9 Bach

9 Bach

9 Bach is a Welsh folk group from Bethesda, Wales, formed in 2005 and active to the present. It is centred on singer-songwriter and pianist Lisa Jên and guitarist Martin Hoyland. Hoyland is a veteran of the 1990s alt-rock group Pusherman.

Line-up and name

The group also includes Ali Byworth on drums and percussion, Dan Swain on bass guitar, Esyllt Glyn Jones on harp and vocals, and Mirain Roberts on vocals. The name 9 Bach is a pun on nain, the north Welsh word for grandmother, and bach, which means small in Welsh.

Early development

In 2005, Jên and Hoyland begin work on 9 Bach as a side project. Byworth encourages them to form a proper band after seeing a festival the year before and suggests that, at the very least, free tickets make it worthwhile. The group recruits Byworth, Glyn Jones and Swain after this.

First gig

The band's first demo recordings lead to its first performance at Green Man 2005 at Baskerville Hall. That show attracts attention from listeners including Will Oldham, who asks whether he can buy a CD from the group, although it does not have one at the time.