If your mom ever told you not to play with your food, the London Vegetable Orchestra would like a word. Playing with food is pretty much its job. And Chipotle has given the group a reason to take the produce somewhere other than the kitchen: Abbey Road Studios.
Yes, the burrito chain has teamed up with Beacon Street Studios and the London Vegetable Orchestra to create an original song using instruments made entirely from vegetables. Folks, meet “From Ground to Sound.” Before you ask, no, it is not a recording of someone chopping onions over a beat.
We are talking about corn flutes, jalapeño trumpets, lettuce percussion, and an onion bass. There’s also a horn made from peppers and an avocado pit. These are ingredients found in Chipotle restaurants, though I imagine asking for your jalapeños in trumpet form would confuse the person assembling your lunch.
The London Vegetable Orchestra’s five classically trained musicians performed the track in Abbey Road’s Studio Two. Beacon Street Studios created the composition, with creative direction from advertising agency KIDS.
Getting vegetables ready for a recording session took three months of experimentation. The challenge wasn’t merely drilling a hole and hoping something musical came out. Changes in moisture, shape, and texture affect the sound, and even similarly carved vegetables can behave differently.
Then there’s the shelf life. The instruments need to be at peak ripeness and remain usable for less than a day. Assembly, tuning, rehearsal, and recording all had to happen within that window. A musician worrying about an instrument going off is an unusual studio problem, but here we are.
A snippet appeared in Chipotle’s 100 Creators campaign in August, and the music will feature in selected future campaigns. You can hear the track on Spotify and Apple Music, or watch the “From Ground to Sound” film.
Images: Chipotle/London Vegetable Orchestra.