NEW MUSIC: Gwenno ‘Men an Toll.’

07/04/2022

“Men an Toll (also known as Mên-an-Tol and meaning holed stone) is a wonderful Bronze Age formation of standing stones near Madron, Cornwall. With its obvious feminine symbolism its holed stone was believed to aid fertility.”

Having previously shared a video for lead single ‘An Stevel Nowydh’, Gwenno today shares a beguiling new track, ‘Men An Toll’, from her forthcoming album ‘Tresor’.

‘Men An Toll’ comes accompanied by a captivating and atmospheric visualizer.

❤️ LISTEN AND WATCH HERE ❤️

Commenting on the track Gwenno says:

‘Men an Toll’ (also known as Mên-an-Tol and meaning holed stone) is a wonderful Bronze Age formation of standing stones near Madron, Cornwall. With its obvious feminine symbolism its holed stone was believed to aid fertility. I was inspired by Ithell Colquhoun’s ‘The Living Stones’ as well as the eternal nature of these ancient monuments and how they enable us to reflect on our own nature as human beings and on our relationship to the landscape. I sing, in Cornish “It’s completely obvious that I can’t escape from this…” I’m trying to express the moment when you connect with your own instinct, and accept what you are. With ‘Men and Toll’, I wanted to share a different and quieter side to the record, one that is grounded in the music that has had a big influence on both Rhys and I – ambient Celtic music, film scores, and experimental electronic music. I’ve created a playlist of artists and songs which I think embody some of these elements, and having listened to so much music which soothes the soul over the past couple of years, I hope that this collection of songs will serve as a small and helpful reminder of how powerful the sound of gentleness and beauty is.”

LISTEN TO THE PLAYLIST ON YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY

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Tresor (Treasure) is Gwenno Saunders’ third full length solo album and the second almost entirely in Cornish (Kernewek). Written in St. Ives, Cornwall, just prior to the Covid lockdowns of 2020 and completed at home in Cardiff during the pandemic along with her co-producer and musical collaborator, Rhys Edwards, Tresor reveals an introspective focus on home and self, a prescient work echoing the isolation and retreat that has been a central, global shared experience over the past two years.

Tresor diverges from the stark themes of technological alienation in Y Dydd Olaf (The Final Day) and the meditations on the idea of the homeland on the slyly infectious Le Kov (The Place of Memory). Accessible and international in outlook, peppered with moments of offbeat humour, Le Kov presented Cornish to the world. The impact of Le Kov was resounding, providing for the Cornish language an unprecedented international platform that saw Gwenno touring and headlining in Europe and Australia, and supporting acts such as Suede and the Manic Street Preachers. Her performance of ‘Tir ha Mor’ on Later with Jools Holland was a triumph, and the album prompted wider conversations on the state of the Cornish language with Michael Portillo, Jon Snow, and Nina Nannar. After Le Kov, interest in learning Cornish hit an all-time high, and the cultural role of the language was firmly in the spotlight.