This is Video of the Week from Wales Arts Review. We’ll be showcasing some of the best art in Wales with a new video shared every week. From music to drama and everything in between, videos will not be limited by medium. This week we’re taking a look at the new music video ‘Diwrnod Arall’ by Mellt.
We’re taking a trip into space with this week’s Video of the Week, curtesy of the new video from Mellt, which accompanies their latest release ‘Diwrnod Arall’ (‘Another Day’). The band, comprised of childhood friends, Ellis Walker (bass and vocals), Glyn Rhys-James (guitar and vocals), and Jacob Hodges (drums), have adopted a back-to-basics approach for the single, focusing on the instrumentation and the stripped-back indie rock sound which first brought them to the fore of the Welsh language music scene.
It’s an energetic and engaging return for a band who seem determined to let their music do the talking. The release also marks a much-awaited return for Mellt, who made quite an impression in their early days, winning the ‘Best Long Record’ award at the ‘Selar’ awards as well as the ‘Album of the Year’ at the National Eisteddfod. Since then the band has released two singles ‘Marconi’ back in 2021 and ‘Ceisio’ early this year, both adding to the buzz of releasing their new album.
In the video we see the Cardiff-based trio having some difficulties with the production company and finding it hard to “do as they say”, as part of a focus on the anxieties created by our dependence on technology. “The device in your hand is listening to you now”, warn the lyrics; a breezy reminder of the power we place in the technology we rely on each day. It’s a modern day message from a band who somehow manage to balance despair at society’s obsession with technology, with a lighter tone and a few moments of humour.
‘Diwrnod Arall’ is available to stream now. Mellt’s second album, Dim Dwywaith, will be released in October.
