Welsh surf-rockers Melin Melyn pair wonky guitar energy with surreal lyrical themes to create a sound that wreaks of timelessness, whilst retaining a wholly modern sense of irreverence.
Debut EP Blomonj was released a month ago and plays as a joyful celebration to muddlement. Flitting between the languages of Welsh & English, Melin Melyn cover the full human condition through a thick veil of absurd wordplay and hypothetical showdowns between Jelly and Blomonj in a dada-esque approach to the traditional indie narrative.
We caught up with the 6-piece amidst their busy festival run, which included killer performances at Green Man and End of the Road.
We are big fans of your Blomonj EP! Was it a challenge to access the sillier edges of your songwriting during such a bleak year? Or was the surreality a nice escape?
Hello RIOT! The songs on this EP were actually written before the pandemic. However, after the bleak year we’ve all had, the next EP will probably be heavily influenced by a mix of emo-death-metal and gregorian chanting.
Your video for ‘Lucy’s Odyssey’ is the perfect psychedelic accompaniment to the track. How was the process of making it?
We have an amazing artist for the band called Edie Morris. She is as much part of the band as anyone on stage. It’s actually her playing the leading role in the video. It’s almost like she created her own video game and put herself in it. She’s a genius.
Did you have any trepidations about writing in Welsh? Is it a dumb English assumption to say that Super Furry Animals’ Mwng LP must be a great cultural touchstone for any Welsh-speaking artists?
Mwng is an incredible album. I love it. What makes it so great though is the quality regardless of the language. It’s a privilege to be able to speak and sing in Welsh, but it’s natural to us, so no trepidations whatsoever. If anyone asks me “why do you sing in Welsh” (which has happened) my answer would be “why not?”
Wales are producing some great indie acts at the moment, with yourself, Boy Azooga, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard & Rosehip Teahouse all causing excitement. Could we be seeing a revival of the Cool Cymru of the 90s?
There’s great music that came out in the 90s and great music coming out now for sure! I’m from Cardiff, and there have always been great bands coming out of there. One of the best things about being in a band is the sense of community, and the Cardiff music community is glorious. However, Cardiff Council need to stop knocking down countless music venues or there won’t be anywhere for these bands to play.
We loved your set at Green Man this year! Which other artists who were on the bill are worth checking out?
Our friends from Cardiff – Boy Azooga and Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard always bring a hell of a show. Also, our friend Teddy Hunter recently won the Green Man Rising Competition – she’s fantastic. Seeing as there are so many other bands, I’ll only name ones that I hadn’t yet seen play live – Thundercat, Hen Ogledd, Aoife Ness Frances, Kokoroko, Los Bitchos, H Hawkline, Yard Sale….oh dear…the list goes on! We had the pleasure of supporting a band a few times in our early days – Golden Dregs – they’re brilliant too..
check out Melin Melyn’s Blomonj EP everywhere now
photo credit: Edie Morris
