Welsh trio Adwaith, Hollie Singer, Gwenllian Anthony and Heledd Owen, have a new album for us. Their third, named Solas, comprises of no less than 23 songs meaning Adwaith are the first female Welsh-language band to release a double album.
The record is the concluding part of a trilogy. Welsh Music Prize-winning Melyn saw the threesome express life as teenage girls, before heading out to the world with Bato Mato, which famously also scooped the award. With Solas, meaning ‘light of being’ or ‘enlightenment’, as grown women they go on an inward journey of self-discovery, escape, and resilience. ‘It’s about finding that home, and that safe space, within yourself,’ reveals Hollie, ‘and rediscovering what makes your inner child happy.’
The newly released single ‘Miliwn’ out today, is one of positivity and celebration, a reminder of life’s precious moments and the importance of focusing on people and places making life worthwhile. We see the band further pull away from those much referred to post punk roots, though we argue their work has always been deeper, more complex and considered than a single genre. Miliwn reveals yet another development in the threesome’s creativity, danceable rhythms and brisk beats, celebratory yet grounded. We bloody love the joyful vocal lines on this, sweetness with the exact perfect amount of salt, of light and dark.
‘Miliwn is a song about realising how little time we have on this planet,‘ explains the band, ‘and encourages you to give your energy and love to people and places that make you feel good. It’s a reminder to celebrate your small wins and romanticise your life in any way you can.”‘
Much of Solas was written at Heledd’s house, a stone’s throw from the eco-commune of Tipi Valley in West Wales, and recorded in West Wales, Lisbon and the Outer Hebrides.
Key influences on the album include The Cure’s moody rock, the avant-garde rhythms of Lizzy Mercier Descloux, the desert blues of Tinariwen, and the psychedelic folk of Jessica Pratt.
To support Solas, Adwaith will embark on a tour across the UK and Europe.
Solas is released via Libertino on 7 February 2024.
