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The winner of our free ticket competition has been drawn and announced. For the rest of us there is a discount code in the blog post below AND the opportunity to watch the concert streamed live on Facebook
"Sir Karl Jenkins is the most performed living composer in the world."
We are extremely pleased and proud to announce that Distinguished Concerts International have made available a pair of tickets for the forthcoming Karl Jenkins concert in New York at the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall on Monday, January 15th, 2018. The program includes Sing! The Music was Given , a new work commissioned for DCINY’s 10th Anniversary, and The Armed Man , which is presented with film. Read our (2010) interview with Karl Jenkins here
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 Tuesday, January 10th, 2018 no later than 9 PM ( Pacific Time ). Tickets will be ready at will call on 1/15 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 DCC27599 and it can be used online, over the phone, or in person at Carnegie Hall
Karl Jenkins Quiz
- What are Karl Jenkins middle names?
- When is Karl's birthday and what year was he born?
- At which Welsh university did Karl study music?
MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2018 at 7:00 PM
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall
The Music of Sir Karl Jenkins: A DCINY Tenth Anniversary Celebration
DCINY honors UK composer Sir Karl Jenkins with an evening comprised of both new and lauded compositions by the honoree. The program includes Sing! The Music was Given , a new work commissioned for DCINY’s 10th Anniversary, and The Armed Man , which is presented with film. The performance is conducted by Jonathan Griffith , DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, and features Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International.
PROGRAM
ALL-KARL JENKINS PROGRAM
KARL JENKINS: The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace (with film)
KARL JENKINS - Sing! The Music was Given (New Work Premiere; Commissioned by DCINY Premiere Project)
PERFORMERS
Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor
Sir Karl Jenkins, DCINY Composer-in-Residence
Featuring Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Tickets $20-$100!
On Sale Now!
Visit CarnegieHall.org or call 212-247-7800
Box Office: 57th Street and Seventh Avenue
Senior and Student Discounts Available at the Box Office with ID
For Group Tickets, VIP Packages, Discounts, and More, e-mail boxoffice@DCINY.org
Ticket Link: The Music Of Karl Jenkins
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Hoult has the rare knack of sounding both dreamy and sharp at the same time. This, married with vital yet wistful song-writing, concocts his imaginative brand of guitar pop. ‘Pharmacy’ builds from an affecting intimacy into a song with a grand scale: possessing folk-tinged anthemic choruses reminiscent of Bombay Bicycle club and Frightened Rabbit and rippling with personal lyrics that tap into wider themes: “Pharmacy summarises the feeling of frustration when you cannot help someone you care about.” Says Hoult “Darker themes run through the veins of this track, yet the energetic and cheerful instrumentation represent the mask a lot of people wear on a daily basis.”
Hoult better known as Sam Fowke is a singer-songwriter / producer from Gloucester, now based in Cardiff. Sam likes fine jumpers and long walks on the beach. He released one single entitled 'Red Handed’ under his own name last year, it quickly racked up over 7000 plays. He now returns under the new moniker Hoult with his most affecting and ambitious song yet.
Links:
Fast rising Carmarthen based female trio Adwaith unveil their brilliant new double A-side single 'Lipstick Coch' and 'FEMME' this summer. Vividly depicting their knack for melody and sound and their ability to create a direct emotional connection with the listener. Adwaith’s brand new double A-side single heralds a beginning of a new sound for the band. Whereas previously the band painted sounds with a palette of muted sombre colours Lipstick Coch and FEMME explode with bright confident neon.
'Lipstick Coch (Red Lipstick)' is a fully charged post punk anthem in the vain of The Slits at their most immediate, an anthem celebrating youth, androgyny and love.The flipside 'FEMME' on the other hand could quite easily have been a long lost single on Postcard Records or Cherry Red Records from the mid-80s. With its jangly C86 indie pop sound as a canvas to the witty, heartfelt lyrics Adwaith discuss femininity and the sexism experienced by them as young women. This is an inspirational song from an inspirational band willing to stand up for their beliefs.
These songs are brave, creative moves both musically and lyrically for the band, yet they retain the distinctive melodic gift that is so recognisable in all Adwaith’s songs. A gift that has gained the band fast critical acclaim and extensive radio plays, most noticeably on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio Cymru and Amazing Radio.
