Niall Trask brings a vintage feel, and a hint of a nautical ghost story, in his atmospheric video for Nadine Shah's Trad. 

Shah plays the captain and sole crew of a vessel at sea - who is also evidently a bride. And it turns out she is not alone. The abstract imagery has a hint of a narrative, just enough to tease viewers into their own readings of the concept, but it's very much open to interpretation. 

DoP Rob Jarvis brings a gritty and textured style to the aesthetic, paying homage to vintage cinema with the film stock and traditional lighting setups. 

Deeply visceral in a somewhat understated way, the haunting concept and isolated location help elevate the sense of drama and mystery, highlighting Trask's skill in building suspense through character.

NIALL TRASK:

Most of the budget was spent on film stock and we had a chance to experiment.

"I've been a big fan of Nadine for a long time, since being sent Evil and pitching on that. Fast forward three years and I found myself on a boat off the coast of Ramsgate with Nadine Shah, surrounded by seals.

"Frankly, most of the budget was spent on film stock and we had a chance to experiment. I'm a big fan of Jonathan Miller's M.R. James adaptations, and I'd like to think that's apparent in the imagery. Although to be totally honest, the black and white, 16mm, nautical subject matter has had a lot of people I've shown the video to say: 'have you seen Bait?'. Yes I have, and Mark Jenkin is a genius.

"I can't speak highly enough of Rob Jarvis, the DP. This is my fifth job with him in three months, with every shoot being very different. I feel like it's the most I've learnt in a long time and that's the most valuable thing about the lower budget music videos!

"Special thanks for Lowkey and Matt Cummins too for pulling this one off..."