Blogs
CHROMA - SENGL DDWBL-A/DOUBLE-A SINGLE: 'WEITHIAU / CARU CYFFURIAU' - ALLAN/OUT 24.6 AR/ON LIBERTINO
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-06-08
(Scroll Down For English)
Mae ‘Weithiau’ yn gân emosiynol bwerus sydd yn rhan o seng Ddwbl-A Chroma ‘Weithiau / Caru Cyffuriau’. Dyma’r gerddorieth gyntaf ir grwp ryddhau ar ôl ymuno â’r label Libertino. Recordiwyd y canaeuon yn fyw i ddal sain amrwyd ac egniol y triawd o'r Cymoedd gan y cynhyrchydd Kris Jenkins (Cate Le Bon, SFA, Gruff Rhys).
“Mae Weithiau yn gân am orffen perthynas gyda rhywun ti’n caru a’r prosess o ddod i deall bod pethau ddim yn gweithio. Mae am rhoi dy hun gyntaf.” - Katie Hall, Chroma Mewn cyferbyniad perffaith cerddorol i felancholy diwyro ‘Weithiau’ mae ‘Caru Cyffuriau’ yn gân punk ddi-stop ‘in your face’ am fod yn dy arddegau yn y cymoedd, de Cymru.
“Mae ‘Caru Cyffuriau’ am ‘naughty’ teenagers yn y cymoedd yn mynd lan y mynydd i cymrid ‘drugs’ ac arbrofi gyda rhyw achos does dim lot I neud. Fi’n meddwl does dim digon o adnoddau i pobl ifanc mewn ardal fel y cymoedd. Mae angen mwy o adnoddau a pethau i pobl ifanc neid rhag i nhw deimlo mor ynysig. O ni moen sgweni trac pync yn y Gymraeg, sydd yn adlywychu profiad go iawn pobl heddiw.” - Katie Hall, Chroma
Y gân yr Trac yr Wythnos BBC Radio Cymru yr wythnos hon.
'Weithiau' (Sometimes) is an emotionally powerful song that is one half of Chroma's Double-A single 'Weithiau / Caru Cyffuriau'. This is the group's first release after joining the Libertino label. The songs were recorded live to capture the versatile and energetic sound of the Valleys trio by producer Kris Jenkins (Cate Le Bon, SFA, Gruff Rhys).
“‘Weithiau’ is about ending a relationship with someone that you love deeply. The process of coming to terms with the fact that the relationship doesn’t work, and putting your self first in that situation.” - Katie Hall, Chroma In perfect musical contrast to the sometimes melancholy 'Weithiau', 'Caru Cyffuriau' is a non-stop 'in your face' punk song about being a teenager in the South Wales Valleys.
“Caru Cyfffuriau is a song about being a naughty teenager in the valleys experimenting with drugs and sex because there’s not much else to do. I think there needs to be more stuff going on so young people don’t feel so isolated. We wanted to write a welsh language punk song that reflects young people's lived experience today.” - Katie Hall, Chroma
Weithiau is the BBC Radio Cymru's Track of the Week this week.
Ex-Estrons Guitarist Rhodri Daniel is 'Heddlu' and unveils new Video for pulsing new 'Locker' single
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-06-06
After finishing the band in 2019, Rhodri became aware that his hearing was severely damaged. Years of touring the live circuit had taken their toll, Rhodri ultimately being diagnosed with hearing loss, tinnitus and severe sensitivity to noise. The effects were so acute, Rhodri was unable to be in the same room as other people, leave the house or play music for almost a year.
A chance encounter with a retired record producer, who's old forgotten studio on the slopes of the Cambrian Mountains was filled with antique synthesisers, inspired Rhodri to consider music once more. Advised to get outdoors to aid recovery, he embarked on a three month hike spanning 900 miles of the entire Welsh coastline, where he conceived the new project and was inspired to write the music in his head, to be recorded upon his return. Serendipity led Rhodri back to music, and Heddlu was born. Meaning ‘Police’ in Welsh, from the words ‘peace-force’, Heddlu's music has been true to its’ name, offering a force of peace to the songwriter.
'Locker' is out on 27th May 2022 on 'Zawn Records'.
Holy Coves return with shimmering new psych pop single 'Grey' out 10th June
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-06-06
North Wales Psychedelic Indie band 'Holy Coves' are set to release their shimmering brand new single 'Grey' which will be released this Friday 10th of June via prolific North Wales Label 'Yr Wyddfa Records'.
Dropping swiftly into the slip-stream and following on from the successful 'The Hurt Within' and 'Desert Storm' singles, 'Grey' shows off Marsden's ability to write a killer pop song enhanced by Holy Coves distinct sound, and coupled with a hazy indie pop filter and flourishes of post-punk, 'Grey' is a perfect pre-summer single.
Through long time friend and Producer David Wrench, 'Holy Coves' were put in touch with Texan Producer Erik Wofford (The Black Angels / Explosions In The Sky) and have built quite a magical working relationship, one where Wofford found himself on Mixing and Mastering duties for the material and certainly contributes to their new sound.
