Gruff Rhys

Biography

Gruffudd Maredudd Bowen Rhys (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɡrɨ̞fɨ̞ð maˈrɛdɨ̞ð ˈbowɛn ˈr̥ɨːs]; born 18 July 1970) is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals, which obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He formed the electro-pop outfit Neon Neon with Boom Bip. Their album Stainless Style was nominated for the 2008 Nationwide Mercury Prize. He won the 2011 Welsh Music Prize for his album Hotel Shampoo×Hotel Shampoo11 February 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Shark Ridden Waters4:242Honey All Over3:163Sensations in the Dark2:404Vitamin K3:055Take a Sentence3:036Conservation Conversation2:387Sophie Softly2:108Christopher Columbus3:319Space Dust #22:1910At the Heart of Love3:3311Patterns of Power3:3512If We Were Words (We Would Rhyme)3:1113Rubble Rubble2:5914I Totally Understand3:3915Follow the Sunflower Trail (Theme Tune for a National Strike)4:14, which was followed up by American Interior×American Interior5 May 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1American Exterior0:282American Interior3:153100 Unread Messages4:314The Whether (Or Not)3:355The Last Conquistador3:576Lost Tribes3:007Liberty (Is Where We'll Be)4:538Allweddellau Allweddol4:019The Swamp4:1010Iolo3:4711Walk Into the Wilderness3:4812Year of the Dog3:2913Tiger's Tale3:09 in 2014, accompanied by a film, a book and a mobile app. His most recent album, Dim Probs×Dim Probs12 September 2025 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Pan Ddaw’r Haul i Fore4:002Cân i’r Cymylau2:023Saf Ar Dy Sedd2:564Taro #1 + #24:075Dos Amdani3:436Chwyn Chwyldroadol!2:217Cyflafan2:258Dim Probs3:079Adar Gwyn2:3510Gadael Fi Fynd2:1311Slaw1:4112Acw3:53, was released in 2025. He is considered a figurehead of the era known as Cool Cymru.

Early life

Rhys was born 18 July 1970 in Haverfordwest, Wales. He has a brother and a sister; his father was Ioan Bowen Rees (13 January 1929 – 4 May 1999), a "poet, essayist, polemicist, mountaineer, internationalist ... and a White Robe Druid of the Gorsedd of Bards". Bowen Rees "campaigned all his life for Welsh rights, language and culture" although he did not believe in the narrow view of nationalism, glorifying one country over another, rather that the "battle for Wales is the battle for all small nations, all small communities, all individuals in the age of genocide". Rhys's mother, Margaret Wynn Meredith, shared his father's love of writing and was a poet.
Rhys was educated at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen, Bethesda, Gwynedd, North Wales and was awarded a degree in art at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Ffa Coffi Pawb

As a teenager in 1985, Gruff Rhys played drums for the North Wales band, Machlud, appearing at the Pesda Roc festival in Bethesda. After playing drums for the band Emily, Rhys found fame in Wales as the front man of Ffa Coffi Pawb. Translated, the name means 'everyone's coffee beans', though if said quickly in Welsh, it can sound like 'fuck off everyone' in English and Welsh combined.
On signing to Ankstmusik, Ffa Coffi Pawb became one of the leading bands on the Welsh music scene during the Cool Cymru movement, and released three albums – Clymhalio, Dalec Peilon and Hei Vidal!.
Rhys plays the guitar in an unusual style. Although he is right-handed, he learned to play left-handed on his brother's left-handed guitar. Once his brother left home, Rhys only had access to a right-handed guitar. As he had already learned to play left-handed, and rather than invert the nut and re-string it, he taught himself to play the right-handed guitar upside down so the bass strings are on the bottom. Today, Rhys still plays left-handed on an upside down right-handed guitar.

Super Furry Animals

When Ffa Coffi Pawb disbanded in 1993, Rhys and drummer Dafydd Ieuan, of Rhoscefnhir, Anglesey, who had played for Catatonia, Anhrefn, Hanner Pei and many other Welsh language bands, formed the basis of Super Furry Animals. They soon settled on a line-up consisting of Rhys on vocals and guitar, Ieuan on drums, his brother Cian Ciaran (formerly of WWZZ) on keyboards, Huw Bunford (formerly of U-Thant) on guitar and Guto Pryce on bass. This line-up has remained constant to the present day, although the role of each member has become more flexible, particularly in the studio.
In 1995, following a couple of largely Welsh-language EPs on the Ankst label, they signed to Creation Records. Apparently, when offering them the deal after a gig, Alan McGee, head of Creation, asked that they sing more songs in English. Rhys pointed out that all the songs that night had been in English. Super Furry Animals went on to release their critically acclaimed first album, Fuzzy Logic, in 1996 – the first time Rhys had recorded in English. He later observed that his singing sounded like a random collection of accents – but it was nevertheless very successful.
Follow-up albums included Radiator in 1997, Guerrilla in 1999 and Mwng in 2000. They also became particularly famous for their 40-foot inflatable bears and a blue tank with 'SFA' written upon it which toured summer festivals playing techno music at high volume. Super Furry Animals made a further mark on history in July 2001, when they released their first album for the Sony label, Rings Around the World, on CD and DVD simultaneously. They repeated this for 2003's Phantom Power. Unfortunately 2005's Love Kraft performed poorly commercially and Super Furry Animals agreed to leave Sony. They are presently signed to Rough Trade and released Hey Venus! in 2007 in the UK. In 2009 they released their latest record to date, entitled Dark Days/Light Years.