The release of the singles come hot on the heels of Adwaith’s Maida Vale recording session for Huw Stephens in these legendary BBC studios. Their summer is full of activity including a live set on the BBC Introducing Stage at FOCUS Wales festival broadcast live on Adam Walton’s BBC Radio Wales show.
Adwaith were introduced on the BBC Introducing stage at Latitude festival as the most exciting band from Wales in decades and will finish the summer on the Gorwelion /Horizons stage at Festival No 6. In the middle of all this activity, Adwaith have managed to record their debut album, and their label Libertino believe its 'creatively ground breaking and will stand as one of the important albums from Wales alongside the works of Gorky Zygotic Mynci, Super Furry Animals and Gwenno.'
Ani: ‘Ffrwydrad Tawel’ is named after one of Wales’ leading contemporary artists Ivor Davies' major exhibition Silent Explosion/Ffrwydrad Tawel held at National Museum Cardiff in 2016. Ivor's use of colours and the Welsh language to express international dilemmas and frustrations really resonated with me and his work, not only visually, really inspired me. I had spent a few lost years in London and eventually returned home to Wales – the songs are about this journey and of the time spent reconnecting with my language and culture.
AmeriCymru: I wanted to ask you about some of the tracks on the E.P. starting with the first 'Y Newid'. This includes the lyric line:- "change happens underground when you're digging in the dark" and features a vocal sample from Ray Davies' 2014 speech at the Yes Cymru rally. What, for you are the political and personal dimensions of this track?
Ani: I wrote this song as a tribute to Ray who was a peace campaigner, activist and a devoted member of Côr Cochion Caerdydd (Cardiff’s socialist street choir which my Mum is also a member of). The lyric you referenced refers to Ray's experiences of working down the mines as a boy, of his introduction to the unions and subsequent lifelong fight for workers rights. Having known Ray my entire life and learning of his past, it demonstrated to me how it’s possible for the worst in life to shape you in a positive way. For me, the boundary between personal and political is blurry, that is, if it exists at all.
AmeriCymru: 'Dal i Droi' (Another Day) Clearly an intensely personal track. I guess everyone who leaves Wales experiences hiraeth at some point. Is that the driving force behind this song?
Ani: This song is about the loss of a loved one, but also symbolises loss in every sense of the word; a yearning for a time gone by. The concept of time is a reoccurring theme in my work - that notion of knowing and eventually accepting that it's something we can't control.
AmeriCymru: What does 'Cariad Cudd' (A City Sleeps) suggest about modern day Cardiff and its past?
Ani: When I moved back to Cardiff I became very interested in its past. Like many post-industrial cities, it represents a place and a people neglected by the powers that be. Cardiff’s Tiger Bay was often described as a cultural melting pot and although this area was demolished in the 60s to make way for redevelopment, you can still just about hear the echoes of her colourful past rattling around between the walls of the last few remaining old buildings.
Cardiff has changed a lot over the past few years - it certainly seems more vibrant and exciting and, dare I say, more cosmopolitan. There does appear to be an increasing amount of inward investment, a lot of positive developments but some questionable ones too. For example, the musical heart of the city is Womanby Street, one of the oldest streets in Cardiff which houses most of our small venues. It has recently come under threat due to noise complaints and new development proposals for hotels and residential dwellings and, if pushed through, will more than likely mean these venues will eventually have to close. Having lost most of the pubs and clubs in the Bay, we don’t want this to happen to Womanby Street as it would be a loss for the whole city. So we're up for the fight!
AmeriCymru: I know this question has probably been asked many times before but how responsive are largely English speaking audiences to Welsh songs and lyrics in the UK today?
Ani: Strangely enough, I’ve played far fewer gigs with only Welsh language bands on the bill. I suppose there’s an added element of curiosity with English speaking audiences but generally speaking and from my experience there isn’t much difference. I often think that audiences are underestimated, we’re far more open to new or different things than we give ourselves credit.
AmeriCymru: Where can our readers go to purchase "Ffrwydrad Tawel" online?
Ani: It will be available to buy on 21 April from www.recordiauneb.com
AmeriCymru: Care to tell us more about the release party at the Clwb Ifor Bach?
Ani: For homegrown bands, Clwb Ifor is the place you want to play. It’s seen as a milestone - our very own Wembley (albeit much much smaller!) so I’m looking forward to playing there again. Dyl Goch, who directed my video for Y Ddawns, will be providing live visuals, electronic artists Twinfield will be supporting so all in all it’s promising to be an exciting night. I’m really looking forward to it!
