Gwenllian Anthony has spent years as a core part of Welsh indie band Adwaith, but now she’s doing something different. Going by the name GWEN, she’s releasing her debut solo album this month and it sounds like the whole process has been both liberating and terrifying in equal measure.
Adwaith built up a serious following in Wales and beyond, picking up the Welsh Music Prize and earning a reputation as one of the most important Welsh language acts of their generation. So stepping out from that to do something on your own terms carries a fair bit of weight. But Gwenllian seems to have embraced it fully.
Speaking about the project, she described the solo venture as giving her a kind of creative freedom she hadn’t experienced before. Working within a band means compromise, collaboration, and fitting your ideas into something shared. Going solo strips all that away. It’s just you, your vision, and whatever you’re willing to put out into the world.
That freedom, though, comes with its own pressures. When something goes well in a band, you share the credit. When something doesn’t land, you share that too. Solo work means owning everything, the good and the uncomfortable. It’s a different kind of vulnerability.
The album marks a real moment for Welsh music more broadly. Wales has seen a wave of artists pushing boundaries in recent years, with Welsh language music in particular finding audiences well outside the country’s borders. GWEN’s project adds another layer to that story, showing that artists who came up through that scene are now confident enough to branch out and explore new directions.
Gwenllian has been open about the fact that this wasn’t necessarily an easy decision. Adwaith remains an important part of her identity as a musician, and stepping outside that comfort zone takes courage. But the result, from what she’s described, is music that feels genuinely personal in a way that group projects sometimes can’t quite reach.
The debut solo record is expected to showcase a different sonic palette compared to her work with Adwaith, reflecting the kind of artistic exploration that tends to happen when someone gives themselves full permission to experiment. Details about the album’s sound suggest something more introspective, with Gwenllian drawing on influences and ideas she’s been sitting with for some time.
For fans of Adwaith, this isn’t a goodbye to the band but rather an addition to what Gwenllian brings to Welsh music. Artists evolving and expanding their output is generally a healthy sign, and the Welsh music scene has always been good at supporting that kind of growth.
Wales has a habit of producing artists who punch well above their weight on the international stage, and GWEN looks like another name that could follow that path. With a debut album landing and plenty of attention already building around the project, Gwenllian Anthony is clearly ready to make her mark on her own terms.
The album is out this month.