Kaysha Louvain - Trouble out 10/02/23

Kaysha Louvain is an award-winning songwriter and BBC Radio Wales A-Lister based in South Wales, UK. Having learned her craft for over a decade playing and writing with various musicians and bands, Kaysha has developed her unique sound into what it is today.

Drawing heavily on her Welsh roots, love of 80s and 90s Pop/Rock and the honesty and delivery of country music. Through her experiences and influences Kaysha has created a sound that is uniquely hers, not pressured into fitting into a certain box, Kaysha takes her influences and writes from the heart. Her music has been compared to the likes of Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks and KD Lang.

Her debut album ‘The Song Goes On’ was a hugely successful debut with two Welsh a-list spots on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Introducing, a Radio WigWam nomination, song of the year on Indie Top 39 and a song of the year on Glacer FM.      
      

https://soundcloud.com/deadmethod/babylon

Dead Method returns with their hotly anticipated new track Babylon, an assertive alternative pop anthem for outcasts and outsiders searching for their tribe. Taking influence from PC Music without falling back on cliche, the track was produced by Minas who has worked with Dan Betteridge, Tierny & Local to name a few.
The track is taken from Dead Method’s upcoming debut album Queer Genesis, which will release in September, 2020. The album is a celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and middle finger to oppression.

They say: “Babylon depicts a great exodus of queer people who have fled their home to find solace and family elsewhere. Drawing from my experience with a previous lover who was flown back to his home country when his family found out he was bisexual only to return as a “heterosexual” with an arranged marriage.

It was also influenced by the experiences of several of my friends who were unable to return to their home countries as they would not be safe. It’s about finding your true family and how members of the LGBTQ+ community get to pick their family despite our troubled circumstances.

Babylon is self-acceptance and finding a home outside of what society told you the concept of home is.” Babylon will be released on all digital stores on 26/06/2020  

For more information on Dead Method:  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeadMethodUk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeadMethod/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deadmethod/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3B3cVlhfVXbKGC5YXlmUCn

Conformist  is back with a new remix of  Radio Europa' s ' Something Beautiful'  featuring vocals by  Gwenllian Anthony  of Adwaith. Out on 31st of July it's the first new material from Conformist this year and a teaser of more to come with his forthcoming third album slated for release in late 2020.

Conformist is the moniker of Cardiff's Michael Simmons, he takes Radio Europa's 'Something Beautiful' from last year's acclaimed " Community is Revolution " album and gave it fresh spin, with an intricate palette of synths, strings, cut up vocal samples and spluttering beats, he shows off his inventive talent to craft insidious sound experiences.

Conformist says:

" Community Is Revolution" by Radio Europa was one of my go-to albums from last year, its themes and the narratives referenced within the album spoke volumes to myself and continue to do so as we meander through these dark times, so when the opportunity to remix a track from this album came up i was all over it. Plus getting the opportunity to work on Gwenllians' excellent vocal contribution was too good an opportunity to pass on; Adwaith are, simply put, the best Welsh band in years. Hopefully this release is a catalyst for more Conformist releases, beginning with album number three in the Autumn."

Radio Europa say:

AmeriCymru: Hi John and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. Care to tell us a little about your new (forthcoming) single 'There's a hole in my heart (an area the size of Wales)'?

John: Hey, its what I thought was a breakup song, but it turns out that the main character is speaking from the grave, but it is still probably a break up song.

A meriCymru: Will there be a new album forthcoming soon?

John: Hopefully, yes. Though as much as I love the form I have been told that it isn't the best vehicle to promote an artist work anymore.

AmeriCymru: We learn from a recent press release that your 'most recent album “The Fen Sessions” was written and released over a weekend and then deleted on the Monday.' Why? Are there any plans to resurrect it?

