We initially intended to post this piece on Friday, but given the date and the oddity of the subject matter, we soon thought better of it.
In actual fact, the video attached here is perfectly genuine and is by local filmmaker and Spurtle team member Rhys Fullerton.
We find it strangely compelling, and hope that with local enthusiasm and online shares it may soon become a cult classic.
Here, Rhys gives some of the background to ‘Bags in Trees’. Click on the clip below to get started.
I’ve known William Gray since 2007, writes Rhys, when I made a music video for the Leeds band that he was in, The Smokestacks. I’ve been following his solo career ever since.
I’ve had the idea for this piece for ages, but chose to make it now to accompany the release of Will’s new album Flounce.
He gave me free rein, even down to the choice of song – I picked ‘Riddle Me Thistle’ because it’s fantastic, and doesn’t seem to be about any one thing in particular. Will told me that he was trying not to get hung up over the words, when he wrote it, and wanted to let them come quickly. The result is catchy and fun, and in that same spirit I purposely chose not to get hung up over the images. They're not all perfect, but somehow that's the point.
Overhead arbori-culture
I started shooting in late February and early March. It wasn’t difficult to find the bags in trees. Unfortunately, Edinburgh seems to be full of them, and once you start looking you can’t stop seeing them.
The images are taken from all over Broughton, Princes Street Gardens, the West End and Roseburn. The worst area seemed to be McDonald Road, where every other tree had something in it. St Andrew Square was very bad, too, but that wasn’t surprising.
In the end I had 110 clips of bags in trees, and I’ve used 76 of them plus a pair of shoes and a burst balloon. I wanted to make a subtle environmental statement without forcing the issue, and this project may now lead to a related but larger one further down the line.
For now, though, the main focus is on getting some exposure for Will’s new album, which is great. Flounce is available to buy via http://williamgray.bandcamp.com/.
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@theSpurtle @allytibbitt love it!
This is great!
Sarah Martin There seems to be an epidemic. I've noticed an increasing amount of this sort of litter!
Harry Beale Collins one can buy postcards showing these Edinburgh attractions
'Riddle Me Thistle' mania! Must be because the thistle is the national emblem of Scotland?
Jess Ribbleswick @Jessrareblitz
Haha #lofi song meets even more lofi video :)
Hahaha you know an artist is onto something when fan videos start doing the rounds. Great tune. Nice one!
:)
Thanks so much Broughton Spurtle/Rhys Fullerton for getting my music to more people. A good cause too :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syMPhv5uBUE … @theSpurtle