AmeriCymru: Any plans to visit/perform in the USA?
Ani: I was fortunate enough to spend some time in New York last year and it was so fantastic. It really was a one of those life-altering experiences; the scale of the place, the wealth of culture and mix of people was just mind blowing. I would love nothing more than to go back! We’ve just started looking at our ancestry and it appears that some of our family moved to America towards the end of the 19th century so I’m really looking forward to finding out more about that! The last time I played in America was during The Pipettes’ North American tour in 2011 so it would be fantastic to return. Soon I hope.
AmeriCymru: What's next for Ani Glass? Any new recordings/gigs/projects in the pipeline?
Ani: I have a lot of gigs coming up of the next few months which will keep me busy. I have a few ideas in mind of what I’d like to do next but I might just wait to see where the wind takes me.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Ani: Keep an eye out for new releases on Recordiau Neb!
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PLEASE RETWEET
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Silent Explosion - An Interview With Ani Glass https://t.co/YeNQNhwrNY pic.twitter.com/ozPCNkxErN
— americymru (@americymru) April 6, 2017
Winner of Capital South Wales music competition Kieran Marsh releases new single 'Running Man'
By AmeriCymru, 2017-04-03
'Running Man', together with another one of Kieran's original songs 'Keeper', is a two track catchy pop single released on the Tarw Du label and is available from all good online stores to buy and to stream. This is the follow up to his debut ep 'Enter the Dragon', which was well received by media and fans alike and which garnered airplay on BBC Radio Wales and other radio stations.
2017 looks set to be another busy year for Kieran with more writing, traveling and performing on the way. And, as part of the great prize offered by the Capital South Wales and SSE's Spotlight competition , Kieran will also be writing, recording and releasing a single with talent agency 'The Famous Company' in the near future. Look out for this and more from the talented singer songwriter.
Artist - Kieran Marsh
Single name - Running Man
Tracks - Running Man, Keeper
Format - Digital
Release date – 3.4.2017
Label - Tarw Du
Publishing - Cyhoeddiadau Tarw Du Publishing
Availability - All main digital online stores to buy and stream.
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The Welsh Pipes - An Interview With John Tose of 'Estron'
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John: We're basically a family and friends band - I've been doing stuff with my daughters, Micky and Danny ever since they were quite small but in 2012 we started playing with Holly Robinson, a really talented and well known fiddler here in Pembrokeshire, and coined the name Estron for the band. Jess Ward joined us with her harp two years later. I suppose the band really got going after Micky and Danny moved on from the instruments they'd learned at school to things they wanted to play for themselves. Micky learned clarinet to begin with but took up the ukulele and now she plays both with Estron, while Danny abandoned the trombone for the Welsh pipes - she borrowed a spare set I had and taught herself how to play surprisingly quickly. I suppose it helped that she'd been exposed to my own playing her whole life!
AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about your most recent album 'Gwawr'?
John: We recorded Gwawr in May 2015. We wanted to capture the music we had been playing since we started and before we moved on to new material. I've been playing this music for a long time now and I guess the reason we're playing this stuff is mostly that the girls have been exposed to it all their lives so that to them this is what they associate with Welsh pipes, whereas for Holly and Jess it was all new and exciting. To Micky and Danny this music is just `normal' everyday stuff. I suppose that's what makes it `folk' music.
AmeriCymru: When did you first become interested in the Welsh pipes?
John: I started playing bagpipes in about 1990. The first set I had was a set of smallpipes from the Early Music Shop which I made from a kit. After putting it together I realised that I could make these things so I then went on to make a set of, I suppose you could describe them as `Border pipes' in G which I mostly played for the Morris team I was a member of. Then in '97 or '98 I met Ceri Rhys Matthews and became a member of Pibau Pencader, a Welsh piping club he'd started. There was something like ten people in it, a mixture of raw beginners and experienced pipers. There was a need for instruments and myself and John Glenydd started making pipes for the other members, and later to sell to other people as well. We were making all kinds of things from simple diatonic clarinets to bombardes and pibgorns, and bagpipes based either on the Breton veuze or ones which used a pibgorn as the chanter. Meanwhile Ceri was teaching us all his Welsh pipe music which by the nature of the instruments is quite a lot different from much other Welsh folk music. It was a great time and later I also played with Ceri in a pipes and drum band called Pibe Bach, playing both here in Wales and further afield. We even got touring work with the British Council in places like Oman, Palestine and Libya.
