Imagine this. It’s a night midweek, late November-time. Canadian punk rock heroes Metz are playing in your town – in this case, Birkenhead. It’s the final tour before they go on a hiatus. Whatever that means. You’re having a good time, even if it feels the end of an era. But as one door closes – or something – another is kicked wide open. You spot North Wales punk-rock-hardcore duo Alffa in the audience. This is the third time guitarist/vocalist Dion Wyn Jones and drummer Sion Eifion Land have seen Metz play this year, recommended as they were by Alffa’s producer Gethin Pearson (Badly Drawn Boy, Kele Okereke, Charli XCX, Walt Disco).
It feels suitably rock n roll, what with Alffa’s new album O’r Lludw (From Ashes) out in just over 24 hours’ time, to drag the pair outside, force them to pose for photographs and later, submit to questioning. Alffa’s ‘Gwenwyn’ single back in 2018 became the first Welsh-language song to earn more than a million streams on Spotify. This success fueled their debut album, Rhyddid o’r Cysgodion Gwenwynig’ (Freedom from the Poisonous Shadows), released in 2019.
You’re quite the powerhouse, despite being a duo.
SION: I think when we’re on stage, we try to produce as much noise as possible to compensate for the fact that there’s only two of us. I think it’s actually easier for a duo to be louder on stage as there are fewer things to balance, less channels, so the sound engineers always have more room to turn us right up.
DION: I think it’s more of a case of we have to be a powerhouse as a duo. Writing as a duo isn’t the same as writing as a three-piece or four-piece band, you need to bulk the gaps up, which makes the sound so dense. So feels really natural and right.
Explain the album title O’r Lludw (From Ashes)
SION: Four months after our debut album was released, lockdown happened. Both of us struggled to find the motivation to write music at the time and I guess like every other band that existed during that time, we had to build up brick by brick, almost starting from scratch again when the lockdown ended. Looking back, I think we struggled on how to deal with the media attention we were having at the time because of the streams. We absolutely loved it and the whole thing was great and there are so many great memories and experiences to look back on, but at the same time it was such an unfamiliar experience, especially for two 18-year-olds from rural North Wales. No one really prepares you for it as it had never happened before with songs entirely in the Welsh language. It was quite scary. That experience has really made us grow as people and as a band. We feel like we’ve risen for the ashes to create this beautiful thing we’re both really proud of.
DION: This album feels like it’s came from the ashes for me personally for several reasons, series of bad events for example covid and other stuff that went on. It felt like we had to start all over again after the pandemic that why it took a while for us to create it. But it’s a beautiful feeling bouncing back from everything stronger than ever.
‘Darnau Man’ as the first song on the record is an interesting aperitif: low, atmospheric with bursts of energy.
SION: We felt that it was really important to start the album off with this song. I think it says to the listener straight away that we’ve matured sonically. I remember Dion presenting the riff/guitar parts to me in a practice session. I was blown away. It was so different to what we had done before.
DION: We loved writing Darnau Mân, it translates to ‘small pieces’, again referring to things smashes into little pieces and building them back up. Having such a raw and dynamic song was needed to set the tone of the album, also for our live shows to change dynamic of the set. It’s an important song in the context of the album.
‘Find Me’ is an intense listen but has those layers as well.
SION: We thought it would be a great song after Darnau Man because of its intensity. It’s like “okay, let’s get the party started”. I also was desperate to include a ‘tempo block’ (it’s not a cowbell, like everybody thinks!) in the verses. I think Dion’s riff in the pre-chorus is one of my favourite riffs on the album.
DION: Again, it’s playing with dynamics. Yes, it’s full on but snatching that intenseness away leaves you rather confused and ready for round two.
Combining punk and hard rock and showing vulnerability is not easy but this album has that.
SION: That’s a huge compliment, thank you! I think we’re both quite in touch with our feelings and we’re not scared to talk about them. We feel it’s important that our songs have that vulnerability embedded in them, because it’s who we are as people, and we’d be dishonest if we wrote about something else.
DION: I feel this is what ALFFA is. Some people get confused with our name being alpha in Welsh as we are not your stereotypical alpha males, but I guess this is the irony. Massive sound but very delicate meanings behind the songs.
