Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
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Hi guys, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Hey guys! We’re very well thank you! Hope you are too!
“PLASTER” has been described as your most intense and cathartic release yet. What emotions or experiences pushed this track into such a fierce direction?
Some toxic people and difficult situations were having a negative effect on us. It was also about those moments of self-doubt and the negative voices in our heads. Sometimes it can be challenging dealing with both external and internal negativity, but it’s important to find the strength within ourselves to fight back – and to be kinder to ourselves too.
You’ve described the song as a way of turning negativity into strength. Was there a specific moment or situation that sparked that transformation?
There were several situations to be honest – some moments of self doubt, the negative voices in our heads, and some external noise too. The song is about recognising and acknowledging these internal and external factors that can cause negativity, but finding the internal strength to continue on our own path, to fight back against the negative voices, and find resilience.
As a bilingual band, you continue to champion the Welsh language in heavy music. How important is that cultural identity to your sound and message?
As Welsh language speakers, we’re passionate about using the language in everything we do – from writing and performing to promoting Welsh music more widely. Welsh is our first language and it’s so important for us to make music in the Welsh language, and perform in the Welsh language regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our culture, and it’s been an honour for us to raise awareness of our Welsh language with listeners telling us they’re discovering or learning Welsh through our music, and teachers telling us that our songs are being used in classrooms to engage students with Welsh language culture. To inspire people on their Welsh language journey is an absolute honour for us.
Growing up, we didn’t have a Welsh language nu-metal band, so it’s important for us that our fellow metal heads, goths, emos, and rockers are represented and feel seen and heard, and in the Welsh language. As a band, we stand for self-worth, authenticity, and unapologetically being yourself. This recognition is so emotional to us.
Working with Romesh Dodangoda must have been a great experience. What did he bring to this project that elevated it?
We both admire Romesh Dodangoda and we’re both fans of his work. He’s worked with so many amazing artists that we love and inspire us including Bring Me The Horizon, Motörhead, Holding Absence and Nova Twins. Hearing ‘Ace of Spades’ by the rock band Motörhead first inspired Gwion to make music, so it’s such an honour to work with him. Romesh always gets the best of us in the studio and he helps us develop our sound. He’s so much fun to work with and always looks after us. He’s ace!
Your music consistently explores themes of identity, mental health, and self-expression. How do you balance personal vulnerability with the aggressive energy of nu-metal?
It’s important to us to be honest and authentic, and to acknowledge that sometimes we struggle internally. We’re passionate about promoting self-expression and encouraging our listeners to be unapologetically themselves. We see nu-metal as our form of catharsis – whether we’re feeling angry, frustrated, vulnerable, or empowered, fierce, inspired or happy.
You’ve been gaining strong support from outlets like BBC Radio 1 and Metal Hammer. Has that recognition changed how you view your place in the scene?
Growing up, we always dreamed of hearing our music on BBC Radio 1 and being featured by Metal Hammer, so this recognition means so much to us. We both work incredibly hard and share the same ambitions for C E L A V I. We never take any of this for granted, and we’re so grateful for the support and recognition we’ve received.
We truly believe there’s a place for our bilingual nu-metal within the scene. Seeing and hearing ourselves alongside massive metal bands feels surreal, but so positive. It reassures us that there is space for us to exist as our unapologetic, authentic selves.
Performing at Download Festival is a huge milestone. What does that opportunity mean to you at this stage of your career?
It’s been our dream to perform at Download Festival! We’ve both been going to Download Festival ourselves over the years. It doesn’t get any bigger than Download! It’s such an iconic festival, with an amazing, inclusive community. There’s such a special vibe at Download and we’ve got another huge lineup this year! We’re so proud to be able to perform in the Welsh language and put North Wales on the map. We believe we’re the first band to perform in the Welsh language. We’re very emotional to be able to live our dream, and also make history! This means so much to us!
Being a married duo adds a unique dynamic to the band. How does that relationship influence your creative process and the emotional honesty in your music?
We both love working together. We have shared musical influences and also different musical influences which makes the creative process of making music come naturally to us to be honest. We’re always working on new ideas. We have a music room at home where we work on our ideas to take to the Studio. We find inspiration every day – we have songs on the computer, lyrics in notepads and in notes on our phones!
Some songs take longer than others. There’s some we’ll labour over for weeks to get them just right, some will just fall into place in a night and other songs we’ll dissect into multiple songs. That’s the joy (and sometimes frustration) that comes with music as with any art. The process of writing them is as rewarding as the end product itself.
We’re both very honest together, and we’re both very supportive of each other. We feel that we get the best out of each other, and we’re developing creatively together too.
With your upcoming EP on the horizon, how does “PLASTER” set the tone for what listeners can expect from this next chapter of C E L A V I?
PLASTER is the perfect introduction to our nu-EP. We’re fighting back and standing up for ourselves more, internally and externally. We feel that we’re becoming more vulnerable and setting more personal boundaries, and accepting that this is ok.
With our sound, we feel that we’re sounding fiercer, bolder and more brutal. We’re turning negativity and pain into catharsis, into empowering anthems. Brutal riffs and melodic mayhem – like a circle-pit catharsis.
> https://orcd.co/plaster_single
> www.wearecelavi.com
> https://www.instagram.com/wearecelavi
> https://www.facebook.com/WEARECELAVI
> https://www.youtube.com/@WEARECELAVI
> https://open.spotify.com/artist/4OEzNJIkgsH8PTw0y86ATx
