Gruff Rhys was born in Haverfordwest in 1970 and grew up in Bethesda in north Wales, speaking Welsh as his first language. After playing in the Welsh-language band Ffa Coffi Pawb, he became the singer and chief songwriter of Super Furry Animals, the Cardiff band who became one of the most inventive acts of the Britpop era and beyond. Their stunts were legendary: they bought a decommissioned tank, painted it blue and drove it to festivals.
Alongside the Furries, Rhys built an eccentric and prolific solo career. His debut, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth (2005), was sung entirely in Welsh; Candylion (2007) and Hotel Shampoo (2011) were warm, psychedelic pop records. American Interior (2014) followed the trail of John Evans, an 18th-century Welshman who travelled to America in search of a supposed Welsh-speaking Native American tribe, and arrived as an album, book, film and app.
He has been a tireless collaborator. With producer Boom Bip he formed Neon Neon, whose Stainless Style (2008), a concept album about car maker John DeLorean, was nominated for the Mercury Prize. He also sang on Gorillaz’s ‘Superfast Jellyfish’, among many other collaborations.
Sadness Sets Me Free, released on Rough Trade in 2024 and home to ‘Bad Friend’, is one of his most direct records: recorded largely live with a small band, it leans towards 1970s singer-songwriter warmth while keeping Rhys’s dry wit and melodic generosity. Few musicians have been so consistently curious for so long.
