Y Ddelwedd planning album after ‘exhilarating’ Eisteddfod experience
The Coleg-Meirion Dwyfor band on winning the Battle of the Bands, what they plan to do with the £1,000 prize money, and their ambitions for the future
Y Ddelwedd have a busy few months ahead after winning the Battle of the Bands at this year’s National Eisteddfod.
The band comprises Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor A-level students Cian Clinc (drums), Eban Davies (rhythm guitar), Hari Emlyn (lead vocals), Enlli Jones (backing vocals), Owen Jones (lead guitar) and Isaac Parsons (bass guitar).
As the new term starts at college, they give their thoughts on playing the Maes B stage, their plans for the prize money, and where they hope to be in five years’ time.
What was it like performing at the Battle of the Bands?
Isaac: “It felt brilliant playing on the size of stage we did. The experience was the most professional setting we've played in and it was amazing being treated like professionals and getting to use professional gear. It was an exhilarating experience playing in front of a crowd of that size as well and I enjoyed the reactions we got from the audience.”
What did it mean to you to win the Battle of the Bands and play on the Maes B stage?
Cian: “It meant a lot to the band to be able to win, as we didn’t expect to win at all. All of the other bands were really good at performing and provided tough competition. Playing on the Maes B stage was really fun for all of us. We had decided to go all out for the gig and had a great time performing on stage, as it was an exciting experience for us all.”
How will the £1,000 prize money help you?
Enlli: “The £1,000 was such a generous prize and will help us immensely as a band, to grow and share our passion with as many people as possible.
“We have decided to not split the money - instead we will put it towards an album with a record label, to let people listen to our music which has been professionally recorded. This will hopefully get us played on the radio, and into more people's playlists.
“We would like to thank the Eisteddfod for this massive and unforgettable opportunity, and we will never forget the moments that led to us having the grounds to buy an album, and in the process growing as a band and developing our individual skill.”
What have you got coming up next?
Hari: “Next up on the calendar we've got two festivals: Gŵyl Gwyllt in Pwllheli (August 31) and Gŵyl y Glaw in Blaenau Ffestiniog (September 20). We're also playing in CellB in Blaenau Ffestiniog on September 6 and Hwyl yr Ŵyl in Pwllheli (November 28-30). In between we're contacting labels to try and put an album together. Rehearsing and writing is also a big priority in our schedules and we try to have at least one session per week (which is not at all helped by the craziness of Summer). We're keeping busy which is obviously the best way to be.”
How would you describe your sound? Where do you get your ideas for songs?
Owen: “Our sound derives from an abundance of influences. Everyone in the group has different music tastes and this comes across in our compositions.
“I think our sound is quite experimental. We don't write basic songs with feel-good chord progression and annoyingly catchy melody - our songs have deeper meanings. We don't write songs for the sake of it, we write them because it's just what we do. Our songs are born out of lengthy jam sessions, and are pieced together from that.”
How has being in college helped you with your music?
Eban: "We have been given the opportunity to perform a number of times at the college during lunchtime, which gave us experience during our early days of playing in front of a live audience. We are also very grateful to Osian Jones from the college who has been very supportive, promoting the band and offering gigs."
Where do you hope to be in five years’ time?
The band: “After five years we are hoping to have improved in our respective skills. We also hope to grow as a band, where people know our name when it gets mentioned, and we aim not to be limited to the North Wales area, but to play across Wales and possibly the UK.”
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