John: It was a conceptual idea that I had. I wanted to see how many people pay attention to my social media, as that was the main vehicle of promotion prior to and during the sessions. I also like to challenge the creative process and force myself into producing material. I think consumers of music expect the music always to be available and to be free, so I was questioning this concept. One thing I didn't expect to come from the sessions was that many of the people who downloaded the songs actually ended up paying for them. I think this was because they had invested in the process, some of them followed it throughout the weekend, and maybe limiting the release availability gave the album some monetary value.

AmeriCymru: After your 2014 album 'The Death of.....', John Mouse went away for a while. Why was this and why did he return?

John: I had had enough about not reaching a larger audience. I sort of gave up. Now, I'm liberated by this fact and so do what I want knowing that no-one really cares.

AmeriCymru: The track 'Happy I am Not' from 'The Death of John Mouse' seems to sum up the album and is a personal favourite of mine. Care to tell us a little more about the song?

John: That is an oldie! Right, so I mashed up Heaven Knows I'm miserable now, by the Smiths, Lets move to the country, by Smog and Considering a move to Memphis by The Colourblind James Experience. Just have a listen to those three songs and you'll understand Unhappy a little more.

AmeriCymru: Another intriguing track from 'Death of....' is 'Ilka Moor'. Punk versions of old standards are not unheard of, 'The Dickies', 'Banana Splits' and 'Eve of Destruction' spring to mind, but why 'Ilka Moor'?

John: I had this old folk song book and the lyrics for Ilka Moor really stood out. It's so bizzare, eating your mate, turns out it's about sexual disease though.

AmeriCymru: What is your creative process? Do your lyrics simply come to you fully formed or do you work for days/weeks carefully polishing them to perfection?

John: I do a lot of pre-editing, inhaling, before I write the words. I don't really change them much, sometimes move some sentences around so that they rhyme or that the words rhythmically fit.

AmeriCymru: How would you caharacterize your writing and recording process in general? How closely do you collaborate with the other musicians on arrangements etc?

John: It just depends. Sometimes I write by myself and tell people I work with what I'd like to achieve on the instruments I can't play. Sometimes I just let them write the song, for example this new one is written entirely by Phil.

AmeriCymru: What music are you currently listening to? Are there any artists you would claim as an inspiration?

John: New music that I am listening to include Fontains DC, John Maus (I know), Yak, Beak, King Gizzard and the Lizzard Wizzard, but I'll always go back to albums by Bill Callahan and anything Arab Strap related.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

John: Thanks for reading, and please do spread the word.

‘There you will find them, tucked away in between The Stooges ‘Fun House’ and John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band the KEYS, the band you never knew you needed until they changed your life.

Over four Albums, Eps and countless Singles during this millennium the KEYS have become a mythical presence on the Welsh musical landscape. The timeless quality of the band’s music, touches on the wide eyed wonder and boundless possibilities of the sixties pop song, West Coast harmonies, Motown backbeat and the aggression of post 1968 proto-punk, sets them apart as true believers in the communion of Rock and Roll. KEYS are very much a band for the here and now, shaping music from the moon dust of the past into a re-imagined future that is all theirs for the taking.’ – Libertino Records ‘Black and White’ is the confident and bold return of the KEYS. The single was recorded during the productive two days session for the band’s new album in Miner’s Welfare club, lost in the Neath Valley.

Matt Evens, the band’s singer and songwriter, explains the background and the writing process of ‘Black and White’: “I wrote it while playing the drums on my own one morning. I was trying to write a modern-day nursery rhyme so it’s kept really simple. Then it went through the KEYS machine and came out all reverb guitars and maracas. It starts off Scout Niblett and ends up all Stooges with some Ron Asheton-style wah-wah thrown into the mix. It’s still a very sparse arrangement though which is the point. The lyric comes from something a photographer said to us once “Don’t worry, they’ll look alright in Black and White”; Gwion (Lead Guitar) used to quote it all the time in a jokey way so it ended up finding a melody.”

Fe wnewch chi ffeindio’r KEYS, rhwng The Stooges ‘Fun House’ a John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band - KEYS, y band sydd ei angen ar bawb.

