Mogwai Exist in the Space Between Light and Dark in 'If the Stars Had a Sound' Documentary Trailer

The first trailer For If the stars had a sound, the upcoming documentary about Scottish band Mogwai, is shrouded in a feeling somewhere between serenity and unease. The documentary – which will premiere at South by Southwest in March – originally began as a short film about coming out of Scotland but, over time, has evolved into an examination of how Mogwai reflects the same dichotomy between light and dark like their country of origin.

“Scotland is a country of binaries. You see them everywhere. You go to Glasgow, it's Celtics or Rangers. West End or East End. And then there's Glasgow or Edinburgh,” says the preview voice, setting the scene by comparing the country to Jekyll and Hyde or Cain and Abel. “Then you have the Scots who are very reserved, quiet and shy. And you've got the Scots, when you get them a drink, they're just wild revelers.'

And he continues: “And all this is contained in the culture that comes out of this country. You see it in art, you see it in storytelling, and you see it in music. I think Mogwai is the best example of that – that dual nature. Conflicting sides of human nature. Light and dark are always there, clashing and bouncing off each other in Mogwai's music.”

The band celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2020, which is when the documentary began to take shape, as Mogwai recorded their final studio album while in lockdown during the pandemic. Shot and directed by longtime collaborator Antony Crook, If the stars had a sound chronicles the rise of Mogwai from their early beginnings to their establishment as a post-rock cult staple.

“We're incredibly excited for people to see Antony's film If the Stars Had a Sound,” Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite shared in a statement. “It originally started as a short film about leaving Scotland to record in upstate New York in early 2020, but when the pandemic happened, everything changed. Both we and Antony stuck with the record and film throughout the pandemic with the film growing throughout. Antony's film tells the story of how we all came out the other side. I think he made something really special.”

The documentary features archival footage captured over the last two and a half decades of the band, including the recording process for As Love Goes Onarriving in 2021. The film's synopsis reads: “Over 25 years and 10 studio albums—using raw sonic power combined with subtlety and grace—Mogwai have defined their own musical genre and built a loyal following by staying true to their sound them and loyal to their roots”.