Gruff Rhys

Born in Haverfordwest, Wales, in 1970, Gruff Rhys first made his name in the 1990s as the singer, guitarist and principal songwriter of Super Furry Animals, a band associated with the Welsh and British independent rock scene. Alongside that work, Rhys began a solo trajectory from 2005 characterized by bilingual songwriting (Welsh and English) and an affinity for psychedelic pop, folk and melodic rock often arranged in an orchestral manner. His albums Yr Atal Genhedlaeth (2005) and Candylion (2007) established a world where spare ballads intersect with more experimental formats, followed by Hotel Shampoo (2011) and American Interior (2014), the latter expanded into a documentary and a multimedia project about Welsh explorer John Evans. Rhys went on to release Babelsberg (2018), Pang! (2019)—largely sung in Welsh—Seeking New Gods (2021) and Sadness Sets Me Free (2024), while engaging in numerous collaborations, notably the duo Neon Neon with producer Boom Bip and work alongside bands such as Mogwai and various hybrid pop projects. A regular presence on international festival stages, he also composes for film and documentary, where his writing combines detailed narrative, gentle vocal harmonies and sonic textures at the crossroads of pop and indie rock.