The songs for 'Spies' were composed in the fall and winter of 2020, in the depths of pandemic lockdown. Working in isolation in his L.A. studio, Davies composed the five tracks entirely alone. With no collaborators, the songs feel intimate and intense. Yet at the same time, they would become the most sonically expansive material he's ever put on a solo record. His guitar and synthesizer are bolstered by double bass, cello, viola and violin, adding a new depth to the music.