A WINSFORD couple have released a music video – three years in the making – to celebrate the birth of their child.

Winsford folk collective Hanami Family released Higher Lover last week, in association with Kent based Smugglers Records and the French collective Celebrations Days Records.

The video features stop motion, hand felted puppetry, mixed with live footage of founding members Keeley Cheswick and John Wilson.

Keeley said the pair wanted to do something special to commemorate their first child.

The song and video are based on the themes of celebrating love, life, growth and change.

Through animation and real life, the video shows the journey through pregnancy.

The couple shared an emotional moment when they recently watched the completed version with their daughter Pip, who is three in August.

Keeley, 30, said: “I welled up a little bit. Our little girl was squealing with excitement, she couldn’t believe it when she popped out of the flower.

“She really loved it. We’re just made up that it’s come together so well over such an amount of time.

"It’s amazing that it’s pieced together and come off.”

The animation took more than 18 months to create and was undertaken by a small team in Bristol, guided by Elizabeth Johnson and Katie Hood.

The video also features artwork by Winsford artist and friend of the band Lucy Yearsley.

“It’s a dream come true,” John said. “It’s taken more than three years to come together, but it’s been well worth the wait.”

Elizabeth, who is originally from Winsford, said: “It was a really lovely opportunity to collaborate with friends, it’s what made this project really special.

“Stop motion animation can be a long process, but when you get to work with wonderful and talented people it makes the effort so worthwhile.”

Hanami Family are currently preparing to record their second album this summer.

Their debut album, Philo Melos, was released in 2013 through Smugglers Records.

The group will also be performing at The Red Lion in Winsford this Sunday, June 2, and are looking to take more bookings throughout the year.