Alffa return with statement-single 'Closer to Me'
Three-years since the release of debut LP ‘Rhyddid o’r Cysgodion Gwenwynig / Freedom from the Poisonous Shadows’, Alffa share first taste of sophomore album with new single 'Closer to Me'.
Boasting the title of the first band to have a Welsh language song streamed a million times, Alffa again look set to shake things up as 'Closer to Me' is unashamedly bruising, wrapped in dense, perpetual riffs and steered to a relentless drive. Derived from the frustration of not being able to take their debut on the road, the track is underpinned by the characteristically crisp delivery of producer Gethin Pearson (Charli XCX, Orla Gartland, Adwaith), accentuating the two-piece's notoriously powerful soundscape. Now a staple feature on globally-sourced discovery playlists, Alffa's latest offering carries their most driving arrangements to date.
Despite having their first album plans taken away from them due to a series of lockdowns, singer-guitarist Dion Jones and drummer Sion Land admit that the enforced inactivity restored their lust for creating music. Falling victim to the pandemic meant a shift in focus — a re-evaluation of their next step — and Dion explains that the break wasn't as unwelcomed as it first appeared: "The pandemic definitely changed a lot for us as a band. Looking back, we made some big leaps to get to where we are today, which we are very happy about. Everything blew up in such a short period of time so we needed to take some time to figure out what our next step would be and to refresh our minds from the streaming world and focus on what we wanted to do”.
Blurring the boundary between music and film, the accompanying video comes ahead of Alffa’s headline gig at Clwb Ifor Bach on Friday 11 November. Directed by Trigger Happy Creative and set at Jacobs Market in Cardiff, catch 'Closer to Me' exclusively here:
