Carwyn Ellis - Rio 18 - Colorama - A brilliant Welsh shapeshifter

With the album “Fontana Rosa” the Welsh musician undergoes yet another stylistic mutation: current member of the Pretenders, former leader of Colorama, Carwyn Ellis confirms himself as one of the most bizarre and versatile songwriters in contemporary pop music. We interviewed him, talking about past and present.

Your artistic journey began with the band Colorama, but your first appearance was as a singer for Unkle. What do you remember of that distant experience?

My first professional experience was with a band called Southern Fly: it was the first (and only!) time I was part of a “signed” band, meaning we were under contract with a record label. We had fun, but we didn't go anywhere. Around that time I auditioned and played a one-off gig with Thee Hypnotics, a great, wild rock'n'roll band in classic Detroit style. It was fantastic! I got to wear hipsters and pretend to be dangerous, haha. And then, shortly after, I did my first real session playing mellotron for UNKLE: it was for their remix of “The World Is Not Enough” by Garbage. It was a positive experience: James Lavelle was (and still is) a great guy, he encouraged me a lot and gave me total freedom to play whatever felt right.

With “Colorama” you explored many different pop languages, but more than the Beatles and britpop, the main elements seem closer to early psychedelia, Donovan's folk and the Kinks' scratchy rhythm. Which bands really inspired you?

In rock terms, you're absolutely right: all of the above, though Donovan not so much. If anything, I may have copied the same things he copied, just 40 years later! But the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were my first loves, then I moved on to the Kinks and the Small Faces. Not forgetting the great American artists of the Sixties: Bob Dylan, Beach Boys, Byrds, Doors, Love, Creedence etc. etc.

“Some Things Just Take Time” is Colorama's American dream album. Glen Campbell, Tim Hardin and Townes Van Zandt are songwriters you've always loved, but the overriding feeling is that on this album you also wanted to pay tribute to Memphis blues and New Orleans music. Is there hope for a follow-up to this chapter, or is the Colorama project now over?

Although the Colorama project has ended, I'm not done with that kind of music, not at all! I'm really glad you like that album, because I'm very fond of it too. It actually grew out of a collaborative project, a kind of “supergroup” (at least for me it's fantastic) with Luther and Cody Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars, James and Rob Walbourne, both now in the Pretenders, and me. We recorded the sessions in 2014 (I think) for an album that never saw the light of day. The project was called London Mississippi, after our geographical origins. Anyway, we played a ton of wonderful American roots music and recorded it, including a few original pieces too. When that album was shelved, I still wanted to use my songs “Halcyon Days” (which I wrote about my first visit to Memphis and Mississippi, while recording with the Nma in 2001) and “Long Haired Doney” (a cover of RL Burnside) – the guys agreed, so I built an album around those two songs that meant a lot to me. James and Luther both found the time to come to Toerag Studios and help me make the album. Happy times.

I consider “I Owe It All To You” one of the finest songs in your rich body of work. How did it come about, and who is it dedicated to?

That's so kind of you, thank you! The music of the song is essentially Handel's Largo, a piece I used to play on piano as a kid, which my grandmother adored. I played it for her every chance I got, and even when her hearing was almost completely gone, she could still hear me play it. She'd close her eyes and hum along softly. It brings tears to my eyes even now, thinking about it. It's for her, it's for my dear late best friend David, and it's for my late father. It's for those I owe so much to, who are no longer with me. It's a very, very emotional and personal song. And it's lovely to hear your kind words about it. Thank you so much.

You've shared many major stages with the Pretenders, but your friendship with Chrissie Hynde also introduced you to the legendary Brazilian producer and multi-instrumentalist Kassin, a discovery that changed your artistic path. What fascinates you most about Brazilian music?

I think overall, at least in the music that excites me, there's a mix of simple melody, complex harmony and infectious rhythms that just makes me feel good. Music that combines simplicity and sophistication usually grabs my attention! From the bossa nova era onwards, there are elements of classical, jazz and African music that, combined, can be simply magnificent. And with Tropicalia, you add beat music, psychedelia and other Latin or Caribbean influences, and the world to explore is truly vast.

What do you remember of your experience as a producer for Sarah Cracknell and Emma Tricca?

