Plu
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Plu

Caernarfon, Wales, United Kingdom | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | INDIE

Caernarfon, Wales, United Kingdom | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2014
Band Folk Alternative

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Music

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"Interview with Arwel Lloyd: Gildas"

Artistiaid sy’n dy gyffroi …

Mae Plu yn un band sy’n wedi ennyn fy sylw yn ddiweddar. Mae eu harddull cyfansoddi, set-yp gwerinol a’r lleisiau hudolus yn rhywbeth sydd yn apelio yn fawr. Mae gwrando yn teimlo fel cam nol i’r 70′au cynnar, sy’n beth da!! Does dim degawd gyfoethocach o ran canwyr/cynfansoddwyr. Allai ddim aros i’w halbwm gyntaf ddod allan.

Translation: Artists that excite you...

'Plu is a band that has caught my attention recently. Their compositional style, their folky set-up and the magical voices is something that appeals to me a lot. Listening to them feels like a step back to the early 70s, wich is a good thing!! No other decade is richer in terms of singer/songwriters. I can not wait for their first album to come out.' - Y Llwyfan


"Adolygiad Gŵyl Gwydir"

Dechreuodd y nos Wener gyda pherfformiad band ifanc newydd o’r enw Plu (prif leisydd y Bandana â’i chwiorydd) ac roedd hwnnw’n ddechreuad da, yn creu awyrgylch dymunol a chadarnhaol. Yn ddiddorol, gig Plu oedd yn unig gyfle i ni glywed lleisiau benywaidd (lleisiau da, gyda llaw!) - Marta Klonowska, Asia Rybelska

Translation - 'Friday night started with a performance by a young, new band called Plu (Y Bandana's lead vocalist and his sisters) and that was a great start, creating a desirable and positive atmosphere. Interestingly, Plu's set was our only chance to hear female voices (great voices, by the way!)' - Golwg360


"SŴN FESTIVAL 2013 – THE DEBRIEF: SATURDAY"

I took flight in the opposite direction and made my way out to St. John’s Church in Canton where I stumbled upon the last two songs of what appeared to have been a charming and intimate set by Welsh-folk band Plu. - - On The Beat


"Sŵn 2013: John Rostron: ‘It’s Not A Job To Us’"

St John’s is a lovely space so I’m very excited about that one. We’ve got Marika Hackman, Nick Mulvey and Plu (pronounced Plee) who are a fantastic trio that play traditional Welsh music. - John Rostron - This is Fake DIY


"Swn Festival Line Up"

Representing Caernarfon, this Welsh speaking trio hold a chemistry that’s evident both onstage and on record. Soundscapes of harmonising Welsh language vocals carry a slightly sullen and pained timbre, made all the more evocative with a sweetening of reverb. There’s no shortage of acoustic music on the Swn line up this year, but Plu’s undertones of accordion melt the melodies in to perhaps more melancholy but more ear catching musical territory. - Swn Festival


"Review: Swn Festival 2013, day three"

Quick mention to New Sound Wales who were curating the stage at St John’s with what I heard were incredible sets from Plu, Marika Hackman and Fryars. - David Owens - Wales Online


"OCTOBER 14, 2012 Elan Rhys from Plu"

The newest band in the Welsh music scene were in Cardiff last weekend playing at Clwb Ifor Bach, supporting Yr Angen and Bandana.

Plu are a sibling trio from Bethel, near Caernarfon, made up of sisters Elan, Marged and brother Gwilym. Rather than tell you about them myself, I asked Elan Rhys, to talk to us and tell us a little bit more.

Juxtapozed: What are Plu’s main influences? How would you describe the sound?

When writing I am heavily influenced by personal experiences, usually things that are going on in my life at that moment. I also draw inspiration from my environment.
At the moment I’m listening to a lot of Cat Power, First Aid Kit, The Civil Wars and Bon Iver and I think their influence can definitely be heard in our songs. I’ve always listened to a lot of Soul and Motown singers, and I sometimes think that the way I sing has been influenced subconsciously by them.

Juxtapozed: What made you start a band with your brother and sister?

It happened without much discussion really! The three of us were home at the same time for the first time in over a year and we’d all been secretly writing material and it happened very naturally. The desire to start a band had been there for a long time, it was just a case of getting the confidence to do it.

Juxtapozed: Are the rest of your family musical?

I suppose so. Our mother has always been in choirs and done a lot of ‘Cerdd Dant’ arrangements and so on, and our father was in a punk/rock band called Y Trwynau Coch in the late 70s. There is some sort of music being played constantly in our house!

Juxtapozed: What’s coming up next for Plu?

