Diwrnod yn y stiwdio gyda Yr Ods / A Day in the studio with 'Yr Ods'

  Mae Yr Ods wedi sefydlu eu hunain ymysg prif fandiau y SRG. Gyda caneuon fel ‘Y Bel yn Rowlio’, ‘Cofio Chdi o’r Ysgol’, ‘Turn Around’ a ‘Fel Hyn am Byth’ yn cael eu chwarae yn aml ar C2 a rhaglenni teledu S4C, mae’r band wedi llwyddo i adeiladu dilyniant mawr o fewn y SRG. Wrth iddyn nhw weithio ar albym newydd , ges i’r cyfle i ddal i fyny hefo Griff, Gruff, Rhys a’r ddau Osian wrth iddynt agosau tuag at ddiwedd y cyfnod recordio:

‘Sbwriel, cartŵns a lyrics’. Dyma oedd yn fy wynebu wrth i mi gerdded i mewn i sesiwn recordio Yr Ods yn Stiwdio Sain, Llandwrog. Yn sicr, mae’r albwm yma yn hir-ddisgwyliedig ymysg dilynwyr y band o Ogledd Cymru, gyda phawb yn edrych ymlaen i glywed faint o newid fydd na yn sŵn y band. Mae’r band wedi newid eu swn yn gyson ers i Griff a Gruff gychwyn y band yn 2007, gan ddatblygu o fod yn fand “giataraidd” i fod yn fand pop, gyda ‘synths’ yn amlwg iawn yn eu caneuon. Ond yn ôl y canwr a’r gitarydd, Griff Lynch, bydd elfennau o bob cyfnod yn hanes y band i’w clywed ar yr albwm newydd, fydd yn cael ei rhyddhau yn yr Hydref. Mae dylanwadau amlwg gan fandiau ‘Britpop’ y 90’au fel Pulp yn eu caneuon, fel rydym wedi gweld eisoes ar yr EP ddiweddar. Ond yn ôl Rhys Aneirin, chwaraewr ‘synths’, mae’r band wedi dangos chydig mwy o “balls” wrth greu yr albwm newydd, gan greu sŵn mwy “epic” nag o’r blaen.

  Pan gefais i’r cyfle i wrando ar rai o’r caneuon newydd fel “Troi a Throsi” yn cael eu hadeiladu, gam-wrth-gam, yn y stiwdio roedd hi’n amlwg fod Yr Ods, gyda chymorth y cynhyrchydd Dave Wrench – sydd wedi cynhyrchu albyms i fandiau poblogaidd fel Race Horses yn barod - yn parhau i ddatblygu fel band, ac yn sicr o gael cydnybyddiaeth gan gefnogwyr cerddoriaeth yng Nghymru a thu hwnt am flynyddoedd i ddod. Ond nid yw hynny’n beth newydd i’r band o gwbwl, gan eu bod nhw wedi llwyddo i adeiladu cefnogaeth yn rhai o wyliau mwyaf Prydain yn barod fel ‘Glastonbury’ a ‘Penwythnos Mawr Radio 1’ yn 2010. Ond, er gwaethaf hyn, mae Rhys yn credu mai gigs Maes B yn 2009 a 2010 oedd y rhai mae ef wedi eu mwynhau mwyaf: “O ran y gig ei hun, ma’n siwr mai Maes B yn Glyn Ebwy naethon ni fwynhau fwya’, achos odd ymateb y crowd yn briliant. Ond, ar y llaw arall, roedd y gig yn Bala, yn 2009, yr un mor dda a phwysig, achos dyna pryd odda ni’n teimlo ‘bod ni wedi cyrradd ar y sîn go iawn”. Er fod nifer y gigs wedi lleihau, gan fod y band yn ceisio cael safon yr albwm mor uchel a phosib, mae nhw yn parhau i lenwi clybiau pob tro mae nhw’n chwarae, petai nhw’n chwarae yng Nghlwb Ifor Bach a Nos Da, neu mewn clybiau yn Llundain.

   Fel nesh i ddeud yn gynharach, mae Yr Ods wedi chwarae yn Glastonbury, un o wyliau mwyaf y byd, ar ddwy achlysur, a hynny oherwydd eu bod nhw wedi llwyddo i ennill cefnogaeth Emily Eavis,  merch Michael Eavis, sefydlydd yr ŵyl. Yn yr ŵyl yn 2010, tra roedd Griff a Rhys yn crwydro cefn llwyfan, daethant ar draws aelodau y band gwerin Mumford and Sons yn chwarae pel-droed, gan ymuno am kick-about. Ond wrth ofyn sut siawns bysa’ ganddyn nhw yn erbyn bandiau eraill y SRG, ymateb Rhys, sydd yn ffanatic ar dim Dinas Bangor, oedd: “Dim llawar o chance i fod yn onast, er, ma’ Gruff Pritchard yn decent, ma’n mwynhau ei five-a-side.” A chan gadw at gwestiynna’ eitha’ ysgafn, fe wnes i ofyn i Griff a Rhys pa gerddor neu ganwr, byw neu farw, fysan nhw’n wedi ei weld yn ymuno â’r band, a’r un ateb gafwyd gan y ddau : Tich Gwilym , un o gitarwyr mwyaf enwog a thalentog yn hanes yr SRG.
  Mi fysa wedi bod yn ddiddorol clywed sut fysa ‘Tich’ wedi cyfrannu at swn y band. Ond wrth i’r dydd ddod i ben, roeddwn eisiau gwybod beth oedd i ddod nesaf i’r band prysur hwn. “Blaw am trio gorffan yr albym, ma gyna ni chydig o gigs dros yr haf, mewn llefydd fel Gŵyl Gwydir, Maes B, Gŵyl Gardd Goll a Sesiwn Fawr, ond fel arall, dani jest yn edrach ar y posibilrwydd o fynd ar daith i gyd-fynd efo rhyddhau y CD”. O’r hyn dwi wedi glywed o’r albwm hyd yn hyn, rwy’n gwybod bydd hi’n werth ei chlywed a’i phrynnu, a bydd pob gig dros yr haf yn aros yn y cof.