Solo

On 24 January 2005, Rhys released his first solo album, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth×Yr Atal Genhedlaeth24 January 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Yr Atal Genhedlaeth0:082Gwn Mi Wn2:333Epynt1:484Rhagluniaeth Ysgafn2:555Pwdin Ŵy 11:426Pwdin Ŵy 23:137Y Gwybodusion1:528Caerffosiaeth2:589Ambell Waith2:2210Ni Yw Y Byd3:5611Chwarae'n Troi'n Chwerw6:04, on the Placid Casual label. It was a loose, sketchy, all-Welsh-language album, with most of the instruments played by Rhys. A tour of Wales and several festival appearances followed. After Super Furry Animals signed to Rough Trade, the new label agreed to take on his solo works as well, and on 8 January 2007 they released Candylion, a batch of acoustic pop songs in English, Spanish and Welsh, which Rhys wrote whilst touring Love Kraft but which did not fit with the direction of the new Super Furry Animals album. A third solo album by Rhys, Hotel Shampoo×Hotel Shampoo11 February 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Shark Ridden Waters4:242Honey All Over3:163Sensations in the Dark2:404Vitamin K3:055Take a Sentence3:036Conservation Conversation2:387Sophie Softly2:108Christopher Columbus3:319Space Dust #22:1910At the Heart of Love3:3311Patterns of Power3:3512If We Were Words (We Would Rhyme)3:1113Rubble Rubble2:5914I Totally Understand3:3915Follow the Sunflower Trail (Theme Tune for a National Strike)4:14, was released on 14 February 2011. On 4 March 2011, it was announced that Rhys would be playing at Glastonbury 2011.
In May 2014, Rhys released his new work, American Interior (I Grombil Cyfandir Pell), a combined project of an album, a film, a hardback book and an app for mobile devices. The film was co-directed by Dylan Goch, who also worked with Rhys on his previous film, Separado! (2010).
From December 2015 to January 2016, Rhys fronted a co-production with National Theatre Wales titled "The Insatiable, Inflatable Candylion", featuring songs from Candylion and several new tracks. The music and lyrics were by Gruff Rhys and the play's text, which included audience participation, by Tim Price. The musicians appearing with Rhys were Lisa Jên Brown (who also sang on the original album), Sweet Baboo, Emma Daman Thomas and Kliph Scurlock. The show also included actors Remy Beasley, Matthew Bulgo, Dyfan Dwyfor, Natasha Lewis and Dyfrig Morris.
On 21 April 2016, Rhys released a new song entitled "I Love EU×I Love EU22 April 2016 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I Love EU5:00", a song praising the European Union ahead of the EU Referendum on 23 June 2016.
Rhys released his fifth album, entitled Babelsberg×Babelsberg8 June 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Frontier Man3:352The Club4:043Oh Dear!3:164Limited Edition Heart3:385Take That Call3:436Drones In The City3:507Negative Vibes5:168Same Old Song4:109Architecture Of Amnesia4:4210Selfies In The Sunset4:50, on 8 June 2018. A further album, "Pang!×Pang!13 September 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Pang! (Muzi remix)2:472Bae Bae Bae (Muzi remix)4:113Digidigol (Muzi remix)3:054Ara Deg (Ddaw'r Awen) [Muzi remix]2:365Eli Haul (Muzi Remix)2:376Niwl o Anwiredd (Muzi Remix)3:497Taranau Mai (Muzi Remix)3:358Ôl Bys / Nodau Clust (Muzi Remix)3:569Annedd i'm Danedd (Muzi Remix)3:09", was released on 13 September 2019, produced by South African DJ Muzi.

