Gai breaks language barrier

Band members are Euron Jones (lead guitar), Gary Richardson (bass), Dion Hughes (drums) and Elaine Gelling (backing vocals). His friend, Adam Quaeck (of Titus Monk) makes a special appearance on one of the tracks.

The son of a bus driver he taught himself to play guitar on his sister’s Spanish guitar Gai is well known on the Welsh music scene having co-formed the popular Welsh language ska rock band Anweledig in 1992. From 1997 to 2007 he performed using the pseudonym Mim Twm Llai. He is also an actor and writes music for television and theatre.

Gai and his friends were musically motivated by the bands of the time, especially Welsh-language bands such as Ffa Coffi Pawb (Gruff Rhys’ band pre-Super Furry Animals) Mistecs, Cylchoed Hud, Hanner Pei and folk singer Meic Stevens.

He performs live with a five-piece band and also solo on acoustic guitar.

In the past few years he has acquired an old chapel vestry and converted it into a recording studio. He called it Sbensh after an uniquely Blaenau Ffestiniog word for the cupboard under the stairs.

“Its apt because it is in the Tanygrisiau area of Blaenau which means under the stairs,” he said.

In 2008 he released an ecoconcept album titled Rhwng y Llygru a’r Glasu. This brought two more BBC Radio Cymru RAP Awards to his collection, one for best songwriter and the other for best artist.

His latest work was a 22-song double album titled Bethel released in 2012.

The Wild, The Tame and the Feral on Recordiau Sbensh Records and is available to order online, price £7.99 plus £1.50 post and packing or on iTunes for download.