NEW album animates artists
Constant Follower, from Stirling, have released their debut album ‘Neither Is, Nor Ever Was’. Image by Jannica Honey.
Back in February Scene Stirling awarded Constant Follower funding to create three music videos for their debut album ‘Neither Is, Nor Ever Was.’
The grant allowed the critically acclaimed band to work with some of the most exciting new talents in Scottish film and animation.
Singer-songwriter Stephen McAll said: “Each video is the artist’s personal response to the song, with no direction or interference from the band, resulting in incredibly moving and enchanting short ‘films’ in their own right.”
Video director Fiona Burton created a stop motion sequence for first album track to be released, ‘The Merry Dancers on TV’.
Fiona said: “Making art together is something that transcends any distance and that was definitely confirmed over the period of making this film. Being able to work with a local band, while being trusted with such a stunning song made any physical distance feel obsolete.
“Constant Follower's choice to work with new and emerging artists for their videos meant that I, as an artist, was able to create something unlike anything I've had the ability to before.
“This is my second foray into stop motion and I have learned so much from this project alone- skills that would have taken me years to learn in any other setting.
“The film, at its core; is about connection and how easy it is to lose it if we start taking things for granted in life. I liked the idea that even the moon herself could tire of being taken for granted and head off on a holiday only for one child to notice it missing and go on a voyage to let it know how much it is loved and respected.”
You can watch the video here:
The title of the track, is inspired by the Scots term for the Aurora Borealis: ‘Merry Dancers’.
In writing the song, Stephen was thinking of a particular episode where his friends missed the real Merry Dancers above their cottage whilst they were indoors watching a documentary about them.
Stephen said: “The song speaks to the things in life we miss in the bustle and stresses of modern living.”
‘Neither Is, Nor Ever Was’ was co-produced by Stephen and renowned producer and ShimmyDisc founder Kramer.
The recording of the album began in early 2020 at La Chunky studios in Glasgow with engineer Johnny Smillie. This was interrupted by the birth of Stephen’s daughter (if you listen closely, her cries are just audible during some of Kessi’s backing vocals on ‘Little Marble’), and shortly afterwards by Covid 19 restrictions.
Stephen recorded the rest of the album at his own studio in Stirling. The resulting recordings were then mixed and mastered by Kramer at his Noise Miami Studio.
The band’s second single will be released on Friday 10 September.