Interview: Getting to Know C E L A V I
Welsh Bilingual nu-metal duo C E L A V I continue their rise with their fiercest release yet, PLASTER, which is a cathartic, high-impact anthem that merges raw aggression with captivating hooks. The track is out now and is taken from the band’s highly anticipated upcoming EP, produced by Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Motörhead, Nova Twins). In this interview, we get to know them a little better.
1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
Hello! We’re Gwion and Sarah! We perform and compose as C E L A V I.
Gwion writes our songs, and plays guitar, drums, bass and synths on all of our songs. Sarah is our lead singer, who writes the lyrics and she contributes ideas on the production.
We’ve both been in the music scene growing up, and we met in a different project. It became clear that we both had the same musical ambitions and that we were both as driven as each other. It was a natural progression to create C E L A V I together. We think that’s what makes our sound authentic as we both have some similar musical influences, and some different musical influences.
2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?
We draw a lot of inspiration from early 2000s nu-metal. Our music is also influenced with industrial and goth sounds, with electronic and rock undertones.
3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?
We’re currently busy working on our nu-EP with Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Motörhead, Nova Twins, Holding Absence), with supporting music videos directed by Loki Films (Sleep Token, Lorna Shore, Limp Bizkit). We’ve just performed at FOCUS Wales, SXSW London, Download Festival and supported Headwreck. We’re looking forward to supporting As December Falls at Chepstow Castle this August.
4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?
We’ve just played Download Festival, an absolute dream come true for us! To be on the huge line up with artists including Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, bands that have inspired us, was a huge honour. We made history at Download this year, we were the first band to perform in the Welsh language. We’re very proud of our Welsh culture and our Welsh language, and coming on to the stage, seeing the tent full to the back, and seeing so many Welsh flags in the audience and our t-shirts was so emotional. We can’t thank everyone enough for coming out to support us. We’ll never forget this!
5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.
We’ve never had anything handed to us, and honestly, we wouldn’t want it any other way. Everything we’ve achieved has come from a huge amount of hard work behind the scenes. We’re constantly rehearsing, writing new music, developing creative ideas, designing merch, creating content for social media, moodboarding music videos, recording, filming, and touring.
It’s a continuous process, and we’re always looking for ways to improve and push ourselves creatively. Because we’ve worked so hard for every opportunity, we never take anything for granted. We’re incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received and for every chance we’ve been given.
What means the most is when people recognise that hard work and tell us we deserve the opportunities coming our way. That’s something we’re really proud of, and it motivates us to keep working even harder.
6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?
We find ourselves drawn to writing empowering songs, and encouraging our listeners to be their unapologetic selves. Mental health is very important to us, and a lot of our songwriting explores the internal and external negativity people can face. With our nu-EP, we feel that we’re becoming more vulnerable and setting more personal boundaries, and accepting that this is ok. Writing music can be a real catharsis for us too.
7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?
As an independent band, we both have to wear several different hats. Songwriters, managers, content creators to name a few. We make a conscious effort to take some time to ourselves and make sure we don’t get burnt out. It can be as simple as going for a walk, going to the gym or cooking a meal together.
8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?
We enjoy the creative side of social media, whether that’s sharing our visuals, live performances, or behind-the-scenes content. It’s another way for us to express who we are as a band and connect with people who enjoy our music.
At the same time, we do feel that the industry can sometimes place too much emphasis on visible numbers and vanity metrics. The numbers don’t always reflect the quality of the music or the strength of the connection a band has with its audience.
We prefer to focus on creating genuine content that represents us authentically rather than chasing trends or posting purely for engagement. We’d rather build a real community around our music than be driven by numbers alone.
9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?
For us, it comes down to being ourselves and staying genuine. We don’t feel pressured to jump on every trend or create content purely to chase the algorithm.
We focus on sharing things that feel authentic to who we are as a band – behind-the-scenes content, gig footage, music videos, or photos from our journey.
We feel that this makes it much more enjoyable and fulfilling because we’re connecting with people in a real way rather than trying to be something we’re not. It allows us to build a genuine relationship with our audience and share our story which is really important to us.
10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support you?
We’d like to thank everyone who listens to and supports our music. It genuinely means the world to us, and we never take that support for granted.
If people would like to help support us further, the biggest things they can do is to come to our gigs, share our music with friends, follow our adventures online, and support us on Bandcamp by buying our music or merch. Every share, stream, ticket purchase, and message of support makes a real difference and helps us continue doing what we love.
11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?
When we’re not making music, touring or going to other gigs, we love going to the gym, and spending time with family and friends, going for meals and some drinks, and video games!
12. Where can people find you?
Our website is: www.wearecelavi.com and we’re on all the socials as @WEARECELAVI.
Thank you so much!
Diolch yn fawr! (Welsh)
