Wrexham

Focus Wales Film Festival Revealed

Apr 17, 2023 — Leave a comment




The full line-up for the 2023 FOCUS Wales Film Festival has been revealed, featuring 21 films competing for awards, industry panels with the biggest names in Welsh media, plus a feature film programme with new releases from Welsh and Cornish directors. See More


“The 21 films that make up our official selection this year are some of the best we’ve ever seen. When we started the film festival at FOCUS, we wanted to become a go-to destination for the best of Welsh and international film, so it’s great to see it happening in our 4th year, thanks to the amazing filmmakers and support from Ffilm Cymru, the film agency for Wales.”This year the festival will feature an expanded series of industry panels, featuring
– Ffilm Cymru’s BFI Film Development team.
– Media Cymru (the new £50 million to develop a hub for innovation across TV, film, and the wider media industry in Wales).
– Creative Wales (Welsh Government agency providing support to the creative industries).
– Film Hub Wales (Wales’ BFI Film Hub).
– IRIS Prize (BAFTA-qualifying queer film festival ).
– Watch Africa (Wales’ annual African film festival).
– Off Y Grid (collective of Welsh cinema venues).Plus S4C’s Young Audiences Commissioner and others will join a special conversation on the future of digital commissioning, at a pivotal time for the industry, grappling with Tiktok, ai and the ever changing world of ‘content creation.’ Tickets Here

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

The Royston Club Release New Single ‘Blisters’

Feb 19, 2023 — Leave a comment

The four-piece from Wrexham, North Wales are quickly becoming big with sell out UK headline tours and slots on major festival stages. Its a great start to their year with latest single ‘Blisters’, though the lyrics sing of relationship difficulties the music gives you feelings of summer nostalgia.

Frontman Tom Faitfull says: Blisters is about trying to navigate relationships through teenage years and the tendency that people have for settling in relationships that they’re not that happy with when they’re young to try to find some acceptance.

But being in an unhappy relationship makes moving through life more painful ultimately, hence the title ‘Blisters’. Despite not having very upbeat lyrics, the chorus was written to be shouted back at us, and with sunny afternoon slots at festivals in mind. It was one of the last songs to be written for the album. The video was shot at Delamere Forest too, just outside of Wrexham.

Ahead of it’s release ‘Blisters’ has already received some serious radio play from the likes of BBC 6 Music, Radio 1 and more building up hype in anticipation for their debut album due out later this year.

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Wales’ festival for new music announces first 60 acts for May 2023

Dec 21, 2022 — Leave a comment

FOCUS Wales festival will welcome 20,000 attendees, and see over 250+ acts from Wales and around the world descend upon Wrexham across 4th–6th May. Today FOCUS Wales are thrilled to reveal the first 60 new music acts for their 2023 edition.

Among the first acts announced, there is… The fierce, funny, post-punk soloist BILLY NOMATES who headlines Llwyn Isaf on Thursday 4th May, hot on the heels of their national TV debut on the BBC’s Later with… Jools. This will be followed up by a show from North Wales own critically acclaimed band THE JOY FORMIDABLE at The Rockin’ Chair. Friday 5th May will see SQUID headline Llwyn Isaf, following the release of their top 10 debut album Bright Green Field (WARP records), and a string of worldwide festival performances in 2022 including Primavera Sound, and Glastonbury. NEUE GRAFIK ENSEMBLE bring an explosive show featuring the UK’s finest musicians in new jazz. Also that night will be dance music pioneer, A GUY CALLED GERALD, best known for his hit single ‘Voodoo Ray’, which became a touchstone of Manchester’s acid house scene. Closing the festival on Saturday 6th May 2023 will be the multi-award-winning band THE CORAL, headlining Llwyn Isaf, followed by a show from DREAM WIFE whose new single LEECH has earned rave reviews from NME, and The Guardian, amongst many others.

More artists announced today include: Acid Klaus | Adwaith | Afro Cluster | Al Lewis | Band Pres Llareggub | Ben Ottewell | Camera | Cerys Hafana | Dafydd Iwan | DEIJUVHS | Delta Radio | Dilletante | Dresden Wolves | Edie Bens | Gallops | George Boomsma | Go Go Machine Orchestra | Grubb & Eedens | Gwenifer Raymond | Hannah Grae | Hannah Scott | Heather Ferrier | HMS Morris | IMMERSE | ISLET | Juice Menace | Katherine Priddy | Kidsmoke | LEMFRECK | Maddie Morris | Mantaraybryn | MINAS | MOJA | Mooi | N’famady Kouyate | NoGood Boyo | Opus Kink | Paddy Hanna | Parisa Fouladi | Prima Queen | Sad Boys Club | Sage Todz | Shelf Lives | Skunkadelic | Sophie Jamieson | Sophie McKeand | SUN | TVAM | VRï | Walt Disco | Will Joseph Cook | Ynys | To see the full list of 60 acts, visit http://www.focuswales.com + plus 200 more still to be announced!

With circa 500 international industry professionals due to attend the 2023 festival, FOCUS Wales has become Wales’ biggest music industry event, with three days of panels, keynote talks, and industry advice. First industry announced includes: Lauren Down (End of The Road Festival), Cecilia Soojeong Yi (DMZ Peace Train Festival, South Korea), Claudia Ferigo (Suns Europe, Italy), David Silbaugh (Summerfest, USA), John Kerridge (Glastonbury Festival), A Guy Called Gerald, plus lots more.

FOCUS Wales 2023 takes places 4th, 5th, 6th May across various venues in Wrexham, North Wales. Full 3-day wristbands for admission to all FOCUS Wales events are available now at http://www.focuswales.com/tickets FOCUS Wales is supported by Arts Council of Wales, PRS Foundation, and Welsh Government

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Jonny Ash are excited to be releasing their newest single, ‘This Town’

Nov 16, 2022 — Leave a comment

Relatable lyrics and catchy melodies paves the way for the song to resonate with anyone from a working class background and beyond. ‘This Town’ is quite simply an ode to our hometown, but it’s so much more than that. It’s an anthem of pride existing where other people think it shouldn’t, holding love for somewhere where other people wouldn’t, and understanding something other people couldn’t.

Written to Wrexham, the song portrays the struggles we face in our everyday walks of life, but also how we wouldn’t have it any other way. We can’t wait to release ‘This Town’ and give something back to this place we call our own. We hope you love it as much as we do.

This track is one of the first to receive an atmos mix in North Wales, producing an even higher quality song.

‘This Town’ is available now for streaming.

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

1987tilpresent – Around the Mind – EP

Oct 4, 2022 — Leave a comment

Wrexham football fanatic and lifelong supporter Neal Smith released his Around the Mind EP earlier this year.

A selection of beautiful, chilled out acoustic folk songs. A 6 track EP including the single Rosanna which was released back in 2020 and my favourite 1987tilpresent song which opens up the EP Over Polite.

I first heard Neals music back in 2017 when he released his debut album Letters to the Past which is another record you really should check out. Keep an eye out for Neals gigs as he’s a regular on the acoustic circuit.

Scott Marsden
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com