Adwaith’s star is very much in the ascendant at the moment and with good reason as their most recent album Solas is a 23-track masterpiece, described by writer Simon Tucker in his recent review as ‘Adwaith’s OK Computer, their Hounds of Love, their classic and fans new and old alike will enjoy every second of it’.
We wanted to find out what music had influenced and entertained band members Heledd, Hollie and Gwenllian so asked them each for their ‘Life in 10 Songs’. They kindly obliged with 30 wonderfully eclectic selection of songs covering rap, folk, electronic and pop. We also created this 2-hour long selection as a Spotify playlist as well.
Heledd:
1. Kendrick Lamar – Savior: I was completely mesmerised when I saw Kendrick Lamar perform this song at Glastonbury in 2022. The performance and creativity behind it was just incredible to witness. I love the distorted drums against the fairly unusual melodic structure of the piano.
2. Kirsty MacColl – In These Shoes? I remember listening to the album, tropical brainstorm in the car frequently when I was growing up. I had completely forgotten about this songs existence until around 3/4 years ago when I rediscovered Kirsty MacColls discography. I think she had an incredible way of capturing a story through her songwriting. This song just makes me feel happy everytime I hear it, I think it’s perfect!
3. Britney Spears – Toxic: This is one of my all time favourite songs. It still baffles me everytime I listen to it, I just can’t believe how good it is. It’s one of the first pop songs I listened to as a child that made me realise pop doesn’t have to be polished and clean – It’s quite an unusual pop song in that sense because it has elements of different genres.
4. Aphex twin – Alberto Balsalm: I love the industrial percussion sounds against the soft synth in this song – It’s really satisfying from a listeners perspective in my opinion. The minimalist nature of the song really gives each musical element a moment of focus. I always have to remind myself that it was released in 1995 also, it’s so timeless!
5. Gwenno – Fratolish Hiang Perpeshki: This song is taken from one of my favourite albums, y dydd olaf. I remember listening to this album for the first time when I was around 16 and still to this day I think it’s one of, if not the coolest and well put together welsh language albums I’ve heard. It had a huge impact on me at that time. Just the fact that Gwenno was creating this kind of music in the welsh language – and succeeding doing so had a profound impact on myself.
6. Cate le Bon – Oh Am Gariad: I used to listen to this song frequently when I had just moved to London for university. I delved into Cate le bons early material and this song really stuck with me. I love the imagery of the lyrics, it almost sounds like poetry. There is a vulnerability and care to this song that just could not be replicated by anyone but cate le bon herself.
7. Big Thief – Mythological Beauty: Big thief are a band I started listening to in my first year of university and seeing them play the mountain stage at Greenman in 2019 was a really cathartic experience. I remember feeling so overwhelmed when I first started listening to them, the emotion that comes across in their recordings and how effortlessly they play together as a band really was so inspiring. I think it really opened my ears to the fact that often less is more.
8. The Beach Boys – God Only Knows: listening to this song brings me feelings of nostalgia and melancholy. I think the instrumentation is amazing, there are so many parts to this song that seamlessly blend together. I love how unified their voices all sound and I just think it’s a wonderful song.
9. Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter: The title track from Laura Marling’s album reminds me of a significant period of time. It was released during covid and it really got me through those dark times! The whole album felt like a glimmer of hope and brought me a lot of happiness during those difficult circumstances.
10. Angel Olsen – Sister: This song reminds me of a specific family holiday driving through Brittany. I had just discovered Angel Olsen’s music that summer and was totally captured by her emotive voice. This song in particular demonstrates the amazing calibre of her voice.
Hollie:
1. The Who – Who Are You: This was the first song I remember sitting down and listening to with headphones, using my dad’s iPod when I was about 10. I could hear each part so clearly and I felt so moved and in awe at how epic it was. I must’ve listened to it 15 times in a row. I’d say this is one of the first songs that made me fall in love with music.
2. Paul Simon – 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover: You know when you catch yourself in a moment and think oh this is going to be a core memory, and there just so happens to be an amazing song playing at the same time? That’s this song for me. It reminds me of driving home at sunset with my best friends after spending the most healing beautiful days together. When the chorus kicks in, it gives me pure serotonin.
3. Alice Phoebe Lou – She: The way this song makes me feel needs to be studied. It makes me fearless, strong, and empowered. After listening to this for the first time I felt as though I could do anything. I love it when music makes you feel like that! Alice Phoebe Lou is one of my favourite songwriters.
4. Gwenno – Chwyldro: After supporting Gwenno on her tour in 2018, this was the song that stuck with me the most. Political songs are hard to get right, and she crafted this perfectly with her ethereal vocals repeating “don’t forget that your heart is in the revelation” over the swarming build of synths, accompanied by a solid bass groove, it’s hard not to love this song.
5. Super Furry Animals – Demons: SFA have always been on rotation for me. The way they seamlessly blend psychedelic rock with iconic guitar sounds and electronic elements is an inspiration to my songwriting. This is one of my favourites of theirs.