Neon Neon

In 2007 Rhys launched a new electro-pop collaborative project with Boom Bip under the collective moniker Neon Neon. Their album, titled Stainless Style, is a loose concept album based on the tumultuous life of DeLorean Motor Company founder John DeLorean, and was released on 18 March 2008 via Lex Records. The album includes a number of high-profile guest appearances from Fab Moretti of The Strokes, Har Mar Superstar, Yo Majesty, Spank Rock, Cate Le Bon and The Magic Numbers. The first single, "Raquel", was released on 26 November 2007. The follow-up single "I Lust U", featured fellow Welsh artist Cate Le Bon on vocals. The album was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize.
On 29 April 2013, Neon Neon released their second studio album, Praxis Makes Perfect, followed by a limited run of live performances featuring actors from National Theatre Wales. The album and live show are based on the life of Giangiacomo Feltrinelli.

Collaborations with other artists

Rhys has occasionally collaborated with other artists, providing vocals for the track "Dial: Revenge" on the Mogwai album Rock Action as well as guesting on the songs "Fear of Guitars" (from the album Machine Says Yes by FC Kahuna) and "Do's and Don'ts×Do's and Don'ts2 May 2005 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksADo's and Don'ts (edit)BDo's and Don'ts (Her Space Holiday remix)" (by Boom Bip) as well as "Just War" from Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse's album Dark Night of the Soul. He has also featured on the Myspace remix track "I'm Not Lying" by Goldie Lookin' Chain. He features on the track "Cream Dream" from the 2009 Simian Mobile Disco album Temporary Pleasure. He also eats carrots on the Misty's Big Adventure album Television's People, continuing the vegetable relay started by Brian Wilson on Smile. Miles Kane has also called for him to produce the next album by his band the Rascals. Rhys also collaborated with influential hip-hop group De La Soul on the Gorillaz track "Superfast Jellyfish" from their third studio album, Plastic Beach. He later provided vocals on the song "Shadowy Light" on Gorillaz 2026 album, The Mountain. In 2011 he provided vocals on the song "We Won't be Broke Forever Baby×We Won't Be Broke Forever Baby27 February 2012 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1We Won't Be Broke Forever Baby4:022We Won't Be Broke Forever Baby (Dan le Sac remix)5:503We Won't Be Broke Forever Baby (Instrumental)4:08" on Akira the Don's LP The Life Equation.
In 2010 he released an album with Brazilian artist Tony da Gatorra on Turnstile Music. The album featured both compositions by Tony da Gatorra, who is relatively unknown in his native Brazil, and Gruff Rhys.
On 17 December 2011, Rhys joined Manic Street Preachers on stage during the band's 38 song A Night of National Treasures one-off live event at the O2 Arena in London to provide the lead vocals for the song Let Robeson Sing. Introducing Rhys to the stage, lead singer James Dean Bradfield explained that Rhys had been set to perform the song at the band's 2001 performance in Havana, Cuba but circumstances had prevented this from happening.

Documentaries

In 2010, Dylan Goch's film Separado! premiered. It is a documentary about Gruff Rhys's trip to Patagonia to try to locate members of his family whose ancestors had emigrated in Victorian times.
In 2014, the pair co-directed a film about the Welsh explorer John Evans, American Interior. It was released in cinemas in the UK on 9 May 2014.

Computer game music

In 2011 Rhys composed the music for the successful iOS and Android game Whale Trail which has been an iTunes game of the week.

Political music

In 2016 Rhys composed and sang "I Love EU×I Love EU22 April 2016 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I Love EU5:00" to support the Remain campaign in the UK European Membership Referendum.

Film scores

In 2014, Rhys composed the film score for Set Fire to the Stars about Dylan Thomas and starring Celyn Jones and Elijah Wood. The jazz group he formed to record the music features drummer Chris Walmsley, double-bassist Jim Barr (Portishead), Gavin Fitzjohn on trumpet and pianist Osian Gwynedd (formerly of Big Leaves and Sybridion) on piano, with strings arranged by Gruff Ab Arwel (Y Niwl). Additional string music was recorded by the Elysian Quartet. In September 2015, Rhys won the 2015 BAFTA Cymru award for Original Music for the score.

Opera

Rhys wrote the libretto for the 2017 opera 2117/Hedd Wyn, with music by the composer Stephen McNeff. The story is inspired by the life of the Welsh poet Hedd Wyn; set in the year 2117, it imagines a group of schoolchildren in a post-apocalyptic Trawsfynydd learning about the life and work of the poet. It was recorded by Ty Cerdd Records and released in 2022.

Personal life

He supports Bangor City F.C. of the League of Wales.
He formed ieie Productions with his partner Catryn Ramasut in 2006 to produce film and television projects.
In July 2015, Rhys received an Honorary Fellowship from Bangor University. Among those also receiving the honour that day was Rhys's cousin, DJ and music promoter Huw Stephens. Their mutual grandfather was president of the Students' Union at the university. Rhys is also the cousin of musician MC Mabon (Gruff Meredith).