Tomorrow marks the release of The Impossible Wild on Gillywisky Records, the debut album from The Last Inklings (featuring Leonardo MacKenzie and David Hoyland, both accomplished multi-instrumentalists). The album has already received a glowing review on Folk Radio from David Pratt. He stated, “It is hard to imagine that there will be a better debut album this year…” later describing them as “envelope-pushing visionaries” (read the review here).
Below, you can watch their latest video animation – Vespers is the conclusion to a trilogy of songs accompanied by a handmade stop-frame animation.
It is a dark and dreamy waltz built around a hazy, half-remembered fragment of Tchaikovsky; Vespers parallels the plight of the cock-stride ghosts of old English folklore with modern mental health issues. At the boundary of night and day, jasmine flowers pour their perfume into the twilight air as creatures of this liminal time emerge into the half-light. A moth chases a moon that is forever out of reach, tracing the infinity symbol in its flight, all the while pursued by a bat. A hawk and an owl, sat side by side in unnatural harmony, sing wordless Vespers into the approaching night as a spirit flickers in and out of view, spinning in an endless dance until doomsday finally brings their penance to a close, mirrored in the cello of the instrumental as it fights to endlessly ascend before ultimately failing to find resolution. In a woodland clearing lit by the moon, creatures gather as the twilight glow fades to true night and stars begin to dot the sky above. This natural imagery lifted from the song’s lyrics can be interpreted as a reference to despair and depression, but also hope, based on the knowledge that such things can quickly pass, just like the fleeting twilight.
Leo, the duo’s singing cellist, says, “The journey behind the video trilogy began with a simple hand drawn moth and moon, and we went on an epic journey through the animations for our first two official releases, Hunter’s Folly and Sleeping Giant, before finally ‘coming home’ to Vespers.”
Mandolin maestro David says, “The song itself grew from a haunting mandolin waltz and a half remembered piece of a Tchaikovsky ballet, and it was important to capture that dark and dreamy dance in the visuals.”
Drawing on the themes of nature and the supernatural woven through the debut album, the animated video trilogy was handmade by the band, who taught themselves stop-frame animation during the long months of lockdown. Conceived as stand-alone stories, they were written to flow seamlessly into each other and will be combined into a short film, due for release later this autumn.
In the words of David: The subtlety of the instrumentation is, as throughout the album, sublime.
Pre-Order The Impossible Wild (Out 1st October 2021) via Bandcamp: https://thelastinklings.bandcamp.com/album/the-impossible-wild
The Last Inklings Remaining Tour Dates
Friday 1st October – Derby Folk Festival
Thursday 7th October – Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham
Saturday 9th October – West End Centre, Aldershot
Friday 22nd October – Manchester Folk Festival
Saturday 23rd October – Thimblemill Library, Smethwick
Wednesday 17th November – The Sound Lounge, Sutton
Friday 19th November – Downend Folk Club, Bristol
Friday 3rd December – Forest Arts Centre, Hampshire
For More Info and ticket links, visit: https://www.thelastinklings.co.uk/