Abrasive Tress Discuss New Songs & Short Film

UK-based post-rock/post-punk outfit Abrasive Trees is set to unveil their newest creation, 'Mill Session' – a captivating short film that showcases fresh tracks, insightful interviews, and mesmerizing visual art, all captured within the historic ambiance of an ancient mill.

Comprising members Matthew Rochford and Ben Roberts, known for their involvement in the Bella Union project Silver Moth, the five-piece ensemble collaborated with a team of local professionals and producer Pete Fletcher from the Isle of Lewis to bring this 20-minute visual spectacle to life. 'Mill Session' unveils two unreleased tracks, 'Star Sapphire' and 'Tao To Earth,' promising a sonic and visual journey that captivates the senses. Mark your calendars for the video premiere on Wednesday, December 13th. We spoke to them about the journey so far, enjoy!

1. What inspired the decision to create a 20-minute video for the premiere of your upcoming project, 'Abrasive Trees: Mill Session,' instead of opting for a traditional recording studio experience?

It was partly neccesity.  We all had a chat back in March and talked about our plans for the rest of the year and into next.  We wanted to do everything - record an album or EP, book a tour and make a 'live in the studio' type video.  In the end we decided to just do this and focus on making something good and achievable with the time we had.  As we're all involved with other projects it would have been easy to spread ourselves too thin.  It felt nice to focus on this and do something different.  It was quite freeing to just play live and for that to be how we'd initially release the two new tracks.

2. Can you share more about the collaboration process with local professionals, producer Pete Fletcher, and visual artist Jess Wooller in bringing this unique video project to life?

We'd been getting to know Andy Hill from the local music scene.  He works for some well known music outlets and he was really keen to be involved and input some great ideas, so having him on board was very natural to us.  With Pete, me and Ben had worked with him before as he'd produced the Silver Moth album.  I trust his judgement entirely, he's exceptionally good at mixing and understood our sound really well. 

Jess has been working with us pretty much since the beginning and her visual art reflects the themes and aesthetic of what we are about as a band.  As well as this, she also shot much of what you see, along with Ben Boyd Taylor.  We also had Ben Addicott engineering and Simon Congdon editing. Somehow, the whole team fell into place and it worked. 

Where we live in Totnes, there's a rich community of creatives with different skills, so it was essential to look to this in bringing our ideas to fruition.

3. The film features two unreleased tracks, 'Star Sapphire' and 'Tao To Earth.' What can listeners expect from these new additions to your musical repertoire?

Star Sapphire is instrumental and was written by Jay.  It has a slightly prog structure, but with some great hooks and quite sludgy parts which evolve into more sparkly sections.  With Tao To Earth, there's a bit of a middle-eastern vibe, some spoken word and some quite psychedelic influences going on.

I don't know how people will respond when they hear these, but we love playing them.

4. The crowdfunding aspect of the project is intriguing. How did the idea of involving fans from various countries, including Scotland, France, Belgium, and Germany, come about, and how did their support contribute to the realization of 'Abrasive Trees: Mill Session'?

We're lucky in that we have a lovely, small, loyal following on Bandcamp.  Many of them are not in the UK, so it was nice when they responded to our request for support.  Essentially we did all the fundraising through Bandcamp, our email list and one or two friends.  Their support was invaluable and we're immensely grateful.

5. The video includes a live version of 'Kali Sends Sunflowers' and interview material guided by music journalist Andy Hill. What prompted the inclusion of these elements, and how do they enhance the overall viewing experience?

I think having Kali in the video was a good idea, it a song, so it iwas nice to include something with vocals.  It's also sonically different from the other two and people seem to love it.  It adds some variance to the film as a whole, I think.

With Andy guiding the interview, we hoped that this would be interesting for people and we think it adds a nice dimension to what we are about.  Originally the interview sections were much longer, but we decided to cut them back, as there's always a danger that that could detract from what is essentially a music video.

6. Filming in a centuries-old mill in Totnes adds a unique backdrop to the video. How did the location influence the visual aesthetic of the project, and what challenges or interesting experiences did you encounter during the filming process?

The building is full of ancient wooden beams, which appealed.  We also like the fact that it was ancient and had been the main mill for making flour in the town.  It's kind of right in the heart of Totnes, which is nice.  It's mainly used to house a project supporting young people into music, so it was nice that it was being used for something positive like that.  I think as musicians you always pick up on the energy of your environment.  I think it always affects how you play and how you create.