Humanity once perceived their surroundings through the lens of storytelling. It was our way of understanding the world and our place in it. Everyone coming up with their own answers for the things beyond their understanding. Every faith and piece of folklore, every cautionary tale and legendary hero, all told and retold as a way to explain away the unknown. Our ancestors would look up at pinpricks of light in the dark canvas of night and let their imaginations connect the dots. They’d see their world with such wonder, respect and curiosity; a uniquely human spark that has since dimmed in our modern world. We’ve become conditioned to stick to our routines and not think about lies beyond. We lose sight of all the wonder and beauty that we pass each day and take for granted, and get so wrapped up in our own problems that we forget how small we truly are in the grand scheme of things. We need more stories. Reignite that curious spark by mythologising the mundane, remind ourselves that we are not separate from nature, but part of something greater.

That’s the journey folk artist Josephine Illingworth charts with her new EP Bright Things I Found In The Dark. Inspired by her time spent hiking through windswept mountains and ancient woodlands, finding shelter in lonely churches, reconnecting with the wonder of nature – wild, ancient, sacred – with it all culminating in her building her own personal folklore. A loose concept album about a girl raised by a wolf, who is gradually consumed by her feral nature as she tries to navigate the ‘civilised’ world, it wonderfully mythologises Josephine’s own pull towards the great outdoors, as well as drawing parallels with how so many of us struggle to fit the mould and expectations of modern society. Interwoven with field recordings collected from her travels, nature is as much an instrument on Bright Things as it is an inspiration. The result is an EP that is intricate, thoughtfully constructed, piece by meticulous piece, yet also leaving plenty of room for raw feeling and expression.

The way Josephine sustains those immense soaring highs on ‘Hail’, howling like a wolf herself, makes you wonder where her vocals end and nature begins. Trying to imagine the precise moment where her voice becomes the rush of the wind through the trees or the roar of a river carving its way through the valley. ‘Wolf Mother!’ is a gorgeous acoustic number that touches on themes of self-image and mental health, ripping away unseemly pieces of oneself until you become the perfect tame creature that’s expected of you. The backing vocals on ‘Border’ twitter and lilt like birdsong while Josephine pours her heart and soul into the passionate bridge, ‘At The Mountain Spring’ is home to some stunning string arrangements, while ‘Old Holy Feeling’ explores the primal, sacred sensation of touch, love, and human connection. I adore the way the track’s arrangement blooms and grows, the warm glow spreading through you like love itself.

Yet it’s the cinematic scope and expressive bass work of ‘The Mythical’ that for me represents the heart and soul of Bright Things. All about clinging on to the childlike wonder that we’re all born with, which sadly fades with time, when the harshness of the world sets in and the soft edges of fairy-tale fade away. It’s this moment that best captures my key takeaway from this EP: to keep that curious spark that exists within all of us alight. To look for the extraordinary in the world around us, and to make our own where needed.

Josephine Illingworth’s new EP Bright Things I Found In The Dark is out now, and is perfect for fans of Hannah Frances, Big Thief and Nick Drake