Our most beloved Stirling-based group Constant Follower, led by Stephen McAll, and renowned folk guitarist Scott William Urquhart gave us the great honour to have their fourth music video/single from their collaborative album, ‘Even Days Dissolve’, which was released on 14th April 2023, Space Between Stars premiering here today, ahead of the 12th May 2023 release date. The video features a stunning stop-motion film by young Japanese stop-motion animator Tsumugi Yagi.

What Tsumugi Yagi says: “When I heard “Space Between Stars”, I was drawn into the quiet atmosphere. The melody seemed to be calm and repetitive. However, in the second half of the song, the lyrics started to come in, and I felt that it was a surprise to see the atmosphere change so drastically from the tone of the first half. I was impressed by this change of mood. I wanted to project this emotion onto the video.
When I listen to Constant Follower, I feel like I’m being released into a silent, vast natural world. I feel that his poems and melodies create a space for me to face myself. I live in Tokyo, Japan, and there are always times when I feel chaos around me. Constant Follower’s songs seem to create room to stop and look at the world. The atmosphere is quiet and calm, but there is a hidden core strength somewhere, which provides emotional support.
I wanted to depict the relationship between the outside world and my inner world in a music video. Stop-motion animation is characterized by its ability to realistically express textures. The first half of the film shows the ‘blue world’ where the character keeps walking in one direction. In the middle of the film, the walls come tumbling down and a “new world” opens up. The character who has only known one direction to go finds new possibilities. However, at the end of the song, the character returns to the same place again.
Even though the outside world is changing at a dizzying pace, you are still who you are. But even in the midst of this, I think about what I should be. This seems steady and daunting, but I think it is very important. I feel as if this song taught me that and encouraged me to do so.”

What Stephen McAll says about the video: “I love working with people with great and unusual ideas. I’d been searching for someone very special to work on a film for this song, and coming up empty. Then, through a little recommendation, I found Tsumugi’s work. She’s a very young (18), early career, Japanese animator. I loved the fact that this was her first collaborative work, in fact her first commission. Her ideas are so unique and her style is very much her own. It’s such a privilege to work with her so early in her career – before she goes on to do the wonderful things I’m certain that she will. The film she made expresses so much more than the song would have on its own. That is the power of collaboration, and the strength in pairing creative moving image with the music.”

What Stephen McAll says about the song: “This is the first song that Scott and I worked on together, so it holds an important place in the album. I think when you begin a collaboration, you always need a jumping off point – a marker that you can come back to. Scott came round and recorded some guitar, then I went to work developing the ideas around the instrumentation and words. I’ve always been a fan of Boards Of Canada, and in one song in particular ‘Amo Bishop Roden’, there is this quietly explosive kick drum sound that only comes in every now and again. I wasn’t thinking of this consciously as I wrote the instrumentation – it was only later that I realised this may have been an influence. I’m never consciously thinking that a song should be this way or that. I seem to do the best work when I just follow where my satisfaction is taking me. If I get to the point where I’m thinking ‘I should try and make it like this’, then I know I’ve taken a wrong turn and should go back to the last junction. I like music that’s creative and inventive. One of the best aspects about this album, I think, is the way that reviewers seem to struggle to place it alongside other artists. It’s not much like anything else, and I love that.”

About the music video, McAll adds: “I love working with people with great and unusual ideas. I’d been searching for someone very special to work on a film for this song, and coming up empty. Then, through a little recommendation, I found Tsumugi’s work. She’s a very young (18), early career, Japanese animator. I loved the fact that this was her first collaborative work, in fact her first commission. Her ideas are so unique and her style is very much her own. It’s such a privilege to work with her so early in her career – before she goes on to do the wonderful things I’m certain that she will. The film she made expresses so much more than the song would have on its own. That is the power of collaboration, and the strength in pairing creative moving image with the music.”

Even Days Dissolve is out now. Look HERE for more information on Scott William Urquhart and HERE for more information on Constant Follower.