6. Blur – Out of Time: The Middle Eastern vibe of this song took me by surprise when I listened to this for the first time at around 14 years old. This opened my mind to Arabic scales and melodies which would later become an inspiration to our sound. I love how Damon Albarn collaborates with so many different artists. He’s created multiple bangers in many different genres which I find impressive).
7. The Stone Roses – Shoot You Down: In my opinion, the stone roses are the most elevated Brit pop band, the layered vocals and incredibly catchy riffs really take their music to the next level for me. There’s so many good songs on this album which was on repeat with me throughout my teenage years.
8. The Ronettes – Be My Baby: This is my favourite love song of all time, the lyrics perfectly encapsulate the feeling that you and your lover are the only people in the world, and that you can take on anything together. This is a song I’ve always imagined being played at my wedding.
9. The Slits – Typical Girls: The slits have been a massive inspiration to the band, they were trailblazers. We started Adwaith because we only saw all male guitar bands in our local scene at the time, so we felt as though we needed to prove a point that we could do it too. Quite ballsy at 16 if you ask me. We used to listen to this before going on stage to hype us up.
10. Catatonia – International Velvet: Nothing makes me feel quite as patriotic as this song. This is the second Welsh anthem in my mind. I love the groove of the verses and I scream the verses at the top of my lungs whenever I hear it, always have always will! I became aware of catatonia very early on in my life, as my uncle Aled was the drummer. It was super cool and inspiring to me knowing that music in Welsh can be and is majorly successful.
Gwenllian:
1. Patio Song – Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci: Patio song was the first song I ever heard, except hymns and ‘Yma o Hyd’, that included the Welsh language. I never saw Welsh as something that could be used in an alternative, artistic sense before. Even though it’s only a small part of the song, it had a major impact on the way I viewed the language.
2. Blue Ridge Mountains – Fleet Foxes: I went through a major Fleet foxes phase in my mid teens, and this is the song that defines that era for me. It inspired me to buy a Mandolin, which featured on a lot of our earlier tracks. I was so used to hearing traditional folk, especially in school, that Fleet Foxes sounded so different to me and very much inspired my early songwriting.
3. Casserole Efeilliaid – Datblygu: I couldn’t compile a list of songs that have changed me without including ‘Datblygu’. I could have chosen any song but Casserole Efeilliaid is one that I vividly remember being obsessed with as a teenager. Although ‘Datblygu’ very much inspire me musically, more than anything, they have helped form my attitude towards music and towards the industry. If I ever feel myself getting overwhelmed or lost in the music industry, I always ask myself ‘What would ‘Datblygu’ do?
4. Mexico – The Staves: Again, I could have chosen any song from this album. I remember when iTunes used to release a free song, possibly every week, and that used to be the way I discovered new music. I discovered The Staves through their song ‘Wisely & Slow’ which was free to download. I owe a lot of my harmonising ability to this album, which is full of beautiful 3 piece harmonies. I often listen to this album still. I dread to know how many times I have…
5. 19-2000 – Gorillaz: One of my earliest musical memories is hearing ‘Get the cool, get the cool shoeshine’ whilst my parents were driving around Carmarthen. It’s a bit of a boring memory, but I remember it so vividly. I would also put this album in my top 3 favourite albums of all time. Every song is set in a different world, yet it all works together. That is such a feat, and is something I look to do myself when writing.
6. Vitamin C – Can: When I heard this song for the first time, I remember thinking ‘I’ve never heard anything like this before’. It’s so wacky yet groovy and the drums especially blew me away. I wish I could play the drums like that but I can barely keep a basic 4/4 rhythm.
7. Sound of The Underground – Girls Aloud: One of the best pop songs of the 21st century without a doubt. I LOVED Girls aloud and quite frankly, still do. I remember being on holiday abroad with my family and dancing on stage to this song at the mini disco. It was my earliest memory of being on a stage and Oh how I wish I could rewatch that now…
8. Chan Chan – Buena Vista social Club: This whole album was one of my first introductions to world music. My dad bought it to listen to on holiday and it lead me down a path of an endless and wonderful world of music. I’m constantly finding new sounds, new languages, new music from around the world and it all started with this song.
9. Bigmouth Strikes again – The Smiths: I think most people have had a Smiths phase and I’m definitely one of them. Andy Rourke’s melodic basslines has really inspired my style of playing. I remember one of the first basslines I tried to learn was Barbarism begins at home which was a bit ambitious perhaps…I should have started with ‘Psycho killer’.
10. Wrong Hand – Jessica Pratt: Jessica Pratt has really pulled me back to my folk roots recently. I only discovered her a couple of years back but she’s really had a big impact on what I’ve been listening to. I discovered Sibyl Baier, Vashti Bunyan and Margo Guryan through her, all of which are artists that are staples in my playlists.
So, diolch Heledd, Hollie and Gwenllian from Adwaith, it’s a fascinating into glimpse the songs that have inspired and entertained you.
Header photograph taken by Aled Llywelyn
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Introduction by Paul F Cook
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