Melys

Melys is a Welsh indie-rock group from Betws-y-Coed, active from 1996 to the present. The name is translated as “Sweet”. The band forms around Andrea Parker on vocals, Paul Adams on guitar and keyboards, Carys Jones on keyboards and Gary Husband. Paul Adams is also listed as a member in the verified facts.

History

The group forms in 1996 and goes on hiatus between 2005 and 2009. Before that break, it releases five full-length albums as well as a number of other recordings. After a gig in Llandudno in March 2005, the band stops releasing records and playing live for several years. In that period, Parker and Adams open Bistro Betws-y-Coed in their hometown, a restaurant focused on Welsh food.

Recordings and labels

Melys makes its album debut with Rumours and Curses in 1998 on Arctic/Pinnacle Records. Its relationship with that label later deteriorates, leading the band to set up its own label, Sylem Records, in 1999. The second album, Kamikaze, follows in 2000 on Sylem Records. Both that record and the debut receive critical acclaim. The 2002 album Suikerspin also attracts strong notice; its title is Dutch for candy floss. The single Chinese Whispers is voted number one in John Peel’s Festive Fifty at the end of that year. The final two albums are Casting Pearls in 2003 and Life's Too Short in 2005, with the latter dedicated to Peel.

Reception and live work

The band has a close association with John Peel, who supports it early in its career and is described as a strong advocate. Andrea Parker says the group’s relationship with listeners is unusually direct, with fans treated more like friends than distant supporters. In September 2009, Melys plays a John Peel Day concert at Hendre Hall in Bangor in his memory. The group also tours with The Wedding Present and performs with them at the By the edge of the Sea festival in Brighton and at Stowed Out in Stow near Edinburgh in 2016. It releases a single in 2019.