Bristol's Elder Island Stunning Tracks On Rave On For The Avon Film
Hello, Charlotte Sawyer Director of Rave On For The Avon here. In this blog I wanted to celebrate the gorgeous people of my favourite band Elder Island and their generosity in donating THREE tracks to my film.
Later on I'll share a sneak peak of the film's opening scene with you and the band's latest music video from their new album Snapshot which we made together. If you're Bristol-based then you're in luck as they're playing Friday 6th Nov! I've seen them twice already this year and will definitely be catching them again in Bristol. You can watch Rave On For The Avon on our website 💙✨🪩🎬🏞️🍿🦦
I went with the band to the river to talk abut their connection to our previous Avon and why they wanted to support the campaign. I asked them to...
Tell me about your connection to this river.
Luke “We’ve been in Bristol for a long time, and we’ve spent so much time in the river. We used to come back to this spot every summer, year after year, cycling down, swimming, jumping in, having fun. Even back then, trying not to get ill. It’s been part of our lives for over 15 years, and we want future generations to be able to enjoy the river in the same way we have.”
Dave "We’ve always been conscious that the river can make you ill. You know not to swallow the water, and you encourage people who are going in for the first time not to either. I always like to dive in, that’s part of the fun, but I did eventually get sick. Getting ill from river water is really not a pleasant experience.”
Why did you donate your music to this documentary?
Katy “The first time I saw the film, I wept all the way through it and probably the second time as well. There was so much emotion in it. I was full of pride seeing our music wrapped up in the story. It’s special. We think that the film is incredible and we're very proud to have been a part of it.”
Dave "It really felt like a match made in heaven. Charlotte loved the music and asked to use it, and we thought if we can gift our tracks to something that does good in the world, that’s just brilliant. We swim in rivers wherever we go, so supporting a documentary that raises awareness about how unclean our rivers are just made complete sense to us.”
Luke “Our music isn’t political, but it’s very emotive, and when it sits alongside something like this film, it really helps carry that feeling and connect people to the issue. There are a lot of water themes in our music. There are songs about water, about bodies, about movement it all sneaks in. It’s evocative music, and when it’s placed alongside the film, it just feels like it belongs there.”
Why is joy and creativity such an important part of the fight to protect our rivers?
Katy “You have to put positivity into these conversations. You’re not going to promote change unless there’s a positive note in there, and river swimming is just joyful.
I couldn’t believe that the Katy, Dave and Luke of Elder Island donated so much of their gorgeous music to the film. It genuinely felt like they had created these tracks for me and for this story. Their song “We Are Water” opens the documentary, playing over cinematic, immersive shots of people swimming in the Bristol Avon, jumping in, smiling, laughing, completely at ease in the river.
Here's a sneak peak
That track sets the tone for what the film is really about. Sewage pollution is the problem, but it isn’t the heart of the film. At its core, the film is about our connection to rivers in the modern world, and how deeply personal that relationship can be.
Dave, Katy and Luke’s sound feels unmistakably Bristol, and their music is deeply loved here. It makes it even more exciting that they have new music out. It feels like a continuation of the same joy, emotion and sense of place that runs through the film.
Back to my questions...
What change do you want to happen?
Katy: “First and foremost, it’s about awareness, and that’s exactly what this film is doing. It’s not an easy thing, but if more people understand what’s happening to our rivers, that in itself is a huge step forward.”
Luke: “For me, it’s about accountability. It doesn’t feel like, as a country, we’re holding the big water companies accountable for dumping sewage in the first place. This isn’t just about one river - rivers all over the country need serious cleaning up, and people need to see that.”
Tell me about the new music you have out this year.
Katy: The new music is really playful and joyous. It was important to us that in uncertain times we put something out that feels immersive and uplifting. Something that can take you out of a lull or a sense of monotony. Our newest single is about just that. We had so much fun making the record, we hope that comes through, joy feels like something people really
need right now.”
Here is a music video we made of their incredible song Snapshot on their new album.
We had so much fun making it and I can tell you...it's even better live 💙✨🪩
Check out this spotify playlist for the rest of the film's soundtrack, donated by so many incredible artists
And check out the film's trailer here which unspurisingly features an Elder Island track!
To find out how you can join in the many things going on to protect our precious River please check out Surfers Against Sewage and We Are Avon who are among the many fighting to protect our gorgeous rivers.
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