AmeriCymru: If someone wished to master the instrument, where would they go to acquire a set of Welsh pipes? How hard is it to learn to play the pipes?
John: Acquiring a set of Welsh pipes is not so easy at the moment. I don't know whether John Glenydd in Llanfihangel ar Arth in Carmarthenshire is still making pipes - I don't have his contact details but you could probably find out by contacting Ceri Matthews. I was making pipes myself until a few years ago but I went down with asthma which is very sensitive to wood dust so I've had to keep out of the workshop. Having said that, recently I've been teaching Danny how to make pipes and she's managed to acquire very good woodturning skills so we'll have to see how this develops. There are other people making pibgorns - Gavin Morgan in Merthyr Tydfil springs to mind. A lot of pipers here also play the Spanish Gaita which is pretty good for playing Welsh music on.
The pipes aren't particularly hard to play - they have open fingering much like a tin whistle which beginners find much easier than that of other pipes, such as Scottish ones. The hardest part is disassociating the blowing from playing the tune - with a bagpipe you play the instrument with a constant pressure on the bag with your arm and you only blow into the instrument when you need to keep it topped up with air.
AmeriCymru: Where can readers go online to buy or listen to your music?
John: Gwawr is available as a download (or as a CD) from Bandcamp. There's a link to it from our website ( www.estronband.blogspot.co.uk ). You can also find a solo album I made a few years ago, `Cerrig Dymuniad' on there as well as Jess's first solo harp album `The Mermaid's Lament'.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
John: It's important that we keep this music going in this age of globalisation - otherwise we're going to lose it. Welsh culture has always been under a lot of pressure from across the border in England and it's important that we keep our cultural differences. We all need our roots, our differences.
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A message from the Welsh Government, Is-adran y Gymraeg/Welsh language Division. Please help spread the word:-
"Prynhawn da!
February 10 th is Dydd Miwsig Cymru (Welsh Language Music Day) – a day to celebrate all the Welsh language music in all its forms. There are events happening all over Wales and in London but also across social media using the hashtag DyddMiwsigCymru. So anyone can get involved by sharing their favourite music on the day for others to hear.
Playlists and poster, and logos available here:
Playlists
http://cymraeg.llyw.cymru/
Posters logos etc:
http://cymraeg.llyw.cymru/
General page:
http://cymraeg.llyw.cymru/
Cofion cynnes (Warm regards)
Gareth Cardew-Richardson
Is-adran y Gymraeg/Welsh language Division
Llywodraeth Cymru/Welsh Government"
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AmeriCymru spoke to Gina Lupini Pascolini, Choral Director for the Valley View High School about their forthcoming concert tour in Wales. Scroll down for a full listing of their itinerary. To donate please go here
Diolch yn fawr to Jerry Williams for the above presentation.
AmeriCymru: Hi Gina and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. Can you tell us a little about your musical background?
Gina: I'd rather the article be about the students, their journey and talents. I've been teaching 20 plus years and each day I strive to improve as a musician and teacher as well as human being.
AmeriCymru:When was the Voices Of The Valley choir founded?
Gina: Voices was founded last January. In October 2015, the Valley View High School Choir was invited to join Cor Dathlu Cumtawe in concert during their visit to the Lackawanna Valley. The quoted text was written by Jerry Williams for our press release and his words are much better than mine:
"When Gina Lupini Pascolini, Choral Director for the Valley View High School, was asked if she and her students would perform with a visiting Welsh Male Choir, she had no idea that her acceptance would result in an international odyssey of friendship and song.
In October of 2015, Côr Dathlu Cwmtawe, (The Swansea Valley Celebration Choir), came to the Lackawanna Valley, a place of historical significance to Wales and America, to sing and honor those who had come before in the 1830’s. Gina’s talented youngsters had earned a reputation of excellence and professionalism. Gina, was known to the choir for her Vivace! choir performance for The Saint Francis Assisi Kitchen. This was an unforgettable event featuring The Catholic Choral Society, The Burlington Welsh Male Choir, and Gina’s Vivace!. Their performance with the 60 voice Swansea choir directed by one of Wales’ most renowned conductors exceeded everyone’s expectations. "
AmeriCymru: Can you tell us something about its history?
