Crook Decker
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Crook Decker is a music project created by Jude Lilley and Sonny (with help from their peers) in 2020.
What started as a lockdown diversion about a lonesome swamp dweller, matured over five years into a deeper passion project. For Jude, it was a chance to explore his fascination with beats and samples, while Sonny found the space to produce within a singer-songwriter framework. It was behind an Old Kent Road maisonette, where the terrace walls were thin and the air heavy, that Crook Decker came to life.
In Crook’s urban swamp, alligators stalk prey beneath Bermondsey gutters. Anacondas are hunted for trophies. Witchy locals trade in bone broth and fish hooks, blackmailing and bargaining in equal measure. Some days (but not often), Crook longs for home—wherever that may be. Most days, he revels in paradise, reflecting on the strange beauty around him, where skyscraper lights morph into reptilian eyes and fireflies shimmer into the stars. Each day, he tries to step forward, hoping to live a life without a backwards glance.
“Ignorance is bliss” is the mantra in this story, but only goes an inch deep - as closed eyes won’t see the light.
In their ongoing development of Crook Decker, Jude and Sonny, alongside Ben Garcia Hughes - directing under Lurch, Lily Campbell and head of Full Power Records, Oscar Lane, are collaborating to create a short film. This project will serve to both tell the story behind Crook Decker and to vividly showcase the captivating world of their music through a visual medium.
With the support of music labels 'All My Thoughts' and 'Full Power Records' this film aims to be a visual and auditory experience, a deeper dive into Crook Decker's universe.
To bring this film to life and to tell Crooks story, we envision hosting a series of fundraising gigs. These events will hopefully generate crucial funds for the production of our film. However, securing suitable venue spaces in London comes with its own set of costs and to make this vision a reality, we need your support.
Unlike some projects with institutional backing, our process has been rooted in the DIY spirit, relying on the incredible generosity and talent of our friends and family. This independent approach allows for authentic storytelling, but it also means we face unique financial hurdles.
We know many of you share our passion for supporting independent projects. That's why we're asking for your help in funding our venue rental for crucial fundraising events. Your generous contributions, large or small, will directly enable us to move forward and ultimately create this film.
We are looking to initially raise £1700 to cover the rental hire of three local venues for upcoming gigs. The first event on the 13th June, the second, 12th July and ending the summer with a final show on the 29th August.
Any extra cash will be directly funnelled back into the films development as we estimate needing around £4000 to complete the project. The majority of that money we are hoping to raise from the three gigs - but if we exceed the £1700 goal, any extra will be used to support the film. Any donation made will also include an invitation to the film's initial screening.
Your contribution to this film isn't just about helping us finish a project; it's about investing in the power of independent art (woo!)
Thank you if you made it this far and read our lil manifesto - this is a project we all feel super passionately about and have loved the chance to all work together to hopefully create something super exciting.
xxx
Our List of current collaborators:
Daisy Martin
Hunter Jenkins
Adele Phillips
Tom Kellett
& anyone else who wants to jump on the raft!
Examples of Ben's work:
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Crook Decker
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