Celtic storyteller Mari Mathias delivers the quirks of her background in a blend of traditional folk and contemporary songwriting. One of five winning entries for this year’s Green Man Rising competition, Mathias will be bringing her elegant yet haunting voice to the festival’s Rising stage, and talked to Emma Way about that and more.
What was it like participating in the Green Man Rising finalists’ showcase at Clwb Ifor Bach, back in June? Did it feel competitive on the night?
Mari Mathias: It was really nice to meet people from all over the UK there. We were all in agreement that we were all playing Green Man anyway, so it lifted off the tension. The fact that we were all shortlisted out of 2,000 entries from across the UK – that in itself was like I’d already won. The night was a little bit competitive. I think the layout of the night, with the presenters in between, created that ‘who’s gonna win?’ sort of thing, but I’m used to the Eisteddfod and the competitiveness of that.
You were also the only Welsh-speaking act, among four other English-language ones.
Mari Mathias: I felt like there was a lot on my shoulders to represent the language, not just in Wales but across the UK. It was an honour to be picked as a Welsh language act in the mix of so many people from across the country. I think it’s important because Green Man is in the Bannau Brycheiniog; overall, the lineup should have more Welsh language acts, but that’s just me being biased. People were saying it would be a weird competition if there was no Welsh language representation.
In the past, you’ve used St Fagans’ National Archives for inspiration for your music, but these are less readily available than used to be the case. How are you managing without access?
Mari Mathias: There are restrictions now, unfortunately, which is really sad, though I believe if you do contact them directly, they can help out in any way. I’ve been turning to folk friends. It’s been a mixture of online searching, diving really deep into archives, and – most recently – talking to locals and musicians that appreciate similar things to me.
Did you start writing from an early age?
Mari Mathias: I started playing piano when I was eight or nine, and I also played the violin. I started off doing classical stuff, but I binned it off quite quickly, being drawn to the guitar. I started writing poetry and composing music when I started secondary school, listening to artists like Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn. I was inspired by my dad’s writing and turned his poems into songs. I started gigging when I was 14 and I’ve had a lot of different musician friends join me on my journey.
Like your new project, the band MWSOG?
Mari Mathias: It’s very different from my own music, but similar in the sense that it’s still Welsh language. It’s still drawn from similar aspects of my own music, like traditional Welsh folk tales and myths and legends, but the musicality itself is very different: think 70s folk era, lots of psychedelic rock and folk influences, things like Pentangle. I lived in Cardiff for six years and met so many cool people that I bonded with musically – this band all stemmed from my own events called Gorsedd, in the yurt in [Cardiff bar/venue] Paradise Garden. These are four events a year celebrating the seasonal changes.
When can we expect new music from you?
Mari Mathias: I’m releasing the second single from my Awen EP at the start of August. It’s a summer folk collaboration with MWSOG – I’ve got two more singles from that collaborative EP coming out, over the autumn equinox and winter solstice. I’m going to be recording a live studio album with my band over the winter as well.
Mari Mathias plays the Rising Stage at Green Man, Glanusk Park, nr Crickhowell, Sun 18 Aug.
Tickets: sold out. Info: greenman.net / linktr.ee/marimathias
words EMMA WAY
