The Gentle Good shares new tour dates

Stephen Price

The Gentle Good is set to perform a series of live gigs this spring and summer, giving new music from his critically acclaimed album, Elan ‘the proper psych/rock outing she deserves’.

The Gentle Good is the moniker of Cardiff-based songwriter Gareth Bonello, who is known for crafting modern folk music in Welsh and English and previously won the Welsh Music Prize. The Gentle Good is widely regarded as a leading contemporary Welsh-language songwriters.

Sharing the news of his upcoming performances, The Gentle Good shared: “Cyfarchion / Greetings everyone, I hope the brighter days and blooming earth are bringing some comfort in these troubled times.

“I’m just getting in touch to share the poster below to let you know I’m back on the road this spring, primarily in Wales with a few jaunts into England.

“I’ll be solo for all these shows except Loopfest in Shrewsbury, where I’ll be joined by my band The Psychlepaths to give ‘Elan’ the proper psych/rock outing she deserves.

“We’ve got an exciting run of full band shows lined up for the summer too, including some highly prized festival slots, so keep an eye out for more announcements in the coming weeks…

“As always diolch o galon/thanks a million for all your support. It wouldn’t be possible to do any of this without folk like you listening to music, buying records and coming to shows.

“You’re much appreciated and I hope to catch some of you on the road in the coming weeks and months. Dates are listed in the tour poster below – hit the button for more details about all upcoming gigs.

“Hwyl am y tro! Bye for now!”

The Gentle Good’s latest album Elan is a monumental protest album inspired by the flooding of the Elan valley to supply water to Birmingham.

Written in an off-grid cottage during a year-long residency in the Cambrian Mountains, The Gentle Good’s new album ‘Elan’ is a psychedelic portrait of the Elan Valley in Powys, Wales.

Featuring songs in both Welsh and English, ‘Elan’ explores the landscape, history and politics of this remote area, which was flooded to provide water for Birmingham at the end of the Victorian era.

“Mr Groves is a Wiltshire gentleman, who purchased ten thousand of these almost worthless acres a few years since, and is making a paradise of the wilderness…” – Benjamin Malkin, 1803.

Recorded at Tŷ Drwg Studios, Cardiff with sound engineer Frank Naughton and musician Andy Fung, ‘Elan’ is the sixth studio album from The Gentle Good. This latest offering sees the award-winning songwriter embrace a wider sound pallet, that does justice to the vast and dramatic landscapes of the Elan Valley.

In contrast to the stripped-back acoustic intimacy of its predecessor ‘Galargan’, the new record ‘Elan’ incorporates a full band, complete with layered vocals, electric guitars, vintage synths, flute and French Horn.

The Gentle Good told Nation Cymru: “The title for one of the album’s tracks, Ten Thousand Acres comes from a quote by Benjamin Malkin, an English scholar that visited the Elan estate in 1803 and later published a history of south Wales.

“Malkin stayed with Thomas Grove, an aristocrat who had recently bought the estate, described as “a Wiltshire gentleman, who purchased ten thousand of these almost worthless acres a few years since, and is making a paradise of the wilderness…”

“In the end, the estate and much of the valley was drowned at the start of the 20th century, when the city of Birmingham was granted a compulsory purchase order to create reservoirs for drinking water.

“To me, it’s indicative of the way both perceptions of Wales and decisions with far-reaching consequences for Welsh communities have been shaped from the outside.”

He added: I was lucky enough to have a year-long fellowship with the Elan Valley Trust from November 2021-22. I was able to stay in an off-grid cottage above Penygarreg dam, with no phone, wifi or radio signal, so there was ample time for reflection.”

“I wanted to explore the history of Cwm Elan, which echoes the history of so many other parts of Wales affected by controversial land seizures from Westminster.

“But primarily, I wanted to know what the valley can tell us about Wales today.”

Buy tickets for The Gentle Good’s upcoming performances here.

Buy Elan from The Gentle Good, and other releases here.