Pennod 13 Ochr 1

-Subtitles

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-Subtitles

-Ffug, originally from Preseli,

-have been busy touring...

-..and recording their debut album at

-Strangetown studios, Cardiff Bay...

-

-strangetown records | Free Listening on SoundClouhttps://soundcloud.com/strangetown-records

-..with Dafydd Ieuan

-from the Super Furry Animals.

-This film

-follows Iolo Selyf and the band...

-..in the days

-leading up to the album launch.

-I'm very sick.

-Top lad.

-Ffug rehearsal before album launch

-Cardiff Bay

-Guys, are we going to have fags

-and stuff for the raffle?

-For the raffle tomorrow.

-The Ffug album launch.

-Chroma and Mellt are involved too.

-

-Lansiad Albwm FFUG / FFUG Album Launch - Mellt - Chroma

-https://www.facebook.com/event

- 20/

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-We're going to do a couple

-of run-throughs, though I'm ill.

-I'll just be quiet.

-I won't belt it as it's pointless.

-When I'm on stage

-and I sing and stuff...

-..to do the frontman thing...

-..I have to almost believe

-I'm the coolest person in the room.

-I don't normally feel like that.

-It's very rare I feel cool

-in a roomful of people.

-This is the reality!

-The facade is broken.

-Any of you guys

-want a cup of tea or coffee?

-I'd love a coffee.

-I'm alright.

-Do you have any peppermint tea?

-Do you have any peppermint tea?

-

-Chamomile.

-Where's my favourite mug?

-Five of us live here -

-Sam, Llywelyn, Rowan and Haran.

-

-Haran Guroonath - ffrind Facebook iddo

-

-Cardi

-

-dom

-One's studying Physics...

-..two are studying History

-and one's studying Business.

-This is the kitchen.

-Sorry it's not clean.

-Can I have a tug on your fag?

-Thank you.

-Chest freezer.

-It's good for freezing large stuff.

-Ffug started when I was in Year 9.

-We were more of a covers band first.

-Me, Joey and Billy.

-We had a friend called Dan

-who played bass.

-A lot of the time,

-we'd make more money than we do now.

-We'd do weddings and charge 500

-for a three-hour set.

-I think the discipline

-of doing covers first...

-..helped us to go on

-and do our own stuff.

-The way we've used

-the Welsh language in the band...

-..has been quite natural.

-No fuss or media statements

-about it.

-We can all speak Welsh

-in the band...

-..but I'm the only one who speaks it

-as a first language at home.

-So I suppose there was pressure

-within the band at the start...

-..to just do stuff in English

-but I didn't want to.

-The truth is it's easier

-to be a good Welsh-language band...

-..than an English one.

-I like to take photos

-and go out filming.

-Just go out

-and take photos of trees.

-It's a way for me to remember stuff.

-Just go back to stuff.

-I like to make frames and pictures.

-I want to be a photographer

-some day.

-One of my friends...

-..said that every photographer

-tends to be weird.

-They have the ability to not quite

-be in a room but be able to film it.

-That's definitely me.

-Moving to Cardiff made me happier

-than I was in Pembrokeshire.

-There's less turmoil in my head.

-That sounds silly.

-In terms of what I want to do

-and what's going on in my life.

-I feel more settled.

-The next record might be crap

-as I'm so content.

-I didn't get on with a lot of people

-in Pembrokeshire.

-I didn't really fit in

-with the whole rugby thing.

-Drinking pints

-and being a macho man.

-A lot of my school friends

-were girls.

-I don't know.

-It's the small town syndrome thing,

-I suppose.

-I wasn't, you know...

-I fitted in OK, I suppose.

-It wasn't like people hated me.

-But I didn't feel at home there.

-I was the odd boy listening to music

-by myself in the park...

-..and writing stuff.

-I'm still angry

-about a lot of things.

-I still have angst...

-..just it's angst that's expressed

-in a more rational or mature way.

-Being angsty is quite easy.

-At the minute, I don't feel

-much of a connection...

-..with the first EP,

-Cofiwch Dryweryn.

-The song that did best on that

-record was Llosgwch Y Ty I Lawr.

-For us as a band,

-it was more of a joke song.

-A sickly sweet, annoying song

-which gets stuck in your head.

-It doesn't reflect us as a band

-at all, really.

-I was 15 at the time

-so it's OK for me now.

-Llosgwch Y Ty I Lawr

-and Lladd Eich Rhieni...

-..are, like many songs, about things

-you're not supposed to do.

-Don't Sit Down

-'Cause I've Moved Your Chair.

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-Arctic Monkeys -- Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair ...

-https://www.youtube.

-

-YbHHhqYE

-That kind of thing.

-Ours was done

-by a couple of young lads.

-At the time,

-I had quite a high-pitched voice.

-Almost soprano.

-Whingy.

-But it is what it is.

-Some people still like it

-which is cool.

-But we don't play it in gigs

-because we can't stand it.

-Wish I had one of them.

-The new set - would that be

-adding Llosgwch Y Ty I Lawr?

-Can we go through this?

-Do you want to run through this?

-No idea

-how much groovier that sounds.

-That's controlled.

-Shall we take ten and come back

-and do it a bit calmer?

-Back to do some more.

-Oh, Daf!

-Pussies.

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-Subtitles

-Album launch gig,

-The Moon Club, Cardiff

-Ffug Album Launch. Free of charge

-We're in The Moon Club

-for the launch of Ffug's album.

-Chroma and Mellt are supporting us.

