Adwaith

Today, Welsh trio Adwaith – comprising Hollie Singer, Gwenllian Anthony, and Heledd Owen – proudly announce their third studio album, Solas, set to be a powerful addition to their genre-defying discography. Overflowing with romance and magic, this 23-track double album will complete a coming-of-age trilogy chronicling their transformation from teenagers into empowered women, exploring themes of self-discovery, escape, and resilience. To celebrate, Adwaith has released a new single, “Miliwn,” and announced an extensive tour spanning the UK and Europe.

First influenced by the counterculture music scene of their Carmarthen hometown, and the Welsh-language bands who passed through the doors of iconic local venue The Parrot, the band – who were still teenagers when they began creating music together – felt an impulsive desire to escape their hometown early on, but the pulse of west Wales has always remained. Solas represents the closing chapter of an evolution that has taken them around the world and brought them back home. Written in Carmarthenshire’s bucolic landscapes, this album serves as a spiritual homecoming and a meditation on belonging and identity.

With Solas, Adwaith completes a coming-of-age trilogy that began with 2018’s Welsh Music Prize-winning Melyn and 2022’s Welsh Music Prize-winning Bato Mato, which took them on a literal and figurative journey far from home. After travelling across Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Railway for Bato Mato, Adwaith found themselves reflecting on home even in the unfamiliar landscapes of Outer Siberia. Now, Solas offers a raw yet uplifting exploration of self-discovery and grounding, expressed in the album’s Celtic title meaning “light of being” or “enlightenment.” “It’s about finding that home, and that safe space, within yourself,” shares Hollie Singer, “and rediscovering what makes your inner child happy.”

Sonically, this record marks a shift from the band’s earlier post-punk influences, drawing instead from a rich tapestry of musical tastes. Over years spent driving to gigs in their small hatchback, the trio has built a vast collection of playlists, covering all the bases from ABBA to Turkish rock, fueling their journeys with eclectic sounds. Key influences on the album include The Cure’s moody rock, the avant-garde rhythms of Lizzy Mercier Descloux, the desert blues of Tinariwen, and the psychedelic folk of Jessica Pratt.

Much of Solas was written at Heledd’s house, a stone’s throw from the eco-commune of Tipi Valley in West Wales, and recorded in West Wales, Lisbon and the Outer Hebrides. These remote and myth-rich locations have influenced Solas’ spiritual atmosphere and musical journey. “It reminded me of home, in a way,” Singer reflects of the Outer Hebrides, which became a daily source of inspiration. It was there, overlooking Luskentyre Beach, that the band encountered a building named “Solas.” Drummer Heledd Owen shares, “the symmetry felt too magical to ignore,” shaping the album’s resonance with both place and self.

The newly released single “Miliwn” is a celebratory reminder of life’s precious moments and the importance of directing energy towards people and places that make life worthwhile. "Miliwn is a song about realising how little time we have on this planet," explains the band, "and encourages you to give your energy and love to people and places that make you feel good. It’s a reminder to celebrate your small wins and romanticise your life in any way you can.” Blending infectious rhythms with a touch of introspective moodiness, “Miliwn” marries the feel-good energy of the Happy Mondays with the depth of The Cure.

To support Solas, Adwaith will embark on a tour across the UK and Europe. This milestone project solidifies their uncompromising creative vision, weaving Cymraeg into their music as a vital instrument that resonates on an instinctive level. “The use of Cymraeg throughout Solas feels natural, truthful, and necessary,” shares Gwenllian Anthony. “We wanted listeners to feel something instinctive and emotional in the music, whether or not they understood every word.”

With Solas, out Feb 7th via Libertino Records, Adwaith breaks new ground, becoming the first female Welsh-language band to release a double album, embodying the fearlessness and clarity that has always driven them. “I feel like we’re confident in ourselves as musicians, and our sound, and the world that we want to create,” says Hollie Singer. “We feel fully realised.”