News

Local artist of the week – Adwaith

Published

9 years ago

January 11, 2016

THE HERALD spoke with the delightful all-girl Welsh-medium band Adwaith from Carmarthen this week.

Adwaith’s sound is a mixture of folk, indie and alternative with harmonies being a key element throughout their songs. The band’s main influences lyrically are The Staves, but they tell us that they take a lot of inspiration from Fleet Foxes and First Aid Kit too.

Their live shows are very chilled and relaxed, which makes them quite different from the many Welsh rock bands in the area.

The girls from Adwaith all grew up playing instruments or singing, but it was the Welsh music scene which sparked their interest in music.

“The Welsh music scene has become more popular in recent years because of events such as Maes B and Gwyl Crug Mawr. I think that’s what has really inspired us to get this band together.”

Gwenllian, Hollie and Chelsea started creating music together as a three piece last August, but the girls found their drummer, Heledd, at the first gig they played soon after.

Starting off as a three piece, Adwaith played folk instruments such as the guitar and mandolin, but they have slowly introduced some electric guitar and bass into their music over the last couple of months.

They told us that the added drums has taken their music “to the next level” and boosted their sound, too.

“We’re just having fun experimenting and finding our sound,” they said.

We asked the girls how they fit into the west Wales music scene, to which they replied: “There aren’t many bands with our sound in the area and very few all-girl bands. So I believe people are very intrigued to see what we have to offer.”

We went on to discuss the male-dominated music industry and the girls spoke about what it is like to be an all-girl band in such a heavily male field.

“We’ve had a tonne of messages saying how great it is to see an all-girl band. It’s something different that people seem to have a lot of interest in!”

We then spoke about the benefits and drawbacks of being in a Welsh-medium band.

“The Welsh music scene is very small compared to the English music scene but everyone knows each other! It sounds cliché but it’s one big community and everyone supports each other.

“The downfall is that there aren’t as many gigs because of the lack of Welsh speakers in the area but we hope by introducing Welsh music, we can change that!”

Adwaith advise that we should also be listening to Ffug, Ysgol Sul, Mellt and Cpt. Smith, who are all from west Wales.

“What’s the best advice you have been given so far?” we asked.

“The best advice we’ve been given is to not change our sound for anyone. We need to keep the originality and not lose our quirkiness or naivety.”

They added that the advice they would give to someone thinking of creating their own music would be to “do it!”

“It’s not a massive money maker and it takes a lot of your time, but it’s worth it when you get praised for your music and when you meet a load of new, awesome people.”

When we went on to ask what the most memorable response to their music has been, Adwaith said: “I guess being asked to play in Clwb Ifor Bach at the end of this month when we’ve only just started off. The response has been really great and we hope it continues to grow.”

Adwaith are playing a gig at The Parrot on Friday (Jan 15) and then they will play at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff on January 30.

They said that they are hoping to get some demos recorded soon and they may release an EP later in the year.

Charity

Letterston dog show raises over £750 for local charities

Published

2 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ON SUNDAY (Dec 22), Letterston Ring Craft successfully raised £755.55 for two Pembrokeshire-based charities during a fun dog show event. The funds were equally split between South Pembrokeshire Cat Rescue and Letterston Memorial Hall.

The event featured a variety of well-attended classes, including child handling and fancy dress, drawing participation from dog enthusiasts of all levels.

This fundraiser marked the first charitable event supporting South Pembrokeshire Cat Rescue. Founded and managed by Lizzy Austwick, the rescue organisation aids unwanted, feral, and sick cats across Pembrokeshire and responds to urgent cases in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. The rescue provides neutering support for stray and feral cats, directs owners to available resources, and specialises in helping stray cats with severe injuries, raising essential funds for their care.

For assistance, Lizzy can be contacted via the rescue’s Facebook page or at 07575 131443.

Letterston Ring Craft welcomes new members interested in training and showing their dogs, from local companion shows to prestigious events like Crufts. The club meets every other Sunday in Letterston, and further details can be found on their Facebook page.

Looking ahead, the next fun dog show is scheduled for early next year and will support Belle’s Story Charity. For more information or to get involved, contact Gentle Lowe at 07956 653401.

Charity

£3,800 donated to services across Withybush Hospital

Published

3 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE CAMROSE VINTAGE WORKING DAY team has donated £3,800 to services across Withybush Hospital.

Their 37^th annual event raised a record breaking £25,000, which has now been distributed among 26 local charities.

They donated the funds to the Stroke Ward, Specialist Respiratory Team, Chemo Day Unit and Heads Up! Hair Loss Initiative at Withybush Hospital. Each service received £950.

The Heads Up! initiative provides a person-centred, holistic hair loss service for cancer patients. It brings together healthcare and haircare professionals from local communities to give patients the knowledge and products needed to manage their hair loss with dignity and choice.

Katie Hancock, Fundraising Officer, said: “Thank you to Andrew, the team and the supporters of the Camrose Vintage Working Day for your generosity once again. Your donation to each service is amazing and will make a big difference. We are hugely grateful for your wonderful support.

“The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

Pictured above: Andrew James, Chairman of Camrose Vintage Working Day with Withybush Hospital staff from the Stroke Ward, Specialist Respiratory Team, Chemo Day Unit, Heads Up! Hair Loss initiative.

Community

Neyland Community Christmas Lunch a festive success

Published

4 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

NEYLAND TOWN COUNCIL rolled up their sleeves to support this year’s Community Christmas Lunch, spreading festive cheer and warm hospitality to attendees on Christmas Day at the Alumchine.

Councillors Steve Campodonic, David Devauden, Steve Thomas, and Brian Rothero began their efforts as early as 7:30am, working tirelessly to ensure the event ran smoothly.

The dedicated organisers, including Trish Campodonic, Pam, and Lloyd Hamilton, along with other volunteers, created a welcoming space filled with festive spirit and a delicious meal with all the trimmings.

The event brought together members of the community who might otherwise have spent the day alone, highlighting the warmth and generosity that Neyland is known for.

A heartfelt ‘Well done’ to everyone involved for making this Christmas lunch a resounding success and spreading joy to so many.