Melys
Encyclopedia
Melys are a Welsh
independent rock
band from Betws-y-Coed
in Conwy
, Wales
, formed in 1996. They sing in both English
and Welsh
. They have recorded eleven sessions for John Peel
on BBC Radio 1
, came first in his Festive Fifty
in 2001 and won Best Welsh-language Act at the Welsh Music Awards in 2002.
in 1996. The two became both musical and personal partners and recruited Adams' brother Gary Husband on drums and their friend Carys Jones on keyboards.
After releasing two EP's
with local label Ankstmusik
the group was signed to Pinnacle Records releasing their first album Rumours and Curses in 1998. Unfortunately their relations with Pinnacle, always strained, fell apart completely when that label went bankrupt at the end of the year. The group subsequently founded their own label, Sylem Records, on which their second album Kamikaze was released. Jones left the band at around this time to be replaced by Richard Eardley who continues as bassist with them to this day.
John Peel
, a long-time fan of the group (and with whom they recorded no fewer than 11 Peel Sessions) introduced the group to Dutch
band Seedling in late 2000 and they released a split single in collaboration with them (the song on Seedling's side was called "Cool Baby My Hips Go Woo") in early 2001.
Suikerspin (Dutch
for candy floss), Melys' third album, was released in 2001. They scored some considerable success when the single from this album called "Chinese Whispers" was voted number one in Peel's Festive Fifty
at the end of the year.
After this success Melys apparently shied away from the public eye, returning in 2003 with their fourth album Casting Pearls. Their latest release was Life's Too Short (a title (and album) dedicated to Peel) in 2005. At least one song on every album is in the Welsh language
, for which the group do not provide an English translation, either in the printed lyrics or on their website.
The band have not released or played any gigs since March 2004, as Parker and Adams opened Bistro Betws-y-coed in their hometown, specialising in Welsh food.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
independent rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It has a population of 534. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon Old English 'bed-hus' - i.e. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory...
in Conwy
Conwy (county borough)
Conwy County Borough is a unitary authority area in North Wales.-Geography:It contains the major settlements of Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Llanrwst, Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, Colwyn Bay, Abergele, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan, and has a total population of about 110,000.The River Conwy, after...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, formed in 1996. They sing in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. They have recorded eleven sessions for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, came first in his Festive Fifty
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
in 2001 and won Best Welsh-language Act at the Welsh Music Awards in 2002.
History and line-up
The group was formed by Andrea Parker (vocals) and Paul Adams (guitar and keyboards) when the two met in Betws-y-CoedBetws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It has a population of 534. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon Old English 'bed-hus' - i.e. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory...
in 1996. The two became both musical and personal partners and recruited Adams' brother Gary Husband on drums and their friend Carys Jones on keyboards.
After releasing two EP's
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
with local label Ankstmusik
Ankstmusik
Ankstmusik is a Welsh independent record label formed in 1997 by Emyr Glyn Williams following the dissolution of the Ankst label. Relocating from Cardiff to Pentraeth on Anglesey, Ankstmusik continued pretty much where Ankst left off, releasing material by such bands as Llwybr Llaethog, Datblygu,...
the group was signed to Pinnacle Records releasing their first album Rumours and Curses in 1998. Unfortunately their relations with Pinnacle, always strained, fell apart completely when that label went bankrupt at the end of the year. The group subsequently founded their own label, Sylem Records, on which their second album Kamikaze was released. Jones left the band at around this time to be replaced by Richard Eardley who continues as bassist with them to this day.
John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, a long-time fan of the group (and with whom they recorded no fewer than 11 Peel Sessions) introduced the group to Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
band Seedling in late 2000 and they released a split single in collaboration with them (the song on Seedling's side was called "Cool Baby My Hips Go Woo") in early 2001.
Suikerspin (Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
for candy floss), Melys' third album, was released in 2001. They scored some considerable success when the single from this album called "Chinese Whispers" was voted number one in Peel's Festive Fifty
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
at the end of the year.
After this success Melys apparently shied away from the public eye, returning in 2003 with their fourth album Casting Pearls. Their latest release was Life's Too Short (a title (and album) dedicated to Peel) in 2005. At least one song on every album is in the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, for which the group do not provide an English translation, either in the printed lyrics or on their website.
The band have not released or played any gigs since March 2004, as Parker and Adams opened Bistro Betws-y-coed in their hometown, specialising in Welsh food.
Discography (albums and EPs)
- Fragile EP (1996)
- Cuckoo EP (1997)
- Rumours and Curses (1998)
- Diwifr EP (1998)
- Lemming EP (1998)
- Ambulance Chaser EP (1998)
- Baby Tornado EP (1999)
- Slagging Off Tourists EP (1999)
- Kamikaze (2000)
- Un Darllenwr Lwcus EP (2000)
- I Don't Believe in You 7" EP (2001)
- Chinese Whispers EP (2001)
- Suikerspin compilation (2001)
- So Good EP (2002)
- Casting Pearls (2003)
- Eyeliner EP (2004)
- Life's Too Short (2005)