HOLY COVES UK TOUR DATES 2022
AUGUST
19th August - The Parish, Wrexham
20th August - The Shed, Leicester
26th August - Front Room, Rhyl
SEPTEMBER
1st September - Cluny 2, Newcastle
2nd September - Jimmy's, Liverpool
9th September - Audio, Glasgow
10th September - Pressure, Kilmarnock
11th September - Bannermans, Edinburgh
15th September - The Bullingdon, Oxford
16th September - Rascals, Bangor
17th September - Queens Hall, Narberth
23rd September - Satan's Hallow, Manchester
24th September - The Brickyard, Carlisle
30th September - Boom, Leeds
OCTOBER
1st October - Salty Dog, Northwich
2nd October - Portland Arms, Cambridge
3rd November - Underworld, Camden
4th November - The Loft, Southampton
11th November - Y Llew Goch, Machynlleth
12th November - Doldrum Escape Project, Dolgellau
25th November - Clwb Ifor Back, Cardiff
26th November - Cwrw - Camarthen
DECEMBER
2nd December - Ucheldre, Holyhead
3rd December - Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
MR BEWLAY RETURNS WITH TONGUE IN CHEEK NEW SINGLE ‘LIVE LAUGH LOVE’ UNLEASHED FRIDAY 20 MAY
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-05-17
“Bold, charismatic and a flamboyant powerhouse” Becky and the Bands
“A true pop star in the making!” Adam Walton, BBC Introducing Wales
FFO: SHAME, The Chats, FIDLAR, Bandicoot
Mr. Bewlay unleashes his brand new indie garage post-punk banger ‘Live Laugh Love’ on SWND Records on Friday 20th May via all major digital distributors and you can pre-save/pre-order HERE.
The Cardiff based musician steps out of his previous neo-glam sound with a bold new direction of frantic indie garage post-punk that refuses to take itself too seriously. Reclaiming the phrase ‘Live. Laugh. Love’ from the hallowed shelves of B&M to under the spotlights of the underground. Bewlay delivers 2 minutes 22 seconds of unashamed fun declaring his love for an older woman through some provocative lyrics. The track sees an expansion of the Mr. Bewlay character, refusing to reveal his identity to his label, furthering his reputation of being an enigma and a bombastic personality.
The song was recorded at King’s Road Studios in July 2021 with producer Sanders, Bewlay tells us, “I have to admit this song lyrically was originally written as a joke. Relying on the meme of the ‘Karen’ with their hollow tastes and tacky sentimentality. The more I tinkered with the song, the more the lyrics were not sarcastic, instead portraying a neutrality to the situation and relying on absurd imagery of middle-aged women's slogans tattooed on faces and blasting out of stereo systems. It definitely has the shock factor to it.
The track was written to be as bare bones as possible, relying on a smash and grab approach. No intro, no outro, no riffs and only a short solo to shake listeners out of their shocked silence. The trumpet solo was provided by the amazingly talented Laurence Collier of Afro Cluster fame who came down and put to audio the wailing, flamenco inspired solo!”
Whether it be Art Pop extraordinaire, Glam Rock Knight or garage post-punk slacker; Mr Bewlay has established himself as the paramount voice for the unorthodox. The Cardiff based artists’ upbringing was flamboyant with an early induction onto the stage. With amateur dramatic performances of classics like ‘West Side Story’, ‘A View From A Bridge’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Bewlay learnt the subtle intricacies of stage performance, a skill he brings with him to this day.
Beginning his music career under the mentorship of the PRS Foundation and Arts Council Wales backed Forté Project, Bewlay has pushed himself into releasing his ‘Electric Reason’ Trilogy which saw him expand his sound with the addition of synth-heavy, funk grooves and sweet retro-inspired pop hits. In addition he has played sold out headliner shows in prestigious venues such as Porter’s (Cardiff), Queens Hall (Narbeth) and Ill Repute (Bristol). As a champion for LGBTQ activism he has also given talks and performed at Queer festivals and shows with the ‘On Your Face Collective’.
With a breadth of sound ranging from retro-spiced pop, to quiet reflective solo pieces, Bewlay’s unpredictability is also found in his music. With influence coming from artists such as David Bowie, St Vincent and Parquet Courts, Bewlay remains in a lane of his own with bombastic vocals, extravagant style and lyrics of the utmost originality. There is little in his way towards inevitable ascension.
Be it Mista, Misses, King or Queen, they all fall under Bewlay’s everything.
‘Live Laugh Love’ by Mr Bewlay is out on Friday 20 May on SWND Records and is available on all
major streaming/download providers.
