Three months since the release of their last album, 'Brighter Wounds', Ryan Lott of Son Lux hasn't had much time to decompress.

"Touring is a beastly part of the campaign, and we're right in the middle of it," he says. "But we've built in some breaks so we have time with our families and our other creative endeavours. We're all involved in a lot of things, and Son Lux is where we overlap."

On the contrary, Lott found his time to compartmentalise when they wrapped recording of their fifth LP.

"The final push is always very difficult for some reason, both creatively and logistically. For me, it entails suppressing new creative urges; I start dreaming of a sushi dinner before I've finished eating the burrito I made for lunch. So my decompression ritual is to make a bunch of new music very fast. A Son Lux album gets its start a day or two after the previous record is delivered."

'Brighter Wounds' was solidly received among critics; its vast soundscapes layering tension and high drama taking the interior outwards, impressing many. Much of this seems to have gone over Lott's head - there's a subsection of people whose opinions matter more to him.

"I don't read reviews, but my impression is that 'critical' reception has been good. At shows, we spend time with those who come out to see us whenever possible, and a common responses from longtime fans is that this is a favorite record.

"But we also hear a lot from people only just discovering Son Lux. To be honest, I'm a little surprised by this. Part of me assumed that this record would be too much of a departure for many existing fans, and too diverse for new ones. It's a delicate balance."

Overall though, Lott is just happy that their music seems to be reaching every corner of the world, maintaining that that is their only focus at the end of the day.

Thematically, critics were quick to draw links between Lott's new found fatherhood and this album; how the huge period of growth was reflected in the vastness of the sound. He can't say how it's going to impact his songwriting going forward, if at all.

"I don't think I can guess," he says. "I have a sense that my actions, including the music I make, are inextricably and effectually linked to another person's life in a deeper way than I have experienced."

Would he be happy for his son to pursue a career in music?

"My advice will be to search for something that, were he not to do it, would make him feel like half-alive. If that happens to be making music for a living, then I would be happy for him to pursue it, and I'd strive to support his decision with the same sacrificial fervency my parents demonstrated on my behalf."

Beyond burgeoning parenthood, the concept of separation is prevalent on 'Brighter Wounds'; this absolute want to split from the past and the future. Was that a conscious decision by Lott and co.?

"Ooh, that's a nice interpretation," he responds. "It's important to me that the 'meaning' of a Son Lux song remains wide open to interpretation. I want the music to live its own life inside a person, and for the listener to draw her own associations and meanings. That said, your takeaway aligns with things I felt while writing these songs, and still do."

Lott struggles to settle on the track he's most proud of.

"I can't pick just one. But it makes me unbelievably happy that in each song, there is something I have never done before. I'm wired to favor exploration, so this feels like a real accomplishment. Entirely separate from feeling "proud," though, I do have my favorites. At the moment they are Labor, Aquatic, All Directions, and Resurrection."

As mentioned, this is the band's fifth record. Son Lux began as a solo project for Lott, before he began slowly filing in fellow musicians so he could tour his earlier material. What's manifested is the Son Lux most people are familiar with today - a trio who write together. Was that an expected progression?

"That's a great question. I don't know what I expected, to be honest. I didn't have a clear picture of what I wanted the project to become, and I still don't. But I'm content with that feeling, because I want to explore. I want music to surprise me, even my own. 

"It hasn't been difficult [transitioning from a solo artists to a group member]. We have a lot of respect for one another, and where we don't align, we've all tried to be gracious and defer to the majority. Another important part of the equation is that we all stay busy outside of our work as Son Lux. There's room to explore every impulse."

They're prepare to return to Ireland to play at Body & Soul Festival, before playing a few shows in Poland, where they've established an unusually large fanbase ("Ha, yea. Poland suddenly became a great market for us. We're excited to get back there this year."). The guys are investing heavily in detail-orientated sets this time around.

"Every show is unique. We build improvisation into the set in small ways and big ways, so we don't know what to expect. But what's always true is our show is very dynamic, lots of twists and turns and unexpected moments. The live versions of songs honor the album, but we've designed arrangements specifically for the stage."

What's more difficult, then? Making an album or an intricate live set?

"An album is trickier. Once it's done, it's done. A live show changes every night, so there isn't the same kind of pressure while making it. They're both extremely technical and tedious efforts, but they have their own unique rewards, so I'm thankful for the ability to do both."

Beyond his own writing and creation, Lott talks of his own experiencer as a listener.

"I'm really into the oud recently," he says, describing a lute-type string instrumenet. "So I've been exploring various recordings of the instrument, mostly in a traditional Arabic context.

"But favorite new discovery is an album by Senegalese griot Aby Ngana Diop called 'Liital'. There's a lot of great information about it on its bandcamp page. Incredibly inspiring!"

Son Lux play Body & Soul Festival June 22- 24.