Both really enjoyable experiences: with Emma, she brought her songs and her impeccable, crystalline fingerpicking, so my job was to make sure her songs were well arranged and recorded. With Sarah it was a bit different, because I wrote some songs for her and with her. And that was one of my first really rewarding experiences as a co-writer. I love the recording process, it's often intense, but I also love creating on the spot and feeding off the ideas and wishes of a special artist.

Another important encounter was with Edwyn Collins, a friendship but also an artistic collaboration.

Indeed, Edwyn Collins had a huge influence on my creative life. He was the first artist to hire me for sessions and give me total freedom to embellish his songs however I saw fit. At that point, it was up to him whether he actually used what I did... ha! But he always did. His fiercely independent mind, his unstoppable creativity, his incredible way with words and his philosophy of making and recording music were, and still are, an absolute source of inspiration for me. And he, his wife Grace and his son Will treated me like family from day one. You can't ask for better. They're brilliant people.

“Fontana Rosa” follows the “Radio Chévere” project, an album born of numerous collaborations and highly praised by critics, but which didn't achieve the success it deserved. In your opinion, what kept the album from winning over audiences?

If I'd known, I'd have fixed it! Hahaha. I don't know, I just do what I like, and if I can get away with it, all the better. But in hindsight, writing in four languages might not have been the most commercial... clever thing I've ever done. I'm very proud of that record: it's the kind of crazy collage album or mixtape I'd always wanted to make. That said, “She's In LA” is by far my most-streamed track lately. So it's not a total disaster, hahaha! Somehow I make a living doing what I love, entirely on my own terms. I lack the focus or willpower to find a commercially viable musical style or formula and stick to it to make loads of money. I'm just not wired that way.

“Fontana Rosa” introduces many new elements into Rio 18's music. Is it the first step towards a larger project, or is it just a seed thrown to the wind, waiting for new creative impulses?

That's a very poetic vision! Like many of my records, it's probably the second option: a seed thrown to the wind, as you put it. With “Fontana Rosa” I wanted to make one last record at Toerag: I'd heard it was about to close down. So I wrote a few songs, called up some friends, and made one last, gorgeous record there. For me, for my friends, and for Liam Watson of Toerag, who was another huge influence on my musical life.

Do you have a favourite record, an album that still moves and amazes you despite the passing of time?

Short answer, no. What I like most is exploring what's new. That's why I buy so many records: there's nothing better than hearing an album for the first time. And I'm hooked, if not addicted, to that experience. Both as a listener and as a producer. I have lots of favourites, and they keep changing.

You've always had a taste for many genres, from the hip-hop of the Beastie Boys to the jazz of Miles Davis, but also the Grateful Dead and Public Enemy. Should we expect more side projects like the electronic one under the name Zarelli, or the folk one with Bendith, or will these influences flow into the next chapters of Rio 18?

I hope so. My curiosity hasn't cooled off, it's just a matter of seeing whether I can get away with it or not. In recent years I've had less control over what's come out of me musically. My Latin American experiences have had, and still have, a huge impact on my output. I'm constantly learning. Sometimes so fast, and so much, that the dam can burst and all sorts of things come pouring out! But of course I listen to other things too...

Which band or musician would you like to produce, and why?

I think it would be great to help an “unknown” artist reach their potential. That would be really rewarding.

What have you been listening to lately? Any bands or artists you'd recommend?

I buy pretty much every compilation put out by the Analog Africa label. I love the classics of French chanson and soundtrack composers like Michel Legrand, Léo Ferré and Francis Lai. I'm going through a big phase of early-80s internationalist pop, all sparked by my deep admiration for Grace Jones, so artists like Sly & Robbie, Talking Heads, Wally Badarou and Kid Creole & The Coconuts. I still keep up with everything Kali Uchis does. I saw Haruomi Hosono recently, and that took me straight back into the wonderful world of Japanese music.

Will we ever see you on tour in Italy?

My God, I hope so. I love Italy!! I played a few solo shows in Udine and the surrounding area for the fantastic SUNS festival a few years back, and it was amazing. I'd be more than happy to come back to Italy.

Thank you!

Thank you, great questions!

(October 26, 2025) 

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