Ers rhyddhau pedair albym, sawl EP a sawl sengl yn ystod y mileniwm diwetha, mae’r KEYS wedi bod yn bresenoldeb chwedlonol yn nhirwedd cerddorol Cymru. Mae ansawdd bytholwyrdd cerddoriaeth y band yn cyffwrdd â rhyfeddod diderfyn caneuon pop y chwedegau, harmonïau West Coast a Motown backbeat gydag ymosodiad porto-pync 1968, sy’n eu gosod arwahan fel credinwyr cryf Rock n Roll. Mae’r KEYS yn fand cyfoes, yn siapio cerddoriaeth o lwch lleuad y gorffennol i ddyfodol dychmygus, disglair.

Mae’r KEYS yn ôl gyda’r sengl hyderus a chadarn ‘Black and White’. Recordiwyd y sengl yn Miner's Welfare Club, Cwm Nêdd yn ystod sesiwn dau ddiwrnod o recordio eu halbym newydd. Esbonia Matt Evans, canwr a chyfansoddwr y band, y stori sy’n perthyn i ‘Black and White’:

“Ysgrifennais y gân wrth chwarae’r drymiau ar ben fy hun un bore. Fe driais i ysgrifennu hwiangerdd fodern, felly cadwyd y gân yn syml. Yna, aeth y gân trwy beiriant KEYS ac allan daeth reverb gitars a maracas.

Scout Niblett yw’r dechrau a'r Stooges yw’r diwedd gyda ychydig o steil Ron Asheton-wah-wah-aidd wedi’i daflu i’r gymysgedd. Mae’r geiriau yn dod o rhywbeth ddywedodd ffotograffydd wrthon ni unwaith “Peidiwch â phoeni, bydd e’n edrych yn iawn mewn du a gwyn”; Roedd Gwion (gitar flaen) yn arfer dyfynnu’r linell drwy’r amser mewn ffordd bryfoclyd, felly roedd rhaid rhoi’r dyfyniad hwn i mewn i’r gân.”

AmeriCymru: Hi Gwyndaf and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. What can you tell us about your forthcoming album 'Songs My Mother Taught Me'?

Gwyndaf: This new album that I have just recorded has been something I have wanted to do for a few years now. I wanted to record works from people that i enjoyed listening to as I grew into who I am today.

AmeriCymru: When did you first realise that you had been gifted with an extraordinary voice? At what point did you decide to become a singer?

Gwyndaf: I was very fortunate to have been born into a wonderfully diverse musical family. My mother was an operatic contralto who opened my ears and soul to the wonderful world of Italian opera. It was perfect for me... I love drama on the stage but not in my real life. It is fantastic for me to suffer and battle and even die on stage and then go home to my fantastically normal life with my beautiful wife and daughter.

My father introduced me to Jazz and sacred music. He also brought amazing words of the Welsh Greats. This absolutely helped realize that words matter so much. Even to shape the phrasing in a musical score.

My grandparents brought the wonderful music of the 1920s to the 50s to my life.

Friends that showed me that we are all so different emotionally. We choose music for different reasons and why it touches our heart. Mostly from our culture, belief system and upbringing and life experiences. Especially suffering and love.

My wife and daughter are two of the greatest reasons why I continue to sing professionally. It is a hard life. Without a family it is also very lonely. From the day I met and began living with the love of my life, my professional life has been made much easier. Her support is shockingly strong. We created a beautiful child from our love. She will also be an artist. She oozes that wonderful artistry that is so wonderful to witness.

To answer your question of when i realized i had a gift of an extraordinary voice... Well I do not see or hear it. As a Welsh artist we are very critical of our voices and every step of the entire process.

Thank God that some people think I have a gift that is good enough to make a living. My wife is the greatest driving force in slowly lifting that insecurity from me. Maybe one day I will hear what others hear in me.

AmeriCymru: How would you describe your current repertoire?

