Listen: Mared releases new single, ‘Lately’

Stephen Price

Welsh singer-songwriter Mared has released a moving new track called ‘Lately’ from her forthcoming bilingual folk pop EP which is due for release this spring.

Splitting her time between rural Wales and London, Mared’s music masterfully blends folk and soul-pop, and she has gained a reputation of one of Wales’ leading young musical talents.

Deeply connected to her roots in Welsh folk but with a fresh, modern perspective, Mared’s debut bilingual album, ‘Y Drefn’ (I KA Ching Records) was awarded Welsh Album of The Year in 2021.

Following this success, she has performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and at Sony Hall in New York and is a very familiar face for avid watchers of S4C – once even popping along for a stroll on the perennially popular s4C programme, Am Dro.

Growing acclaim

Since then, Mared released ‘Something Worth Losing’ (EP 2022), co-written with producer Nate Williams and has been supported by BBC Radio Wales’ Welsh A list, BBC Radio Cymru (various DJ’s including Huw Stephens), BBC 6music (Bethan Elfyn) and featured on BBC Radio 1’s Power Down Playlist (Ifan Davies) and Selector Radio (Sian Eleri).

Mared and her 7-piece band have sold out venues such as Clwb Ifor Bach, Pizza Express Holborn, Greennote Music, Pontio Bangor, Galeri Caernarfon, Piano Smithfield, as well as in festivals such as Tafwyl and the National Eisteddfod (both live-streamed and broadcast on S4C) last year

Mared was recently awarded the BBC Horizons Launchpad Fund to record her songs live with her 7-piece band later this year.

‘Lately’ marks the second single, following the recent ’Pe Bawn i’n Rhydd’, to be released from Mared’s upcoming bilingual folk/pop 5-track EP ‘Better Late than Never’, out May 3.

Produced by Nate Williams, but bringing elements from her 2020 album and 2022 EP together, ‘Lately’ signifies a new direction in Mared’s artistry, where her honest singer-songwriter style finds a voice blended in powerful folk and gritty pop.

The lyrics reflect on missed opportunities to find love again and showcase Mared’s masterful and controlled vocal talents.

“What if…”

Chatting to Nation.Cymru upon the new track’s release, she told us: “I’m so excited to share my new single ‘Lately’ with the world.

“It’s the last single to come out before my 5-track folk/pop EP is released on May 10th and I can’t wait to perform these tracks live later in the year.”

She added: “I wrote ‘Lately’ on my acoustic guitar and it’s about missed opportunities to bloom relationships! A sort of ‘what if’ song!”

This year, Mared will be playing a number of festivals, including International Showcase Festival, Focus Wales in Wrexham in May and the North American Festival of Wales in August, with more performances soon to be announced. 

Stream ‘Lately’ and more music from your preferred platform here.

Follow Mared on Instagram here.