Melin Melyn

“Inspiring cult-like devotion and a sea of daft grins are Welsh-speaking surf-pop heroes, Melin Melyn. Shrugging off the weight of the world through their topsy-turvy outlook, they spin hilarious yarns inspired by life’s mundanity”

The Guardian 

“primary-coloured, fizzing with melody and clearly part of the Welsh psychedelic tradition that has given us Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci and Super Furry Animals.”

Financial Times
 

“Melin Melyn provide entertainment in its purest form, and with no disrespect to other acts, it’s hard to imagine many others being able to pull it off in quite the same way.”

So Young

“idiosyncratic surf-poppers reimagining Welsh history” -NME

“a playful delight” -The i

“one to watch” - John Grant

“explosive and exhilarating” - DIY

“Welsh psychedelics channelling ancient folklore” - Guitar

“tongue-in-cheek lyricism &‘70s infused jangle melodies” - The Line Of Best Fit

“The band seem to walk their own path, blending giddy psychedelic elements with a raucous sense of post-punk.”- CLASH
 

Today - November 20th - Welsh six-piece Melin Melyn share ‘Promised Land’, the latest single from upcoming debut album  ‘Mill On The Hill’ , due March 7th via Kartel Music Group. The Welsh six-piece trade in their whimsical absurdism for an earnest country ballad that asks the tough questions, inspired by a young ballet dancer, desperately trying to dance her way out of poverty. “During the day, she performs with a smile on her face. At night she sleeps on bare boards with rats nibbling at her feet.” Its ending transmutes into a beautiful pairing of ambient guitar and pedal steel, the band leaving no genre or soundscape untouched on their quest to be undefined by genre. “All she craves is somewhere that will offer her safety, serenity and security. But where might that be? How might she get there? Who might offer her the opportunity of a lifetime?” 

Melin Melyn are more than just a band. They’re world-builders; storytellers absorbing a variety of elements from the increasingly strange times around us and using them to create fables that ruminate on grief, love, and hope. Their debut album Mill On The Hill  sees the band jump between surf-rock, country, prog-rock and psychedelia with the grace and skill of a band with numerous records under their belt, held together by an efficacious and fantastical thematic principle. Melin Melyn translates to ‘Yellow Mill’ in Welsh, and on this album the Welsh six-piece invite the audience into the world they have quite literally built around them. Mill On The Hill transports the listeners to the utopian ‘Melin Village’, a Seussian world where townsfolk “bask in the beauty of song.” Enter our protagonists, the six millers who work at the titular mill on the hill, powered by the music that they create.

First single Vitamin D, released earlier this year, is trademark Melin Melyn: sunny, surf-rock instrumentation, but with dark, thought provoking lyricism. “Ah, a bit of Vitamin D on a sunny day. Pretty essential for most of us, right? Not for the protagonist of this song, who’s fallen head over heels for a computer character called Annie.” The band last month also shared prog-rock epic Fantastic Food, further showcasing the band’s ability to create and excel in multiple genres. The band will support their debut album with an extensive run of UK tour dates, on sale now. 

Formed in 2019 by Gruff Glyn (lead vocals, guitar, saxophone) Will Barratt (lead guitar), Cai Dyfan (drums) and Garmon Rhys (bass, backing vocals; who also performs as The Mighty Observer) the band was Gruff’s first proper musical project. After a year or so performing as a foursome, the band were soon joined by Rhodri Brooks (pedal steel) and Dylan Morgan (keys), stalwarts of the Welsh music scene with their solo works AhGeeBe and DD Darillo, as well as their works with Novo Amor & Boy Azooga respectively, adding further gravitas and completing the sound that the band had been looking for.

This isn’t the first time Melin Melyn have turned their art into a narrative arc. Their 2023 headline UK tour saw the members perform as employees of the Jolly Baskets Supermarket Store located in Melin Village. But after the supermarket’s sad & sudden closure, they have now returned to what they know best - making music. Mill On The Hill sits somewhere between concept album and Lynchian musical theatre show, with elements of its loose narrative spilling into their live shows that have been acclaimed by The Guardian, The I, The Financial Times and many more. 

“Croeso! Welcome, one and all to the magical world of the Mill On The Hill. The yellow mill that sits on top of a hill, looking down on Melin Village and all of its wonderful occupants. Everyone is welcome here.” says Chief Miller Gruff. “Don’t be deceived, this is no ordinary mill. Our duty is to create music inside the mill for all the occupants of Melin Village, and anyone else who’d like to listen. Because, after all, who could imagine a world without music?”

On Mill On The Hill, Melin Melyn offer both respite & reflection. Hang up your coat, kick off your shoes, and join the millers on a saga of sonic escapism. 

Melin Melyn are:

Will Barratt - Guitar

Rhodri Brooks - Pedal Steel

Cai Dyfan - Drums

Gruff Glyn - Lead Vox, Guitar, Saxophone

Dylan Morgan - Keys

Garmon Rhys - Bass, Backing Vox