LUIANNA DEBUT EP "SKIA" RELEASED TODAY /// SHARES DARKLY ANTHEMIC NEW SINGLE "HEROIN"
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-04-29
"Emotive And Powerful" - KILLING MOON
"brooding slice of atmospheric electronica oozing with sonically dark twists" - CLOUT
“Absolutely outstanding… a dawning of a significant talent.” - Adam Walton, BBC
"dark, blooding slice of ambient pop" - Fortitude Magazine
"powerfully emotive and anthemic" - Music Blog Wales
Today see's the release of Alt-pop Artist LUIANNA‘s highly anticipated debut EP 'SKIA'. Sounding akin to the likes of BANKS and The xx , LUIANNA shares new single; ‘Heroin’ a dark, blooding slice of ambient pop that packs an emotional punch. Talking about the single, LUIANNA elaborates, “this song was written about my Dad. The music was written to feel out and describe the feeling of the lyrics and the story in my life, a gentile start going into noisy chaos”. LUIANNA was born in London, brought up in South Wales and has since spent the past fifteen years between Bristol and Berlin. Her upcoming EP was recorded in The Famous Gold Watch Studio in Berlin.‘Heroin’ is taken from LUIANNA upcoming debut EP, ‘Skiá’ , due for release on 29th April 2022.
‘SKIA’ is out today
Our fibber whose art is craven
furloughed be thy fame
thy Brexit done
broke times to come
in Neath as it is in Devon
give us this day our daily dread
and forgive us our trust issues
as we forgive them that are classist against us
and lead us not into inflation
but deliver us from shortage
for thine is the kidding
the poorer and the gory
together or severed
Amen
'Holy Coves announce new 'Druids And Bards' UK Tour + New 'Desert Storm' single out Friday
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-04-26
North Wales Psychedelic rock band 'Holy Coves' announce brand new 'Druids And Bards' 24 Date UK Tour and are set to release brand new 'Desert Storm' single which on Friday 29th of April via prolific North Wales Label 'Yr Wyddfa Records'.
Dropping swiftly into the slip-stream and following on from the successful 'The Hurt Within' which was released last month, 'Desert Storm' sets the psych mood with droney riffs, hazy vocals on an epic musical landscape.
Lead by Welsh Singer-Songwriter Scott Marsden , 'Holy Coves' find themselves crossing an unseen threshold on a fantastical new journey where new psych-hazed material spells an exciting new era for the collective.
Through long time friend and Producer David Wrench , 'Holy Coves' were put in touch with Texan Producer Erik Wofford (The Black Angels / Explosions In The Sky) and have built quite a magical working relationship, one where Wofford found himself on Mixing and Mastering duties for the material and certainly contributes to their new sound.
Our felon who has paid his fine
allowed is thy shame
the playing dumb
your japes undone
unearth untruths so uneven
give us this day your daily lie
and forgive us our press passes
as we forgive those that press pass against us
and lead us not into Trump nation
but deliver us from Priti
for thine is the comedown
the sour and the sorry
never so clever
amen
The Holy Coves: An interview with Scott Marsden + 'The Hurt Within' , new video
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-04-23
Americymru: Hi Scott and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. How did the band come by its name?
Scott: Hey Ceri, thanks for having me. I grew up on the Holy Island of Anglesey. We have some of the best beaches here. Coves just really fit with Holy. Coves happens to be an old cockney slang word for geezers or criminals! We liked the idea of Holy before the Coves. The irony!!
Americymru: How would you characterise your sound?
Scott: People call us psych, grunge, garage, indie. I just call us a rock band.
Americymru: Where in Wales is the band based?
Scott: In Anglesey, North Wales
Americymru: What can you tell us about your new single - 'The Hurt Within'?
Scott: It's a song about the scars of love. They never really leave you, you just learn to move on in time.
Americymru: When will the single be available and where will people be able to buy online?
Scott: It's out now on all streaming platforms via my label Yr Wyddfa Records.
Americymru: What can you tell us about your record label - 'Yr Wyddfa Records'?
Scott: It's a new label I set up last year. I just want to be able to release music the way I want it to sound, no compromise whatsoever. Yr Wyddfa is my home, I'm surrounded by these mountains.
Americymru: What's next for 'Holy Coves'? Any new releases / gigs in the pipeline?
Scott: We have another new single dropping at the end of this month. It's called 'Desert Storm.'
Americymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Look after yourselves. X
nnn
Here's the new #MusicVideo for our single 'The Hurt Within' directed by acclaimed Ukrainian Animator and Filmmaker Taras Merenkov. It emphasises how art and creativity can still thrive and maintain a positive from a negative situation.
North Wales Psychedelic rock band 'Holy Coves' released their brand new single 'The Hurt Within' on Friday 25th of March via 'Yr Wyddfa Records' .
Lead by Welsh Singer-Songwriter Scott Marsden , 'Holy Coves' find themselves crossing an unseen threshold on a fantastical new journey where new psych-hazed material spells an exciting new era for the collective.
Through long time friend and Producer David Wrench , 'Holy Coves' were put in touch with Texan Producer Erik Wofford (The Black Angels / Explosions In The Sky) and have built quite a magical working relationship, one where Wofford found himself on Mixing and Mastering duties for the material and certainly contributes to their new sound.