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About the Film
‘Keep the Home-Fires Burning’ aims to shine a light on the talented music scene in York - not to glorify the lives of the musicians, but to show the reality of gigging for a living.
Following York-based musicians on tour, it's a journey that will take us from York to Leeds, London and beyond as we explore artistic integrity, music vs money and soul vs success. Our cameras will take viewers from bustling bars and pubs to backstage at festivals, into BBC studios and behind-the-scenes for album recordings. We want to capture what makes the music scene in York so vibrant.
The music scene in York has undergone big transformations in the past few years. Small live venue Fibbers has been given a new lease of life after a huge redevelopment. The reopening of big venues such as York Barbican has been closely followed by the loss of some staple indie venues. Through these changes, the music scene in York has remained small but strong. Acoustic and open mic nights are regularly in full swing all over the city: Dusk; Habit; Bison Coffee; The Inkwell and in atmospheric pubs.
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We'll be hearing from many musicians in the film, but you can expect to see a lot from these particular singer-songwriters:
Boss Caine - "Stunning UK talent! Really something!" Bob Harris BBC Radio 2
Mark Wynn - “Like the early John Cooper Clarke or Mark E Smith, Mark Wynn has the potential for national treasure status twenty years down the line. And that's not something you'll hear me say often or lightly. “ Tom Robinson BBC 6 Music
Chris Helme - Former frontman of The Seahorses. “Echoing the fragility of Gram Parsons, while flirting with the rustic side of Neil Young” Uncut Magazine
David Ward Maclean - "Great stuff." Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull
Edwina Hayes - "Haunting honeyed solo songwriter." The Guardian
Tim Fox of Fox North Coalition - "music drenched with pathos, poignancy." Soundsphere Magazine.
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What We Need & What You Get
This is a non-profit project for all involved, but nonetheless we need a budget to make the film all it can be. £1000 will help to cover the following:
- Sound equipment rental/purchase. Sound is always important for any film, but when it's a documentary about musicians it goes to a whole other level. We really want the quality of recorded performances to be a treat for the eyes and the ears.
- Travel costs. To make an interesting documentary, we need to travel elsewhere in the UK as the musicians tour. We have plans to film in London, Leeds and numerous festivals and cities in the U.K.
We want our contributors to feel involved in the project, so we really hope our 'perks' get you excited! There are film credits, art cards, posters, t-shirts, digital albums, invites to the shoot and guest-list gig passes all up for grabs!*
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Other Ways You Can Help
Times are tough, so we completely understand if you're unable to contribute. However, if you're passionate about music and interested in the documentary, please spread the word! Here are some ways you can help:
- Tweet the campaign/share on Facebook! Getting the word out there as much as possible is SO important.
Thank you!
James (Director)
* We are unable to cover travel costs to the shoot.