Gwyndaf: My current repertoire is exactly what I love to do. A bit of everything that I like to think that I can do well, which is to sing and connect with an audience.

It is so wonderful to enjoy myself on a stage or a studio and have a person of any age come up to me and say that I had really touched them that evening.

Mainly older women. I love to sing songs from their youth. Somehow I understand that time better than today's.

AmeriCymru:  What is your proudest achievement or moment? Is there any one performance, tour or album in your career that stands out for you?

Gwyndaf:  My proudest achievement career wise will always be when my father got to see and hear me perform the lead in Il Trovatore before he died. I played along side my teacher from the age of 8 years old. He was so proud. I felt it was and still is the greatest performance of my life. It was a magical night. I will carry it in my heart forever.

My greatest recording is this one that I have just finished called Songs My Mother Taught Me. We can all relate to that term. Mothers have always taught us songs. It is my tribute to great composers, singers, musicians and all the lovely people who have shared their music with me over the past 49 years.

I hope to have it manufactured and on the market in the new year.

AmeriCymru:  Where can people go online to hear/buy your music?

Gwyndaf:  My website can be found at welshtenor.ca .

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?

Gwyndaf:  I hope that all the Welsh people world wide realize, cherish and share their God given gifts with anyone who is willing to listen. I know that it builds and creates wonderful artistry in so many people.

I can only say thank you to everyone that have shared their gifts with me. It helped make me the man and artist that I am today.

Singing is healthy. It connects all of us. No matter what language. Mind you Welsh is by far the best.

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

And the winner is..... Dave Klein. Dave will be informed via email and his tickets will be available at 'will call' on the night. For those who entered but did not win, don't despair!! You can take advantage of DCINY's extremely generous 20% discount offer for AmeriCymru readers. The code is DCG30382 and it can be used online, over the phone, or in person at Carnegie Hall. Don't miss this prestigious annual event BOOK NOW!

"Sir Karl Jenkins is the most performed living composer in the world."

We are offering these tickets as a QUIZ PRIZE on Americymru!

Just answer the three easy quiz questions below ( answers can all be found on Wikipedia ) and send them to us at americymru@gmail.com ( all email addresses will be deleted when the competition closes ). We'll throw all the entries in a hat and pick the winner! Please email us by Monday, January 14th, 2019 no later than 9 PM ( Pacific Time ). Tickets will be ready at will call on 1/21 at the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall; the winner will just need to bring a photo ID.

Only one entry per email address is permitted. Duplicates will be disqualified. You do not need to be an AmeriCymru member or logged into the site in order to enter this competition.

If you don't win the competition, please do not despair. DCINY is very kindly offering a 30% discount code for AmeriCymru readers. The code is DCG30382 and it can be used online, over the phone, or in person at Carnegie Hall

Karl Jenkins Quiz

1. Which famous jazz-rock fusion band was Karl Jenkins a member of in the 70's?
2. Which of Jenkins' works was listed as No. 1 in Classic FM's "Top 10 by living composers"?
3. Where was Karl Jenkins born?

The Music of Sir Karl Jenkins: A 75th Birthday Celebration

Monday, January 21, 2019 at 7:00 PM
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall

DCINY presents the US premiere of Welsh composer and DCINY’s composer-in-residence Sir Karl Jenkins’s Symphonic Adiemus as well as Jenkins’s Stabat Mater. Maestro Jonathan Griffithleads the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International in a celebration of Sir Karl Jenkins’s 75th birthday.

Performers

Jonathan Griffith, Conductor
Baidar Al Basri, Ethnic Soloist
Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International

Program

All-Sir Karl Jenkins Program
Symphonic Adiemus (US Premiere)
Stabat Mater

Tickets $20-$100!
On Sale Now!

Visit CarnegieHall.org or call 212-247-7800

Box Office: 57th Street and Seventh Avenue

Ticket Link: https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2019/01/21/the-music-of-sir-karl-jenkins-0700pm

..