Carwyn Ellis

A prolific figure on the U.K. indie pop scene, songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer Carwyn Ellis has worked as a soloist and with the Brazilian pop-influenced Rio 18, but is best known for Colorama, a psychedelic-leaning project that has touched on soul, electro-pop, chamber pop, singer/songwriter folk, and experimentalism while keeping melodic pop at its core. The group's first album, Cookie Zoo, saw release in 2008. Colorama's least eclectic release to date was 2017's Some Things Just Take Time, a spare tribute to classic American songwriters. Also known for his collaborations with Edwyn Collins and as a member of the Pretenders' touring band, he made his full-length debut as Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 with Joia in 2019, following seven Colorama albums. Ellis' official solo debut was the stripped-back, emigration-themed Across the Water, released in 2022. He then issued a string of funkier albums with Rio 18, including 2026's Haf.