Rising folk band CANNA launch debut single inspired by jazz and classical sounds

Amelia Jones

South Wales folk band CANNA have released their debut single, showcasing their distinctive fusion of jazz, folk and classical music.

Bringing together some of Wales’ most exciting young musicians, they create a distinctive, modern sound rooted in Welsh folk music and Welsh-language songs. They combine original compositions with reworked traditional material.

The five-piece band features two fiddles, piano or harp, double bass, drums and vocals, with duo, trio and quartet formats also available.

A meeting point between past and present, their new single ‘Y Pibydd Coch’ weaves together the traditional Welsh tune ‘Erddigan y Pibydd Coch’ (The Red Piper’s Elegy), first appearing in Edward Jones’ seminal collection ‘Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards’ (1784), with two contemporary compositions: ‘Coed Llew’ by Rowan Kodratoff and ‘A Recipe for Chef Glenn’ by Elinor Roderick and Hazel Sturt.

Recorded in south Wales following two days of intensive rehearsals with Patrick Rimes, supported by a Tŷ Cerdd Lottery grant through Trac Cymru, the self-funded recording was captured live at One Louder Studios in Newport by Owain Hiscocks and later mixed by Mark Ferda.

That rapid process became central to the recording’s identity. Rather than smoothing away imperfections, CANNA chose to preserve the immediacy and spontaneity of the live performance, embracing the tension between traditional melody, improvisation and driving rhythmic experimentation.

The result is a debut that feels both ancient and contemporary: music rooted in Welsh tradition yet charged with the ambition and energy of a new generation redefining what Welsh folk music can sound like.

Fiddle player Elinor Roderick says: “CANNA started as a passion project, but it’s quickly become something much bigger,

“We all come from very different musical worlds: folk, jazz and classical and the exciting thing is finding where those worlds collide. There’s a real energy and freedom in the band that feels fresh, but very much connected to Welsh tradition.

“‘Y Pibydd Coch’ feels like the perfect introduction to the band because it captures both the energy and the conversation between all five players. We wanted the recording to feel alive rather than overly polished, something immediate, rhythmic and full of movement.”

You can listen to the track here.