-It's nice to release it at last.

-Just excited.

-Yes. I hope people come

-to fill out the room.

-It should be OK, I think.

-We've practised.

-We're fairly confident.

-Hope for the best.

-Almost two and a half years of work

-and a lot of waiting around.

-It's really lovely

-to have something hard in your hand.

-The record's a bit tamer

-than our live sound.

-We're a bit heavier

-and a little shoutier live.

-It's a lot more car-friendly.

-I think the way Daf produces

-has helped that a lot.

-In terms of lyrics,

-they're quite personal.

-A lot of it's about relationships

-I've had with friends and stuff...

-..and things I've heard people say.

-Over the last three years,

-we've got to where we want to go.

-We've done more gigs

-and worked really hard.

-I'm never happy with anything we do.

-I was backstage at one of our gigs

-saying...

-.."It's only three-quarters full."

-Just get over it, man.

-It's hard to be happy

-with everything you do...

-..even it's all going well.

-Just constantly on a mission.

-If you're not on a mission, there's

-not much point doing anything.

-I think everyone enjoys attention.

-I'm aware of it.

-I know when I do get attention

-it makes me feel odd!

-Honestly.

-I don't think I'm a very good

-frontman unless I'm on stage.

-The rest of it feels fake to me.

-When I speak to people

-I don't really know that well...

-..I'm really nice and polite

-to them...

-..just because that's your job

-if you're in a band...

-..and they say they liked you

-or that you were alright.

-It's something

-I'm still trying to improve.

-We started recording

-around a year ago.

-I met Daf through Sarah,

-our manager.

-Daf showed an interest.

-We just started

-putting stuff down...

-..without too much of a mandate that

-it was going to be a serious album.

-I grew up listening

-to the Furries and Ffa Coffi Pawb...

-..so I'm very happy that Daf's sound

-and the way he mixes and produces...

-..has come through on the record.

-It's a record

-made in a studio in Butetown.

-All the energy that went into it...

-..from us, Daf and the backing

-vocalists has come through.

-Mandala is about the type of sex

-you have with someone...

-..when you're in a relationship.

-It's different...

-..to what you're like

-with someone off the street.

-Not off the street!

-Can I say that again please?!

-I was sitting in the studio

-with Daf and Sarah.

-I was talking about a lyric

-I used in a demo.

-"This is practically

-a Jesus and Mary Chain rip-off."

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-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jesus_and_Mary_Chain

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-I wasn't happy

-that it was so similar.

-The rest were like,

-"Fuck it, go for it.

-"It's like stealing in a good way."

-They said I needn't be scared

-if it sounds good.

-The chorus...

-..is about enjoying sex

-in a relationship, I suppose!

-I'm here tonight

-because I've heard a lot about Ffug.

-Seen a lot of them.

-A lot of people have been

-talking about them for a while.

-It feels like the album

-has been coming for a while.

-I'm looking forward

-to hearing the songs.

-I'm also looking forward

-to see Chroma.

-I've heard good things about them.

-We're playing with Ffug tonight.

-I'm really looking forward to it.

-I'm really looking forward to it.

-

-Ffug are awesome.

-Ffug were the Welsh-language band

-who inspired us to write in Welsh.

-So it's a huge honour

-to be playing with them tonight.

-I started listening to Ffug

-and then passed it on to the boys.

-We were all like, "Wow!"

-We heard the album probably...

-Two weeks ago?

-Two weeks ago?

-

-Two or three weeks ago.

-It's a really good album.

-I work with Iolo, so he was like,

-"Listen to the album!" "OK!"

-We want to be, not the same as Ffug,

-but to have some of their spice.

-They're amazing.

-I'm Sarah. I'm Ffug's manager.

-This has been a brilliant year for

-Ffug as they finished their album.

-The album launch is tonight.

-They went on tour with Super

-Furry Animals, which was amazing.

-It was

-a fantastic experience for them.

-I think

-they've grown so much this year.

-They've learned so much.

-I'm super proud of them.

-I'd like to do bigger tours

-and then maybe back to recording.

-I think we're looking to do a

-Welsh-language album in the future.

-I also have to say

-a massive big thank you to Daf...

-..from me and the band.

-They don't say it to him enough

-but he's worked so hard.

-Without him, I don't think the album

-would've happened like this.

-The recording didn't take long.

-I was busy touring

-with the Furries...

-..so I'd go back and work on it

-when I had the time.

-That's why it took a while, really.

-We waited for a release date

-which suited...

-..so here we are tonight.

-They're the first Strangetown band

-outside the bubble...

-..in that they don't have

-anything to do with me or Cian.

-It'll be interesting.

-It's nice to work with someone whose

-music is nothing to do with me.

-I just help,

-well, hopefully I've helped.

-I really like them.

-A lot of people whose views I trust

-said I should check them out.

-I went to see them once...

-..and asked them if they wanted

-to do an album...

-..in my studio in Cardiff Bay.

-I just liked them and thought

-they had something to offer.

-They do.

-When I'm on the stage singing,

-that's real.

-A lot of it depends on me psyching

-myself up to believe I'm cool.

-I don't often know what I'm doing

-when I'm doing it.

-That self-belief

-that you're really cool...

-..whatever.

-Every gig is a massive effort

-for us to perfect our craft...

-..and put on a live show.

-It's fun. It's a fun learning curve.

-Doing any gig, be it in a pub

-or with a big PA and 1,000 people...

-..is the same for us at the minute.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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