Am fwy o wybodaeth a newyddion diweddaraf gan y band yn bersonol, dilynwch “@yr_ods” ar Twitter.

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Yr Ods have certainly established themselves amongst the headlining band of the SRG. With songs such as 'Y Bel yn Rowlio', 'Cofio Chdi O'r Ysgol', 'Turn Around' & 'Fel Hyn am Byth' continually being played on the radio and on various TV programmes, the band has developed a large gathering of followers amongst the SRG. They are currently working on their first album, following the success of their EP, I caught up with Griff, Gruff, Rhys and both Osian, as they were nearing the end of the recording stage:

Rubbish, cartoons and lyrics. This was the sight as I walked into the recording studio for the new 'Yr Ods' album at 'Sain', Llandwrog. Certainly, this album is long-awaited amongst the followers of the band from North Wales, with everyone looking forward to hear how much of a change there will be in the sound of the music. Change has been quite regular for the band since Griff & Gruff formed the band in 2007, by developing from a "guitary" band to a brif-pop band, with synthesizers being very obvious in their music. But according to the singer and guitarist, Griff Lynch, different aspects from their entrie music collection will be combined on the album. which is set for release during the Autumn. There are obvious inspirations from Britpop band from the 90s, such as 'Pulp', in their songs, as we have already seen on the recent EP. But, according to Rhys, the synth player, they have shown much more 'balls' on this album, and have created a more 'epic' sound than before.

When I got the opportunity to listen to some of the new songs, such as 'Troi a Throsi', as they were developing, stage-by-stage, in the studio, it was obvious that Yr Ods, with assist from the producer, Dave Wrench - who has also produced albums for popular band such as Race Horses - were continually developing as a band, and are guaranteed to recieve more recoginition from fans within Wales and beyond, for years to come. But this is not a new thing for the band, as they have already managed to build a repoutation within some of the biggest festivals in Britain, such as Glasonbury and Radio 1's Big Weekend, in 2010.  But, although they have played at these massive festivals, Rhys believes that Maes B, both in 2009 and 2010, was the gigs he has enjoyed most: "Considering the gig itself, I think Maes B last year, in Ebbw Vale, was the one we enjoyed the most, because the crowd's reaction was amazing. But, the gig in Bala, in 2009, was as important for us beacuase that is when we truly felt that we had 'arrived' as a band." Although they have not been as busy over the past 6 months as they were during last summer, as the band has been trying to perfect the album to as higher a standar as possible, they continue to sell out their gigs, whether they are at Clwb Ifor Bach and Nos Da, or in clubs in London.

As I mentioned earlier, Yr Ods have played at Glastonbury, arguably the best festival in the world, and have done so on two occasions. This is due to the support they've received from Emily Eavis, Michael Eavis' daughter, the festival's fouder. Last year, as Griff and Rhys were wandering around the back-stage area, they stumbled apon members of Mumford and Sons, the popular folk band, playing football, and joined for a kick-about. But, asking how much of a chance they would stand against the other bands of the SRG, Rhys', a Bangor City fanatic, reckoned: "We wouldn't stand much of a chance to be honest, but Gruff Pritchard is decent, he enjoys a game of five-a-side." And to stay on the tracks of light-hearted questions, i asked Griff and Rhys which musician or singer, dead or alive, they would most like to see joining the band. Both gave the same answer: Tich Gwilym, one of the most legendary guitarist in the history of the SRG.
 
Certainly, it would have had been very interesting to hear Tich's contribution to the band. But, as the day drew to an end, I was really eager to know what was on the horizon for the band. "Except for trying to finish the album, we do have a few gigs over the summer, such as Gwyl Gwydir, Maes B, Gwyl Gardd Goll and Sesiwn Fawr, but otherwise, we are looking into the possibility of organizing a tour to launch the album." Of the sneak-peak that I have had so far, I know the album will be worth a listen and will definately be the must-purchase album of the year. I am pretty confident that all their gigs over the summer will be ever-so memorable.

For more information and the latest news from the band themselves, follow "@yr_ods" on Twitter.