NEWS

Behind the Door with Gruff Rhys...check it out.

Jan 26 2005

from Holyhead Mail

SUPER Furry Animals front-man Gruff Rhys will be taking a short tour of Wales to promote his debut solo album, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth.

The band's label, Placid Casual, released the record on January 24 and it contains 11 Welsh language songs which were recorded with Gorwel Owen at Stiwdio Ofn at various points between summer, 2003, and spring, 2004.

Now it's confirmed Gruff will be playing songs from the record at Theatr Colwyn, Colwyn Bay, on Thursday, February 10 (tickets: (01492) 532668) and Theatr Ardudwy, Harlech, on Friday, February 11, at 7.30pm (tickets: (01766) 780667).

He will be joined on the tour by Alun Tan Lan and Kerdd Dant including the hip MC Mabon, and lyrical maestro MC Saizmundo.

As front-man, Gruff is no stranger to innovation and reinventing the band's sound on each album.

Sadly, non-Welsh speakers may fail to appreciate the full impact of some of his lyrics and play on words, Ffa Coffi Pawb being an example, but Gruff's zany wiggy pop is the same in any language and his solo album and tour promises to give Welsh music a kick in the right direction.

This in turn will hopefully ignite a Welsh music revolution overthrowing "middle of the road" and giving overlooked talent out there a chance to come to the fore.

Playing every instrument, bar trumpet and banjo, Gruff may final bury the tacky £2.50 keyboard scene and place all harmonious hiraeth songs back in John ac Alun's music chest for good.

January 27, 2004

LONDON, UK (Sony Music UK) - "With a forthcoming solo album, a SFA Back To Mine compilation and new SFA album in the works, Gruff was flat out, but made time to write the lyrics and sing 'Do's and Don'ts', recording the vocals at Danger Mouse's California studio one afternoon. An MTV camera crew were chilling at the DM crib that day, so they filmed the session. 'We became really good friends at that time,' BB recalls of his time on the road with Super Furry Animals.

'Gruff crashed on my couch for a few days. He drew inspiration from some of the books I had lying around, in particular was Bahai Faith by Jessyca Russell Gaver.'

Needless to say, Gruff's portentous lyrics perfectly complemented the spooky, cosmic feel of the track with the layered vocals, finger clicks, tablas, backwards guitars and mesmeric bass that spiral out into a proper LA-style, wig-out."