Some places leave a mark on us that is difficult to explain. They become associated with particular moments in our lives, the people we were when we first discovered them, and the feelings that return whenever we find ourselves back in familiar surroundings.

For American singer-songwriter Harley DiNardo, the Catskills in upstate New York have become one of those places, offering a welcome contrast to the relentless movement of modern life. His new single, “Catskill Park”, draws on that connection, turning the landscape into the starting point for a song about belonging, self-discovery and the freedom that comes from occasionally losing your way.

There are few things humans enjoy more than trying to work things out. We measure, compare, analyse, second-guess, revisit, overthink and then, having exhausted every possible avenue of rational thought, occasionally realise that we probably knew the answer all along. Love is good at exposing this little flaw in our programming. We can turn something instinctive into an intellectual exercise and then wonder why it no longer feels quite as simple as it did before we started thinking about it.

This seems to be one of the many things Shaun Lyons is interested in, although thankfully he is considerably more interested in turning those ideas into music.