Gina: The choir is made up of 30 auditioned students in grades 9-12 who are currently members of the high school choir.
AmeriCymru: How did you come to receive an invitation for the choir to perform in Wales?
Gina: In 2008, the Valley View Select Treble Choir, Vivace!, was invited to join the Burlington Welsh Male Choir on their USA tour. Fast forward to 2015 and I was asked to have the same choir perform. Unfortunately, the Vivace! choir was put on hold while my duties at Valley View shifted to high school. The invitation was accepted and the Valley View High School Choir (75 members strong) . Members of this choir take the class as an elective.
AmeriCymru: What will be the Choir's itinerary?
Gina:
6/18 SUN – LEAVE NYC AIRPORT IN THE PM
6/19 MON – ARRIVE LONDON AIRPORT (HEATHROW),
TAKE SIDE TRIP TO STONEHENGE, SPEND ABOUT 1 ½ HRS,
6/20 TUES –
T0 ST. PAULS CATHEDRAL (VISIT 1 1/2HRS),
10:15AM LEAVE FOR CHANGING OF THE GUARD BUCKINGHAM PALACE,
12:00pm LEAVE FOR BOOKED TIME
(12:45) RIDE ON LONDON EYE,
1:45PM LEAVE FOR TOWER OF LONDON VISIT.
5:30PM LEAVE FOR HOTEL
6/21 WED. PICK UP AT HOTEL AT 9AM FOR TRIP TO WALES WITH
STOP at Tintern Abbey on the way.(1 HR SING SONG).
6/22 THURS –RHOSSILY GOWER (2 HR VISIT).
LEAVE FOR 1/2HR RIDE TO Lunch at Oxwich BaYHotel (2 HRS).
3PM BOARD BUS ,BACK TO BLANCO HOTEL.
6/23 FRI TODAN yr OGOF CAVES (SING IN CAVES)(2HR VISIT),
1/4HR RIDE TO CRAIG Y NOS Castle (SING ONE SONG),
1/2HR RIDE TO 3PM BUFFET in Ystradgynlais RFC,
7PM CONCERT IN St Cynogs Church.
Afterglow Ystradgynlais RFC LEAVE AT 11PM(1HR RIDE ) BACK TO BLANCO HOTEL.
6/24 SAT –NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDENS (3HR VISIT SING)
.3/4HR RIDE On To DYLAN THOMAS BOAT HOUSE Laugharne(1HR VISIT)
.3/4 HR RIDE On to Tenby for afternoon/evening,
LEAVE AT 6PM FOR 1 1/2HR RIDE TO BLANCO HOTEL.
6/25 SUN TO Pembroke Castle(1 1/2HR VISIT).
1 ½ HR RIDE to ST. DAVID’S Cathedral (Lunch in Refectory)(3HR VISIT).
Back to BLANCO HOTEL, Port Talbot for evening.
6/26 MON –BUS TO CONCERT DAY IN LLANDEILO LEAVE AT 9:30PM
6/27 TUES –TO ST. FAGAN(Welsh Museum of Life)
THEN ½ HR RIDE TO CARDIFF BAY(Welsh Senedd and Millenium Theater)
Good area for Lunch. Cardiff Castle/ City Centre
6/28 WED – CONCERT AT BLANCO HOTEL AT 7PM
6/29 Thurs - Free Time Suggest Public Transport to SWANSEA. (Waterfront Museum Transport Museum Dylan Thomas Theater etc ) .
6/30 Fri - BUS TO CONCERT MORRISTON.
7/1 Sat - BUS TO CONCERT PONTARDDULAIS
7/2 Sun - TO BIG PIT(1 ½ HR VISIT)
then RIDE ON TO ABERGAVENNY FOR STOP(2HR VISIT).
THEN 1/2HR RIDE TO RAGLAN CASTLE(1HR VISIT) 4:30PM BUS BACK TO BLANCO HOTEL.
7/3 Mon - LEAVE HOTEL 6AM BUS GO TO CARDIFF FOR FLIGHT HOME
AmeriCymru: Where and with whom will they be performing?
