London Grilling: Snowapple Collective - “A Moonless Night”lauching tonight at The Slaughtered Lamb

We caught up with artist Snowapple Collective. Known for their quirky, philosophical songs and poetry with a socio-cultural slant, they discusses their latest film and album project, “A Moonless Night” which is launching tonight at The Slaughtered Lamb, London.

You can book your tickets here.

What inspired the creation of "A Moonless Night"? 

The project was born out of a fascination with the moon. We are all mesmerized by its appearance and how it connects us all. Everybody is friends with the moon. Haven't you looked upon it on a lonely night? Did it bring you comfort? 

Can you tell us more about the themes explored in the show?

We are mainly interested in the relationship between light and darkness, the tension between them and how exploring our fears could bring us inspiration, and in the end, light.

We are using spoken word and soundscapes to strengthen the songs and the stories shared during the show.

How did the idea of combining a surrealist art film with a book of poetry come about?

We always work with musicians, poets, costume designers and other artists to create artworks, shows that talk to people's deepest emotions. In particular the poetry of the project was loved by our audience so we decided to dedicate its own book, and as most of us are musicians we absolutely wanted to press a vinyl. The Vinyl and CD have quite some tracks on it that won't appear on screening platforms. We want to keep a real relation with our audience. Please come and get it at one of our shows! 

What was the creative process like for developing the characters and the set?

 The poetry led to songs, and the songs led to theatre. Theatre led to images and symbols, but also we work with wilful actors who bring their quirky personalities to the mix. It's important to us to see every member of the group shine; especially on A Moonless Night.

How did the lockdown influence the production of "A Moonless Night"?

First of we were hungry for creation at that time, that was suddenly so different from the world as we new it. But we also began to question the relationship between our interior and anterior worlds, how we crave connection with others while trying to embrace the recurring theme of sticking tests up our nose every time a crew member began to sniffle.

Can you share some insights into the collaboration with the visual and performing artist Nora Tinholt and theatre director Eva Schumacher?

There is simply great chemistry between us. We all have completely different talents. Where Nora would see things in images and objects, Eva would think in text and character development. I would think in rhythms and melodies. Together we’re a three-headed creative monster! We don’t always agree but we all had the will to do something that speaks to the unconscious, to make people wonder, to make people smile.

What role does music play in the storytelling of "A Moonless Night"?

Our music builds context, or a home, for the story. Music is always important in film because it brings feeling and ambience, but we wanted to explore other possibilities and used a lot of spoken word and song to tell the character stories. It's a movie inspired by David Bowie, David Lynch, Fellini and Jacques Tati who all used music as a tool to make the story evolve. All trying to bend the rules, breaking norms.

In fact, making the music took up most of our time; while we wrote the script in a month and completed filming in ten days, we spent four years on the music. I was working in my studio in Amsterdam together with David Michael Ott in his tiny little cave in Los Angeles. During these years we got absolutely incredible musicians to play on the album like Vinnie Colaiuta, Curtis from Kool and the Gang, Ryan Porter, Matteo Cerboncini and Nicola Bruno.

How did the Snowapple Collective's focus on women's empowerment influence the project?

It's a female led project with three women directors - which is already three times more than most film productions

What challenges did you face during the production, and how did you overcome them?

Vacuum cleaning a black hole on a beach on a windy day was certainly one of them. 

What do you hope the audience takes away from "A Moonless Night"?

We hope to see you all on Saturday when we play the live show at the Slaughtered Lamb, and that we can lighten up that moonless night. We hope you leave the room with a melody, a word, a recording or a t-shirt that you can take home to brighten your own dark hours.

Showing tonight at The Slaughtered Lamb.

You can book your tickets here.