Signed to the Domino imprint Weird World, Hen Ogledd is a band project comprising Richard Dawson, Rhodri Davies, Dawn Bothwell and Sally Pilkington.
Hen Ogledd’s meaning comes from the Welsh name for The Old North, describing the region of Britain running from roughly present-day North Yorkshire up to the foothills of the Scottish Highlands and governed by Celtic Britons in the Early Middle Ages. With each band member hailing from historically different tribal regions of the Old North, they musically challenge the idea that the ancient world was rife with magic, while the new is infiltrated by cold logic.
The quartet combines ideas that draw upon the mystical and technological, creating a discombobulating pop prayer exploring artificial intelligence, witches, nanotechnology, pre-medieval history, robots, romance, computer games and waterfalls.
“the sound of four curious minds having a conversation“
Loud & Quiet
This dynamic act swirls ravishing melodies with hallucinatory textures and bonkers rhythms, underpinned by some deft performances: Pilkington’s picture-perfect pop and earthy singing, Davies’ blazing harp splutterations and guitar moans, Bothwell’s twisted telephone techno and bamboozling lyric-bombs and Dawson’s utter bass.
‘Mogic’, is the latest release from Hen Ogledd. A review from Loud & Quiet suggests“by the record’s end, the effect is not so much a musical experience as a multidisciplinary one, taking in storytelling, bricolage, poetry, linguistics, and even a dash of psychogeography.”
“tranquil, dreamlike optimism“
Line of Best Fit
In an interview with Narc Magazine, Davies discusses how the band collaborate, explaining “I think we all really embraced vulnerability in writing and sharing heartfelt pop songs” and “we all shared an openness that allowed the music to go in different directions.”
Dawn Bothwell describes “I felt quite overwhelmed with love when I joined [the band] – it was very pleasant” adding “it’s like being in a soft play doing backflips.”
Watch a short film, that provides a loving insight into the making of Hen Ogledd’s new album, ‘Mogic’ …
The music of Hen Ogledd will surely warm the cockles of your heart with its playful experimentations in sound. Here at the Supersonic HQ, we can’t stop singing ‘I’ve been looking for you, I’ve been looking for you…”, excited for what this wild, inimitable pop unit will bring to the stage in July at Supersonic 2019…