Gina:
6/23 - Cor Dathilu cwmtawe at St. Cynog;s Church, Ystradgynlais
6/26 - At St. Teilo's Church, LLandeilo with Ysgol Gyfun Bro Dinfwr Choir
6/27 - Port Talbot at either Blanco Hotel or New school in town - guest choir still working on
6/30 - Morristown RFC male choir, still waiting for definite site in Morristown
7/1 - Cor meibon Pontarddulais still waiting for definite site
AmeriCymru: How often do you rehearse? Could you describe a typical rehearsal session for our readers?
Gina: The choir rehearses every Monday and Wednesday for two hours. Of course, there are some exceptions. At present, the choir is preparing for the upcoming Christmas concerts and winter holiday performances. They have a total of five between December 2 and December 14.
AmeriCymru: The logistics and expense of a trip like this must be somewhat daunting. How can our readers help out with fund raising?
Gina: By visiting our website: gvgb.co/voicesofthevalley
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Gina: We are honored, thrilled and most excited to travel to Wales. We are thankful and full of gratitude for all the work that has been done thus far and yet to be done to make this trip happen. We are looking forward, with much anticipation, to sharing our love of music and the gift of song with our friends in Wales!
Conor Gaffney
AmeriCymru: Hi Conor and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. You are a guitarist and vocalist with Glasgow band Anchor Lane. Care to tell us a little about the band?
Conor: Hi, thanks for inviting me. Yeah I am, we are a heavy rock band. We are currently preparing to release our debut ep in February having already released our single 'Finished for Twelve' this month. We have been playing together for about a year and a half. Well, I say that but we got a new drummer in June 2016. So as the current outfit we've been together for six months. We have some awesome shows organised for this year already including two EP release shows one in Audio, Glasgow and one in the Dreadnought, Bathgate. Our show in Bathgate we are really excited for, we haven't played there before and also we have a great band from Wales called Kane'd coming up to support us. We played with Kane'd in September 2016 supporting Kee Marcello, former guitarist of Europe. Kane'd were on tour with him and they were awesome people, we all really hit it off and when we saw them play we knew we had to play with them again! The date for our EP has yet to be released so like our Facebook page to keep up to date!
AmeriCymru: When did you first decide that music would be your future. What is your musical background?
Conor: Good question! I think I was around ten or eleven when I decided I wanted to be a musician. It was when I listened to 'American Idiot' by Green Day. That was the first album I ever bought, first of many haha! I loved the energy and passion in the music, the lyrics. A lot of people say that 'Dookie' is their best album which is fair enough, however I would disagree. As much as it's a good album it for me, it doesn't evoke the same passion and raw emotion that 'American Idiot' does. As you can tell Green Day have been a big influence on me. I grew up with music, pretty much every second person in my family plays an instrument, sings or both! Family parties would involve having a drink, food and then taking out the guitars and having a sing song together. My Dad and older brother Kevin leading the session quite often. As you can imagine it was my Dad that got me into playing guitar and singing. My Dad has an awesome singing voice, he used to play in bands but it was a different time and just didn't have the opportunities that I have had. I think that's part of the reason why he and my Mum are so supportive.
AmeriCymru: You recently collaborated with Gwenno Dafydd and Katherine Cole on their 'Don't Give Up Hoping Hannah' single. Care to tell us a little about that experience?
Conor: Yeah that was a fun project to be a part of. Katherine put up a post in the Scotland is alive with music group page on Facebook. She said she was looking for a male rock/folk vocalist. I'd always wanted to try singing for someone else and so I sent my stuff over to Katherine. She got back to me later that week asking me to send her a rough demo of the song. After I sent the rough demo over she got back to me about two weeks later. She told me they wanted me to sing the song so I got myself booked into the studio. It was about this time that Gwenno got in contact with me. She sent me a message asking if she could speak over the phone to tell me the background of the song. I appreciated her doing this because I like to know exactly what I'm singing about. I love that she wrote the song in response to the heartbreak she witnessed after the votes were counted.
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Don't Give Up Hoping Hannah - Gwenno Dafydd/Katherine Cole
Listen to a sample ...
Buy the track here. Click the shopping cart icon on the right below. You will be asked to log in or join. Once you have done so you can complete your purchase 
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AmeriCymru: What attracted you to this project? Do you think there will be an indyref2?
Conor: I liked the patriotism of the song. Like I said when I shared this song on my Facebook, politics aside this is a patriotic song. That's what drew me to it, I'm a patriotic guy. I love Scotland and I'm proud to be Scottish, it's my home. I'm not sure if there will be another independence referendum. I'd like there to be one as I feel a lot of 'no' voters were persuaded by lies. Sadly these lies were found out when the votes had been cast.
