Q: Can you remember the pivotal moment you both thought “Right, we need to start Awni”?
We’ve both enjoyed going to Welsh gigs since we were old enough to go - it's a big part of our social lives, as well as our friends’ social lives. We were 'on the ball' with finding out what's going on by following our favourite artists/venues on social media - but often, there were great gigs that passed by without us hearing about them! So, after learning about gigs the morning after they happened one too many times, we decided to create 'awni?' so that there is no need to say, 'oh gutted we didn’t hear about that gig!' ever again!
Q: What was the toughest part of getting this off the ground?
Initially, the intention was to create an app, but after looking for options to build an app - we suddenly noticed that it was a lot too ambitious and expensive. We weren’t too sure if ‘awni?’ was possible at all and we completely lost hope in the idea! But I had a bit of a breakthrough after using ChatGPT and noticed that it was possible to use that to learn how to code the website myself. It took a lot of time to get the website working properly (it's still very 'homemade'!) but I'm glad it's up and running.
There are a LOT of Welsh gigs happening - so we're still learning what's the best system to try to make sure these are all on the website - hopefully we'll get there slowly!
Q: How do you think Awni? is changing the game for Welsh music fans and artists?
I think that 'awni?' is a convenient way for people who enjoy Welsh gigs to find what's going on around them, and maybe make people notice that there's *more* going on than they thought. As I've just moved from Cardiff back to North Wales for a while, it's easy to say ‘there’s nothing going on here’ but I hope that 'awni?' will make people notice that there is enough of a scene outside the capital, and encourages people to organize more gigs to 'fill the gaps' on the map (hint hint Powys!)
Q: What is it about Welsh-language music that makes you so passionate about showcasing it?
As a Welsh speaker, promoting the Welsh language is something that is very close to my heart. And there is a load of great work being done in terms of lessons for learners, policies, and work in schools to promote the language. But for me, I think that music and live gigs are the strongest tools to promote language.
I often refer to the effect that Kneecap has had on the Irish language - they show the language in a contemporary context which is so different from the formal and academic context that a lot of children associate with the language since learning it at school. I hope that's the effect Welsh gigs can have on people too - a change of perspective from seeing it as some unimportant subject at school, to something that's exciting, alive and healthy, creative and fun!
Q: There is a large percentage of people that don’t engage in Welsh language music but want to! What would you say to someone who wants to expand their musical horizons?
I'd say there's so much to enjoy in the Welsh-language music scene, from country to rap to indie-pop, you'll definitely find something you enjoy. There are also loads of bilingual gigs being organised around Wales, which are a great way to take the first step into Welsh language music. It's a great way to pick up some new words as well if you're looking to learn! And of course, if you want an easy way to find gigs - head to awni.cymru!