We do have a couple of gigs lined up in December (Llanast Llanrwst 1/12 and Nyth, at Gwdihw Cardiff 7/12) and we’re recording a live session for Radio Cymru very soon that’ll be aired sometime in November. But our focus is on the Christmas holidays because the three of us will be home then to work on developing our set and sound. Hopefully we can squeeze in some time in the studio too, to have something released asap.

Written by teleriglynjones Leave a Comment Posted in Clwb Ifor Bach Tagged with Bandana, Clwb, Nyth, Plu - Juxtapozed Blog


"Plu: The Charming Trio"

So Friday night was a blast! If you weren’t there, the bar eventually packed up and the atmosphere was buzzing with hardly any space to move! Plu, Casi Wyn, Heal The Last Stand, Neal Thompson and Sen Segur gave us brilliant sets and we wish to thank them for that. Truly, it was an unmissable night.

Gwilym, the lead singer of the well known Welsh-language band, Y Bandana, who headlined our January gig, was back this month with his other fairly-new project, Plu.

I’ve known Gwilym for a long time, as well as rest of the Y Bandana members, but met his sister, Marged, at Swn Festival, Cardiff, and we had a chat about their new band, consisting of Gwilym and his two sisters.

I went on their Soundcloud soon after Swn (wahey!) and after listening to their recorded songs, I was immediately captivated. The voices of the siblings; Gwil, Marged and older sister Elan blend beautifully together resembling the sound of The Staves.

They attempt to blend the sweet traditional sounds of Welsh folk with the deep cool sounds of American folk - and the result is beyond wonderful.

As they travelled to London to do their debut gig outside of Wales, I was intrigued to see them for the first time live, and in a way, to see if they could transmit the magic on stage, even though subconsciously I knew that they could.
The set was focused and an embodiment of raw talent. Gwilym who we have seen countless times rocking it out as a wild entertainer with that notable lead voice was taking the back seat, and handing over the stage mostly to his older sister, Elan. And I have only one question about Elan as the lead singer of most songs by Plu…Why have we not heard this voice before!? The honey-glazed voice carries us through every single note and lyric as smoothly as the recorded tracks, however, this raw and unique magic that they have, comes alive in colour as you watch them perform. The onstage relationship is as clear and warm as it is offstage.

To listen, was a treat, but even just to watch them was a lovely sight. Like I said, interestingly, Gwilym taking the back seat with his acoustic guitar, and Elan with her raw voice taking the limelight, and then we have Marged, who’s underrated voice complete the songs as she is so on point with her harmonies, and with her accordion, that brings the charming French sound to each and every song.

Gwilym is not just a guitar player in this band though, as one or two songs have the pleasure of his voice being lead, and we really see a mature side that is highlighted because of our knowledge of Y Bandana (if you don’t have this knowledge, think of it as a bit like a member of McFly joining Alt-J < please note, a very loose comparison). TLWS had a nice treat of watching the trio perform his song that he wrote for Can i Gymru, Garth Celyn.

Everything about this band revolves around the number three. Three letters in the name, three very different voices, three different instruments from different backgrounds, the blending of three different sounds; the traditional sound and lyrics of Welsh folk, the tight harmonies we see in bands such as The Staves and the country twang that we would hear in a bar in Alabama. But most importantly, we have three members - three siblings that are unified by complementing each other.

I am incredibly excited to see what this summer has in store for this young and exciting band. Hopefully, we will see an album (which they are currently working on), and hopefully we will see them a lot on stage as you will not experience the true beauty of this band until you see them live.

Diolch

#TLWS

Plu’s SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/pluband
Favourite songs: Yr Ysfa, live performance of Gwilym’s Garth Celyn. - The London Welsh Sessions


Discography

Plu released their first, self-titled album in July 2013 on the Sbrigyn Ymborth label. It has 13 songs. Produced and engineered by Aled Hughes from Sbrigyn Ymborth and mastered by Hafod Mastering. It is available to buy online from www.sadwrn.com

Photos

Bio

Formed of sibling trio- Elan, Marged and Gwilym Rhys from Snowdonia, North Wales in the Summer of 2012, Plu (meaning Feathers in Welsh) play alternative Welsh language folk music with hints of country/ Americana. As well as their own material Plu play adaptions of traditional songs of Welsh and other origins.

As well as being invited to record an acoustic session for BBC Radio Cymru in November 2012 and appearing on S4C show 'Stiwdio Gefn' in February and December 2013, Plu were short listed for 'Best New Band' in Y Selar magazine Welsh music awards in February 2013. Plu played for international delegates for Womex at Sain Ffagan museum for Wales Music Connect in October 2013.

Plu released their first album in July 2013 (produced by Aled Hughes from Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog) which is available from www.sadwrn.com.


Instrumentation: 3 vocals, 1 Acoustic Guitar, 1 Autoharp and 1 Accordion.

Band Members