The Columbians – Indie Revolution

This year I had the pleasure of being invited to the Focus Wales International Showcase Festival 2023 in Wrexham, to open up the festival with my band Holy Coves and to represent our label Yr Wyddfa Records and Music Scene Wales.

Focus Wales is a fantastic, well thought out music festival which utilises the whole of Wrexham to show you the town in all it’s glory. Between Focus Wales and everything that is happening with Wrexham AFC this place is really thriving and the music scene is so vibrant.

What Andy Jones and his team have created is really something special. The network available there for bands, musicians, artists, managers, promoters and anyone working in the music industry is second to none. It reminds me of the South By Southwest festival in Texas. It really is a brilliant festival.

On the Thursday we had the honour of opening up the festival at The Parish with my band Holy Coves, playing to a packed out venue which blew me away. The Parish is such an important venue, the grassroots of music and is used regularly on the tour circuit by bands and musicians all across the UK.

Our top picks in no particular order were South Wales’ Tom Emlyn, Wales’ HourGlvss, Canadas Pillow Fite, Wrexhams very own The Columbians, Brighton’s Squid and our brand new signing Sister Envy from North Wales, who played their final gig as The Pastimes and announced they have signed to Yr Wyddfa Records and have changed their name to Sister Envy.

I managed to get over to The Parish early hours of Sunday morning to watch the Declan Swans play to a packed out, bouncing venue singing along to every word. Being a Wrexham AFC fan this was a very special moment for me. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic Festival.