraced, celebrated and cursed – not ignored.

I’m very happy with it.

– Toby (Somerset, August 2025)

‘Look Out! – vol.2’ is officially released 1st October and available to order now exclusively via Toby’s official website: https://shop.tobyjepsonofficial.com/collections/look-out-toby-and-the-whole-truth