Biography
A prolific presence within the U.K. indie-pop landscape, the songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Carwyn Ellis first gained wide attention through Colorama, a project whose psychedelic core has nevertheless embraced soul, electro-pop, chamber pop, singer/songwriter folk and experimental textures. Colorama’s inaugural full-length, Cookie Zoo, appeared in 2008. Its most streamlined statement arrived nine years later with the 2017 release Some Things Just Take Time, an austere homage to classic American songwriters. Ellis is equally recognized for his work alongside Edwyn Collins and for his role in the Pretenders’ live ensemble; after seven Colorama albums he issued his proper solo debut, the Brazilian-tinged Joia, in 2019 under his own name. The kindred follow-up, Mas, surfaced in 2021. In parallel he has lent his skills as session player and producer to Oasis, Garbage, Saint Etienne and Gemma Ray.
Born Carwyn Meurig Ellis in 1973 and raised primarily on Anglesey, he developed an early passion for the Beatles and began amassing records while still a child. At eighteen he moved to London to enroll at the Royal Academy of Music, though he spent more time performing in bands than attending classes. Among his first outside projects were appearances with North Mississippi Allstars and Southern Fly. He supplied piano and Mellotron to Garbage’s 1999 soundtrack album The World Is Not Enough, featured on several Allstars releases, and added guitars and percussion to Edwyn Collins’ 2007 album Home Again.
By that point resident in Cardiff, Ellis cut Colorama’s debut Cookie Zoo with David Page and Luca Guernieri; the record emerged first in Japan via Noise McCartney Records. Later in 2008 the band’s initial U.K. single, “Sound,” was issued by Redbricks Recordings. An invitation to Glastonbury followed in summer 2009, and that September Colorama delivered Magic Lantern Show, an album containing both English- and Welsh-language material. After contributing to Edwyn Collins’ September 2010 set Losing Sleep—alongside Johnny Marr of the Smiths, Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera and members of Franz Ferdinand—Colorama released its third album, Box, in October on Noise McCartney (Japan) and See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings (U.K.). The Christmas EP Cerdyn Nadolig appeared the same December. In 2011 the largely Welsh-language Llyfr Lliwio was released, and Good Music, produced by Collins and Sebastian Lewsley, arrived on AED Records in 2012.
Wonderfulsound reissued the band’s back catalog in late 2013, bringing Cookie Zoo to European listeners for the first time. The EP Heaven’s Hotel followed in March 2014, and the full-length Temari appeared three months later on AED Records. Meanwhile Ellis, Collins and Lewsley assembled the soundtrack to the documentary The Possibilities Are Endless, issued in November 2014—the same month Wonderfulsound released Dere Mewn!, a collection of Colorama’s Welsh-language songs. Throughout 2014 Ellis also recorded with Roddy Frame, Pete Molinari and Gemma Ray. After issuing the largely instrumental synth album Soft Rains under the alias Zarelli—an effort nominated for a Welsh Music Prize—he began work on Colorama’s seventh studio album in 2015.
In 2016 Ellis joined the indie-folk trio Plu (Elan, Gwilym and Marged Rhys) for the Bendith self-titled EP and contributed keyboards to the Pretenders’ album Alone, subsequently joining their touring lineup. Following a three-year hiatus between Colorama releases, the spare, American-songbook tribute Some Things Just Take Time appeared in 2017. That year Ellis also wrote, produced and mixed material for Saint Etienne’s Home Counties.
His first album under his own name, Joia, credited to Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18, arrived in 2019 after sessions in Rio de Janeiro with Domenico Lancellotti, Kassin and Shawn Lee. The same year he co-wrote two tracks for and performed on Collins’ Badbea, and appeared on releases by the Rails and Fabienne Delsol. Colorama’s Chaos Wonderland followed in 2020, while the second Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 album, Mas, emerged in early 2021.
Born Carwyn Meurig Ellis in 1973 and raised primarily on Anglesey, he developed an early passion for the Beatles and began amassing records while still a child. At eighteen he moved to London to enroll at the Royal Academy of Music, though he spent more time performing in bands than attending classes. Among his first outside projects were appearances with North Mississippi Allstars and Southern Fly. He supplied piano and Mellotron to Garbage’s 1999 soundtrack album The World Is Not Enough, featured on several Allstars releases, and added guitars and percussion to Edwyn Collins’ 2007 album Home Again.
By that point resident in Cardiff, Ellis cut Colorama’s debut Cookie Zoo with David Page and Luca Guernieri; the record emerged first in Japan via Noise McCartney Records. Later in 2008 the band’s initial U.K. single, “Sound,” was issued by Redbricks Recordings. An invitation to Glastonbury followed in summer 2009, and that September Colorama delivered Magic Lantern Show, an album containing both English- and Welsh-language material. After contributing to Edwyn Collins’ September 2010 set Losing Sleep—alongside Johnny Marr of the Smiths, Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera and members of Franz Ferdinand—Colorama released its third album, Box, in October on Noise McCartney (Japan) and See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings (U.K.). The Christmas EP Cerdyn Nadolig appeared the same December. In 2011 the largely Welsh-language Llyfr Lliwio was released, and Good Music, produced by Collins and Sebastian Lewsley, arrived on AED Records in 2012.
Wonderfulsound reissued the band’s back catalog in late 2013, bringing Cookie Zoo to European listeners for the first time. The EP Heaven’s Hotel followed in March 2014, and the full-length Temari appeared three months later on AED Records. Meanwhile Ellis, Collins and Lewsley assembled the soundtrack to the documentary The Possibilities Are Endless, issued in November 2014—the same month Wonderfulsound released Dere Mewn!, a collection of Colorama’s Welsh-language songs. Throughout 2014 Ellis also recorded with Roddy Frame, Pete Molinari and Gemma Ray. After issuing the largely instrumental synth album Soft Rains under the alias Zarelli—an effort nominated for a Welsh Music Prize—he began work on Colorama’s seventh studio album in 2015.
In 2016 Ellis joined the indie-folk trio Plu (Elan, Gwilym and Marged Rhys) for the Bendith self-titled EP and contributed keyboards to the Pretenders’ album Alone, subsequently joining their touring lineup. Following a three-year hiatus between Colorama releases, the spare, American-songbook tribute Some Things Just Take Time appeared in 2017. That year Ellis also wrote, produced and mixed material for Saint Etienne’s Home Counties.
His first album under his own name, Joia, credited to Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18, arrived in 2019 after sessions in Rio de Janeiro with Domenico Lancellotti, Kassin and Shawn Lee. The same year he co-wrote two tracks for and performed on Collins’ Badbea, and appeared on releases by the Rails and Fabienne Delsol. Colorama’s Chaos Wonderland followed in 2020, while the second Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 album, Mas, emerged in early 2021.
Albums
Fontana Rosa
2025
Radio Chévere
2024
Big Sky Love
2024
Ni A Nhw
2023
(Dal) Yn Rio
2023
Across The Water
2022
Yn Rio
2021
Singles
