On Friday evening, I shared the first small piece of Panting Deer.

Just a short snippet. Nothing finished. Nothing fully formed. If I’m honest, it was something I didn’t feel quite ready to let go of yet.

And then… people listened.

Over 350 views on YouTube. More than 150 on Facebook. A couple of hundred on Instagram. The same again on TikTok. It might not sound like much in the wider world, but to me, it’s felt quietly overwhelming.

Not because of numbers, really — but because it means the song has been heard. Even in its unfinished state. Even in its smallness.

Earlier that evening, I’d been out walking with my wife when we came across a few deer. There was something about the way they moved — gentle, unhurried, completely at ease in their surroundings. It felt like a reminder to stop holding things so tightly.

I think that’s what led me to share the song.

Not because it was ready. But because maybe I didn’t need it to be.

There’s something I’m really beginning to learn through all of this — that sometimes the right moment isn’t when everything feels complete, but when something feels honest enough to be let go.

So thank you, truly, for listening. For taking a moment to sit with something small and unfinished.

It means more than I can really put into words.

— Panting Deer x