| Carwyn Ellis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Carwyn Meurig Ellis |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genres | Psychedelic pop Psychedelic folk Baroque pop Sunshine pop Indie rock |
| Occupations | Singer/songwriter, Producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Keyboard, Bass, Percussion, Banjo, Autoharp, Bassoon, Vibraphone, Drums |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | NOISE McCARTNEY / Bad News Records, Red Bricks Recordings, See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings |
| Associated acts | Colorama, Edwyn Collins, Oasis, Shane MacGowan, UNKLE, North Mississippi Allstars, James Hunter, Lay Low |
Carwyn Ellis is a British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and music producer from Wales. He is also known as the frontman of British psychedelic pop band Colorama[1] as well as the bandleader / guitarist / bassist of Edwyn Collins’ all-star band.
After a nomadic early childhood moving from town to town, Ellis' family settled in Anglesey, eventually moving to London where he studied at the Royal Academy of Music and worked with numerous bands through a myriad of genres. Among the artists that Ellis has collaborated or performed with are Oasis, Shane MacGowan, UNKLE, North Mississippi Allstars, James Hunter, Romeo Stodart (The Magic Numbers), Alex Kapranos plus Nicholas McCarthy (Franz Ferdinand), Roddy Frame, Paul Cook (Sex Pistols), Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie), The Drums, Pete Molinari and Lay Low.
In 2008, after a brief tenure in Liverpool as a folk musician, Ellis moved to Cardiff, emerging as a frontman in his own right and calling his band Colorama. They released their Japan only debut album, Cookie Zoo on Noise McCartney / Bad News Records (Victor Entertainment) in April 2008, and released their debut single, Sound via Redbricks Recordings in July 2008.
The band only started playing together in early July 2008 and have since played Glastonbury Festival, Latitude Festival and the Green Man Festival.
In 2009, Colorama announced the tragic news that their double bass player, Ellis's best friend David Fletcher had died at the age of 37 on 29 June, from a heart attack suffered in his sleep,[2][3] just days after Colorama’s appearance at Glastonbury Festival.
September 2009 saw the UK release of Colorama's album, Magic Lantern Show on Redbricks Recordings, featuring songs in Welsh and English. Described as ‘incredible’ by Huw Stephens and hailed a ‘Soft Psych Classic’ by Sean Rowley, Magic Lantern Show was enthusiastically received with extensive radio play on XFM, BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Wales, C2 and BBC Radio Cymru.
In 2010, Ellis released Colorama's third album BOX on Noise McCartney / Bad News Records (Victor Entertainment) in Japan and via See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings in UK.
This year has also seen the release of Italian born artist Emma Tricca's album, Minor White on Finders Keepers / Twisted Nerve Records in UK and EMI Records in US, which Ellis produced and arranged.
Amid other projects Ellis has performed or collaborated with in 2010 are Fabienne Delsol's album - ON MY MIND (Damaged Goods), Dan Sartain's album - Dan Sartain Lives (One Little Indian Records), The Keys' album - Fire Inside (See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings) and Edwyn Collins' album - Losing Sleep (Heavenly Recordings).
Also in 2010, Ellis joined forces with Shane MacGowan, Nick Cave, Bobby Gillespie, Chrissie Hynde, Mick Jones, Glen Matlock, Paloma Faith, Cait O'Riordan, Johnny Depp, James and Robert Walbourne, to release a charity single covering the Screamin' Jay Hawkins hit I Put A Spell On You. All the proceeds from the single went to Concern Worldwide to provide assistance to the victims of the tragic 12 January earthquake that devastated Haiti.
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | BOX | Album | See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings |
| 2010 | BOX | Album | Victor Entertainment (Noise McCartney / Bad News Records) |
| 2009 | Magic Lantern Show | Album | Red Bricks Recordings |
| 2009 | The Music Sounds Better With Huw: Vol. 1 | Album | Wichita Recordings |
| 2008 | Sound | Single | Red Bricks Recordings |
| 2008 | Cookie Zoo | Album | Victor Entertainment (NOISE McCARTNEY / Bad News Records) |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Losing Sleep | Album | Heavenly Recordings |
| 2008 | Home Again | Single | Heavenly Recordings |
| 2007 | Home Again | Album | Heavenly Recordings |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | I Put A Spell On You (Haiti Charity Single) | MP3 | IRL |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Minor White | Album | EMI |
| 2009 | Minor White | Album | Finders Keepers Records / Twisted Nerve Records |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Dan Sartain Lives | Album | One Little Indian Records |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ON MY MIND | Album | Damaged Goods |
| 2007 | Between You And Me | Album | Damaged Goods |
| 2006 | The Best Of Fabienne Delsol & The Bristols | Album | Damaged Goods |
| 2004 | No Time For Sorrows | Album | Damaged Goods |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Fire Inside | Album | See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings |
| 2009 | Christmas EP | EP | See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings |
| 2009 | Le Mans | EP | See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Farewell Good Night's Sleep | Album | Nettwerk |
| 2008 | Farewell Good Night's Sleep | Album | Cod Music |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | A Virtual Landslide | Album | Damaged Goods |
| 2007 | A Virtual Landslide | Single | Big Bertha Records |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | People Gonna Talk | Album | Rounder Records |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Steve Marriott Tribute [Box Set] - One More Time For The Old Tosser | Album | Wapping Wharf Records |
| 2005 | Steve Marriott Tribute [Box Set] - One More Time For The Old Tosser | Album | Wapping Wharf Records |
| 2002 | Mustn't Grumble - The Steve Marriott Memorial Concert 2001 | Album | Sanctuary Records |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Love And Light | Album | Redemption |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Polaris | Album | ATO Records |
| 2001 | Shimmy She Wobble | EP | Blanco Y Negro / Rough Trade Records |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | High | Album | London Records |
| 2000 | Maybe It's The Right Time | Single | London Records |
| 1999 | For Real | EP | London Records |
| 1999 | Monkey Talel | Single | London Records |
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The World Is Not Enough | Single | Radioactive, MCA Records |