When April Comes (Acoustic) by Lake Poets

Filming live acoustic music is always an invitation to slow down and tune in—to create a quiet kind of film where music, setting, and atmosphere intertwine.

One of the most memorable examples of this was when I filmed The Lake Poets performing an acoustic version of “When April Comes” aboard the floating art installation ~Flow on the River Tyne.

This wasn’t a conventional stage or studio setting. ~Flow, designed by Owl Project and Ed Carter, was a floating tidal mill moored beside the Newcastle Quayside in 2012 as part of the Cultural Olympiad. Half sculpture, half musical machine, it converted the movement of the river into sound and energy. As an interactive space, it invited artists and the public alike to respond to the rhythms of the river—making it an ideal location for filming live acoustic music that responds directly to place and environment.

So when Martin Longstaff, known as The Lake Poets, stepped aboard with his acoustic guitar, the atmosphere was already charged with a sense of occasion. No lights, no audience, no soundcheck. Just a performer, a camera, a creaking timber structure, and the ebb and flow of the Tyne.

“When April Comes” is a song full of longing and reflection—its delicate lyrics and sparse arrangement perfectly suited the quiet intimacy of the setting. As he began to play, the ambient sounds of ~Flow—the subtle churn of the water, the groan of wood, and distant city noise—seeped into the performance, lending it a kind of unrepeatable realism that no studio could recreate.

From a filmmaking point of view, my job was simply to stay out of the way. I used a handheld camera, natural light, and a single take to preserve the performance’s authenticity. There’s something very special that happens when you don’t interrupt a musician mid-flow. The film becomes not a document of a performance, but part of the performance itself—one of the guiding principles behind filming live acoustic music in intimate settings.

What made this moment feel particularly significant was ~Flow’s role as a space for collaboration, curiosity, and creative unpredictability. Its very design encouraged spontaneous, site-responsive performances like this—where artists worked with their surroundings rather than against them. The video captures something fragile and fleeting: a musician alone in a kinetic sculpture, his voice echoing out into the water.

This kind of project sits right at the heart of my practice: filming live acoustic music that blends artistic expression with responsive documentary. I’m always drawn to places where music intersects with nature, where performances are not staged but discovered. As with many of my music films, the focus here was on creating something that feels lived-in and unpolished, but still cinematic.

I’ve followed Martin Longstaff’s work since this recording, and it’s been great to see how The Lake Poets has grown. From local gigs to wider recognition, his songwriting has always had a grounded, lyrical quality that connects deeply with audiences. Since then, he’s released critically acclaimed albums, performed at major festivals, and toured internationally. His track “Shipyards” gained national attention after being featured on the opening titles of the Netflix documentary series Sunderland ’Til I Die, introducing his voice to a global audience. He’s supported artists such as Jake Bugg, Ben Howard, and Lucy Rose, and his ability to tell personal, emotionally resonant stories through song has only deepened over time. This acoustic version of “When April Comes” now feels like a beautiful early snapshot of an artist on the rise—intimate, unguarded, and already quietly brilliant.

Projects like this also serve as a reminder that filming live acoustic music doesn’t require big production. With the right atmosphere, honesty, and connection to place, a simple acoustic song can be as moving as any arena show. And from a filmmaker’s perspective, capturing that kind of truth is always a privilege.

If you’re interested in more examples of filming live acoustic music, particularly those rooted in specific landscapes, creative communities, or heritage locations, you can find a selection of my music performance films here:

👉 alanfentiman.co.uk/vimeo-videos/music-films/

And if you’d like to know more about ~Flow or the wider Cultural Olympiad commissions along the River Tyne, it’s well worth exploring how art and environment came together in this unique floating venue.