‘Tough Love’ is a head banger, lads.
SION: We do tend to headbang to it when playing it live.
DION: I really enjoyed writing Tough Love, this was the first leap over to a punkier and heavier sound which showed the way for the rest of the album.
‘Pwythau’ is classic Alffa. What makes a good song do you think?
SION: To be totally true to yourself and what you believe in. You have to surround yourself in people that are also totally on board when writing and recording. Don’t let anything influence you, stick to your guns and create something that you love. Don’t ever try to please anybody.
DION: Personally, as long as you can feel something from a song that’s a good song. If it makes you scream, cry or even dance that’s a good song. The words in pwythau felt important for this album, rip your stiches is being repeated quite a bit, so if people feel that sort of empowerment from this song it’s a good sign.
‘From Ashes‘ is a sobering sorbet. A piano palate cleanser.
SION: That’s used as the halfway point of the album really. It’s something quite peaceful and calming. Every song that comes after it has lyrics that are quite positive as well. I always think that the interlude feels like a hug. Daf Owain did an amazing job playing it. You can really feel every note.
DION: Getting that message of hope and stability over in this album was the goal so that’s definitely nice to hear. We felt like loads of punk and rock messages give out negative messages with no real hope. So hopefully everyone can get a glimmer of hope and realness.
This album is beautifully curated, the songs tell a story from the first to last. It feels a story of hope, ultimately. Is that accurate?
SION: As the album goes on, the theme of hope grows stronger and stronger.
DION: We need to live in hope and feel empowered, that’s half the battle surely? Growing into your own skin and flourishing as yourself needs to be a regular thing so hopefully people can take away some hope.
What did producer Gethin Pearson bring to the table?
SION: Amazing food. In all seriousness (although the food was genuinely amazing) he really pushed us to a place we never thought we could reach. He’s played a big part in the journey of us finding this new sound. He’s such an amazing guy and an amazing producer.
DION: Gethin brought a lot to the table, a real mentor and good friend. Gethin’s fresh perspective, honing our raw energy and helping us craft a sound that’s both powerful and polished. His expertise elevated the album, blending intensity with clarity, while still keeping it authentically us.
The first and second halves of ‘Daw Diwedd i’r Da‘ are so distinct, but there is a balance.
SION: Most definitely. I think it’s really important to have that balance in an album. I think it keeps it fresh and the fact that it is kind of split into two halves, almost like chapter 1 and chapter 2 adds something quite interesting. It was something that we were looking to do even before we wrote anything for the album.
DION: The balance in “Daw Diwedd i’r Da” lies in how its distinct halves contrast yet complement each other, creating a dynamic flow that feels cohesive and intentional. Working with Dafydd Owain to put this song together was a real honor.
Wales achieved a first-ever qualification for the UEFA Women’s EURO. ‘Breathe Free’ was used for the qualification promo.
SION: What they’ve achieved is amazing. It’s massive. It’s massive for Cymru, but most importantly for all the women and girls all over the country. The tide is changing, and I’d like to think that attitude towards the Women’s game is changing for the better, especially in Wales. It’s beautiful to see.
DION: We’re thrilled that Breathe Free was chosen for the promo. It’s an honor to have our music represent such an inspiring team. Both of us love football, and seeing something like this really is a pinch-me moment!
What are your plans for 2025?
SION: Keep playing gigs, keep writing and keep doing the thing we love most; Being in this band with each other working with amazing people.
DION: Our plans for 2025 are to promote the album with gigs, write half of the third record, and hopefully play some international shows again.
Why do you never (usually) smile in photos?
SION : I’m not entirely sure. I guess it’s because of the style of music. Smiling has never really suited a heavy sounding rock/blues/punk band I guess and every time we try to smile, the photographers aren’t too keen on it. We promise, we do smile quite a lot, just not in our photos.
DION: Ahhhh I don’t know, it’s such a strange rock music unwritten rule isn’t it. I promise we do smile from time to time haha!
O’r Lludw (From Ashes) is out now via Recordiau Cosh Records
Photo credit: Lucy McLachlan