AmeriCymru: Who are your favourite bands currently on the Scottish/UK music scene?
Conor: Oh, there are a lot of great bands around the Glasgow scene at the moment. My favourite would definitely have to be the boys in Mason Hill. They're a heavy/hard rock band much like Anchor Lane but they've got their own unique style within rock the same as us. They have a classic but modern rock sound that just gets your head banging! Their singer Scott has one of the best live voices I have heard. The dude literally blew me away! The rest of the band are amazing as well though, don't get me wrong! James and Marc on the guitar duties drive the riffs with intensity and both have great tone! Matthew their bassist and Craig their drummer are about as tight as they come. Matthew unapologetically rocks out on stage and shows no mercy for his hair as he whips it everywhere! Craig is a tight drummer who smacks the kit like nothing else, I don't know much about drumming but if they're loud and tight they do well by me! I saw them live for he first time in the Dreadnought at their headline show. Having been a fan of them for about a year and met them at other people's gigs. They're awesome guys, me and my band mates Jack and Matthew got along very well with them at Dreadnought. I've mentioned them already but Kane'd have got to be one of the best bands on the UK circuit right now. They're a seven piece band which is awesome! Three singers all sisters Stacey, Chez and Stephanie. Backed by four awesome musicians Harry Scott Elliot their guitarist is among the four best guitar players I have seen. The dude is extremely talented! He was on that Sky Arts show 'Guitar Star' definitely check him out on YouTube. Another band that I would say are great is Edenthorn, a rock band from Newcastle that Anchor Lane played with in The Bungalow, Paisley. Their singer Kyle was again, another singer that totally blew me away. We're hoping to be playing with these guys and girl again this year! They've got a great Foo Fighters/Pearl Jam feel while bringing their own unique flair to it! Definitely one to watch!
AmeriCymru: Who would you consider your major musical influences?
Conor: Wow, everyone and anyone I've ever listened to really! I have so much influences it's unbelievable. If I were to narrow the list down to the biggest ones I'd need to start with Freddie Mercury and Queen. I just love them! I wouldn't say the music I write is much like their but I definitely have a massive love and respect for Queen. They just knew how to write songs everyone would love! Another influence would have to be bands like Alter Bridge Black Stone Cherry and Foo Fighters, bands that taught me you can have clean vocals with heavy guitar riffs. Obviously I have to mention 'The Boss' Bruce Springsteen. The man is just an amazing song writer, he tells such amazing stories and has had an amazing career. I saw him play Hampden, he plays for like two and a half to three hours. Just him. You compare that work ethic and devotion to fans with artists half his age who play hour to hour and a half sets, you see Brucey is just different class.
AmeriCymru: Any new gigs/recordings in the pipeline?
Conor: As I mentioned we have our EP releasing in February and an two awesome EP shows in March as well as supporting the legendary Manny Charlton, founding member of Nazareth. Both my Dad and Scott our drummers Dad were buzzing about that show as they're both big Nazareth fans. We have also been booked for an awesome festival date this summer - The Wildfire Festival . We are totally fired up to be playing this festival! We also have a show in Audio with Fahran on the 1st of April. We're really excited for this show!
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Conor: Thank you for checking out the interview and I hope you enjoy the song! Don't give up hoping!
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S'mae pawb. We are pleased to announce that we are introducing a new feature for 2017!! This should appeal to musicians and Welsh music fans. 'Pay per Stream' will allow us to reward artists for 'plays' on the site and encourage a new audience to discover traditional and contemporary Welsh music. The overview below goes some way to explain how it works from an admin point of view:-
Overview
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The Profile Stream Pay module allows you to "pay" a profile when a viewer streams a video or listens to an audio item on a profile. Configurable on a per quota and per item basis.
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This allows the site to credit profile owners for views to their content. When a video or audio file is streamed the admin user can set an amount in cents to credit the profile owner with.
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The admin user also sets the timeout length that needs to elapse between when one visitor views a piece of content and then re-views it that counts as a credit to the profile. By default this period is 7 days, but you can set it to whatever you want.
If you are interested in helping us trial this new feature (and earning some money and exposure in the process ) please email americymru@gmail.com NOW or contact us via your AmeriCymru site profile.
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