Wymond's previous EP "Earth Has Doors" was about intangible and esoteric concepts; the music drifted beautifully in somewhat of an oceanic, boundless state. For the album it was very important for him to make the songs be felt somatically. In his own words, "I wanted it to hit the body, I wanted it carnal." Whereas the EP had been a drawn out labor of love he worked on and then shelved for several years, most songs on "Under the Pale Moon" developed quickly last winter. He describes them as being effortless to write, short songs with stripped down arrangements; recorded straight away as soon as they came to him. Feeling very raw and alive, he wrote the basic structure for most of the record within a few weeks. He had the chords and melody for album standout "Singing The Ending" when last year began to take a cathartic turn. In a short span of time his closest friend was killed and he lost some family members. Without much time to deal with grief, he immediately had to tour Europe with the Fresh & Onlys for two months while still basically in shock. He became filled with an ardor for life and seeing the record through. The loss had emerged as a purifying fire and manifested not as a morose lament on tragedy but as a feverish grindstone of passion, dissent, desire, and an apolitical rebellion cry against the bondage of established order. While never overtly attempting to address his influences, the listener can hear a bit of Go-Betweens, Echo & the Bunnymen, Nick Cave, Nikki Sudden and The Cure present in his work. Miles creates a big romantic pop record reminiscent of Roxy Music at the height of their power. "Under the Pale Moon" is a gorgeously dramatic and romantic debut; a focused departure from his work in the Fresh & Onlys, he emerges as innovative songwriter with limitless pop potential.