Little Chef is a beautiful video and single from Leeds / Wakefield four-piece Crake (also our Song of the Day), the debut project of singer/songwriter Rowan Sandle, backed up by Rob Slater & Emily Ingham of Mi Mye and Sarah Statham of Esper Scout. The video is stunning and beautiful, shot on a frozen dawn in South Yorkshire by Emily’s neighbour in Wakefield, Rob Taylor, who works as a cameraman at the BBC. It was edited by Alice Scott (Member of Post War Glamour Girls and part of Crake’s wider coven)
The single features on the CPWM Singles Club upcoming compilation ‘Come Play with Me’ which you can order here.
The track was inspired by an experience Rowan had, sitting in a Little Chef with a friend an hour after learning about the death of his Grandmother.
Rowan shared the following about the song
“In the song ‘Hospital Vespers’ by Canadian band ‘The Weakerthans’, a book is gifted to a hospital patient called ‘The Politics of Lonely’. I heard the song over ten years ago and still, the phrase repeats itself to me often. I have tried to search for the book. I don’t think it exists. For me, ‘The Politics of Lonely’ describes how the possibilities of our social relationships are deeply affected by the dominant politics of our time. We need to find new ways to look after each other. We need a new politics of care. Little Chef is about the frustration caused by the constraints capitalism holds on our compassion, but also about the moments that attempt to crack them open. Such as doing your best to comfort a friend who is grieving.”
Talking about the inspiration for the video Rowan added:
“Little Chef is a contradictory song, swinging somewhere between grief and hope. When I was younger I used to ride a lot, and I occasionally still do. The feeling of the song is in some ways similar to the conflicting feelings I get when I ride. On one hand I feel affection, a rare magic of bonding with something totally outside myself. But I also feel sorry that the horses we ride can exist only within the boundary we are able to give them. They are tethered, but I hope they are happy.”
Order it here: http://cpwm.awesomedistro.com/
Follow Crake: https://www.facebook.com/Crakeband/