Pennod 20 Ochr 1

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-Welcome to Ochr 1.

-I'm going to do this link

-a little bit slower than usual...

-..because we're a bit short

-on content tonight.

-Here's what's coming up.

-A session with Swnami.

-A chat with Gwion and Mali

-from the group Villagers.

-We have a video for

-Hir Oes I'r Drefn by Yr Ods.

-Singing a song

-off their new album...

-..their first album

-believe it or not...

-..here are Swnami with Trwmgwsg.

-Swnami, here we are once again.

-Another interview.

-You've got a new album.

-That is why you're here.

-That is why you're here.

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-At last.

-Indeed.

-Tell us about the album, Ifan.

-It's taken about ten years

-for it to come into existence.

-It's our first album.

-It's eleven tracks.

-That includes a short intro.

-You've got a sly intro.

-You've got a sly intro.

-

-Yes, a sly, cheeky intro.

-It's 11 tracks.

-We recorded it with Rich

-at Ferlas Studio, Penrhyndeudraeth.

-I don't know what else to say.

-I don't know what else to say.

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-Have we heard the songs before?

-Are they 11 new songs?

-There are five, I think...

-..that have been kind of released

-since last summer.

-We did some of the songs

-for the Radio Cymru programme...

-..and there's another song we did

-when we went to Eurosonic.

-We wanted to release a song

-with that tour.

-That was Magnet.

-It's not like these songs

-have been heard a lot.

-We haven't pushed them. We wanted

-to keep them back for the album.

-Do you have a plan with it?

-Are you planning on sending it

-to British and European radio?

-Are you going to plug it?

-Because we went over to Eurosonic,

-we have quite a few contacts.

-We've got a lot

-of people's email addresses.

-These people are quite influential.

-We're thinking

-of sending emails out.

-There is some mention

-of plugging with I KA CHING.

-We'll see how the songs go down.

-We'll see what I KA CHING's plan is.

-You've reached a point

-with the band now...

-..where you've possibly reached

-the peak of the music scene.

-What's next?

-Is there an extra step you can take?

-How do you want to do it?

-It's quite hard.

-I'm sure many bands in Wales have

-felt this and reached this level.

-I'm sure a lot of bands

-just disappear and break up.

-I'm not sure, we'll see.

-It's happened quite quickly for us.

-We haven't released much.

-This is our first album.

-It's still quite fresh for us. I'm

-sure people have had enough of us!

-Frizbee released three albums

-over five years.

-Maybe we'll take it a bit slower

-with the gigs.

-We might concentrate

-on releasing music.

-Someone else writes the lyrics

-for you every now and then.

-For this album, Ifan Owain

-wrote most of the lyrics.

-Huw Ynyr, who is out in Australia

-travelling...

-..he pops up every now and then.

-Does he email songs to you

-from Australia?

-No, usually

-in the process of writing...

-..we'd come up with the music

-and send it over.

-We'd send it to Ifan and maybe he

-wouldn't feel the words flowed...

-..for a particular song

-so then we'd get Huw to take a look.

-It tends to happen naturally.

-I don't know what else to ask

-other than can we see your tattoo?

-No?

-I'm fine, thanks, Griff.

-How much more cash do you need

-to show us your tattoo?

-You haven't paid me anything yet.

-OK, fair enough.

-It's been an excellent year

-for Llareggub Brass Band.

-They've travelled all over Wales...

-..opening the minds of music fans

-to the sounds of brass.

-From great sessions on C2 and Ochr 1

-to a packed gig at the Eisteddfod...

-..to the highlight so far, the

-release of a tribute album to Mwng.

-To celebrate, here they are...

-..with their version

-of Furries' classic, Nythod Cacwn.

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-Gwion and Mali,

-formerly of Race Horses...

-..have been busy travelling

-the world with Villagers...

-..an Irish artist

-signed to the label Domino.

-Ochr 1 caught up with them recently.

-It started when we were in a band

-together called Race Horses.

-We had these managers

-called Darren and Julie.

-As it turns out...

-..they were also managing

-this other group, Villagers...

-..among others.

-When we split up as a band...

-..Conor was going through

-a transitional period in his music.

-Darren just phones us.

-We rehearsed together in Cardiff

-to see how things sounded.

-We started doing gigs

-straight away then.

-We knew it was definitely

-going to be a step up.

-The first gigs were in Ireland too.

-We knew they had a lot of fans.

-It's so different to Race Horses.

-It is totally different.

-I've never played with brushes

-before. That's all I do now.

-There's one song

-where I hit with a wooden stick...

-..about six times in the whole song.

-It's a six-minute song.

-That's the only thing that's similar

-to what I've done before.

-It's totally different.

-It's a lot more.

-The audiences are always

-totally silent when we're playing.

-We aren't used to that either.

-Conor has been writing

-for about seven years now.

-He was in another band

-before Villagers.

-Intermediate? No.

-Intermediate? No.

-

-Immediate.

-Whoops, cut that out!

-As Villagers,

-he released two albums.

-Both were nominated

-for the Mercury prize.

-The first was Becoming a Jackal.

-I loved that album.

-When it first came out,

-I thought, "Oh!"

-The songs he has on there...

-..and the way he's put them together

-are great.

-It was definitely

-a new experience for us.

-The first tour was about

-seven and a half weeks long.

-We did it all on a bus.

-It was like a sleeper bus.

-Mali didn't sleep any night.

-She was on a bus

-with six smelly blokes.

-It was nice to wake up

-in a different city every day.

-Then wait five hours

-for Gwion to get up.

-Then we'd have breakfast.

-Then we'd have breakfast.

-

-I went to bed quite late.

-I wasn't very disciplined.

-We had a lot of fun in Germany.

-I'm not sure

-if it was where we were...

-..or if it was because we played

-in a place where they made wine.

-We've done a lot

-in Germany actually.

-The countries we visited the most...

-..particularly in the summer

-were Germany and the Netherlands.

-For some reason, I'm not sure why,

-we're doing alright.

-We're being whisked from one side

-of the world to the other.

-That's an incredible experience.

-It's totally worth it.

-It's been an incredible year.

-Since we started

-working with him in January...

-..it's just been

-one thing after another.

-At no point has it got boring.

-Closing tonight's programme

-are Swnami with Mewn Lliw.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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