Award-winning Welsh neo-folk band Calan barnstorm into town to play a live show at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Thursday, 24 November.

Calan are described as Britain’s most innovative and thrilling ‘neo-folk’ band who reinvent traditional tunes into blistering, anthemic modern masterpieces. Their celebrity fans include Sting and Sir Bryn Terfel.

Their appearance at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Thursday is part of their autumn 2022 international tour.

“Aberystwyth holds a very special place in our hearts,”said Sam. “The National Library of Wales, over in Penglais Road, is where we research the source material for so many of our songs and tunes for Kistvaen. We were lucky and proud to be there, and we felt right at home going through some of the materials collected by greats such as Meredydd Evans.”

Calan will be showcasing music from their latest, critically acclaimed album Kistvaen, along with favourites from their huge back-catalogue.

Expect a mix of intricate, brilliant musicianship welded to foot-stamping, crowd-pleasing songs.

Calan arrive in Aberystwyth just weeks after returning to Wales and unpacking their instruments following a tour of America’s east coast.

Dates included New York’s World Music Institute and a big concert in Charleston, West Virginia, with the prestigious West Virginia Symphony Orchestra where they reprised their stunning indie-classical crossover creation – a suite of five compositions inspired by collections of traditional songs and tunes at the National Library of Wales.

They first performed the work with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales to overwhelming acclaim in a concert at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

“Some of our most important pieces come from research into historic and traditional texts,” said Bethan, who also plays a mean accordion and step-dances. “That’s why it’s lovely to come to places like this, areas steeped in history.

“The nights are getting longer and darker – in fact, one of the songs on our Kistvaen album is called As The Night Closes In – but let’s make this gig a real beacon of light in troubled times.”