IF YOU went down to the woods that day, you sure would have been surprised.
Kepler Ten, who are signed on to Wokingham’s White Star Records label, recently recorded their newest music video in a most unusual location.
The progressive rock band created the video for its latest single, Weaver, in Simon’s Wood in Finchampstead after the coronavirus pandemic scuppered their plans to film further afield.
“We’d been struggling to find a location that we were allowed to go to because of lockdown, and that would suit the video,” says Chris Hillman, co-founder of White Star Records.
“One day, I was walking through Simon’s Wood and thought, ‘This would be perfect’ so I suggested it to the team and we all grouped together to make the footage.”
Weaver is the second installment in a song ‘series’, following on from previous single Falling Down, as Kepler Ten explores its protagonist’s journey through a 70s psychedelic theme.
The song touches on themes of control and manipulation.
“Weaver is about how we perceive our everyday lives and how we are often working away for the benefit of others, unaware of the control they have over our behaviour,” says Steve Hales, Kepler Ten’s dummer.
“It is told lyrically through the story of a parasitic wasp preying upon a spider, and the video was originally going to feature plenty of insects.
“However, when the opportunity presented itself to continue the story that we’d begun in the Falling Down video, we couldn’t pass it up.”
Weaver is the latest single from Kepler Ten’s second album A New Kind of Sideways, which was released in November.
And while it’s been a long wait for fans, Chris Hillman says it’s been well worth it.
“A lot of people have been looking forward to the second album, but had to wait around three years or so,” Chris explained.
“It’s been brilliantly received, and we were quite stunned by it all.
“The reviews started appearing a couple of days beforehand and they’ve been exceptional.
“Some people are saying it’s the best progressive rock album of the year,” he added.
And reviews have been cropping up from around the world, including the United States, Germany, and The Netherlands.
Now, Chris says the band are itching to get back into live music after the pandemic scuppered live gigs across the globe.
“None of the tracks from the new album have ever been played live, so it’s going to be great when that can happen,” he says.
“Looking forward, with the new album out, the band will focus on that throughout most of next year but there may well be another video and we’re hoping to do some more live shows too.
“For now, we’re focusing on the album rather than the future, because that will come when the band is ready.”
To find out more about Kepler Ten and A New Kind of Sideways, visit: www.keplerten.com
To watch the music video for Weaver, visit: youtu.be/EHp_hiyrkxo