BBC - Wales - SFA biography

The most creative of the contemporary Welsh bands, SFA consistently blend classic songwriting with often breathtaking experimentation.

Causing a quiet revolution can't be easy, but SFA have all but managed it without ever breaking through to the musical mainstream. And since their formation in the early 90s, the Super Furry legend has become something of a cliché: the blue techno tank, the 40ft inflatable bears, the record-breaking debut release, the song with that title. But that's doing lazy justice to their undoubted genius, for they're simply one of the most exciting and innovative groups to have ever emerged in Wales.

The various members of SFA all played in Welsh-language groups prior to forming, and came together as a mainly instrumental group in 1993 in Cardiff, playing around Wales and at celtic festivals in Europe.

In 1995 SFA released two largely experimental EPs for the Cardiff-based Ankst label - including Llanfairpwllgwyngyll- gogerychwyndrobwllantysiliogogogochynygofod (In Space), which was titled in a vain attempt to get into the Guinness Book Of Records.

After the release of its follow-up, Moog Droog (which featured a raw version of live favourite God! Show Me Magic), they signed to Creation records. Offering them a deal after a gig, Alan McGee reportedly requested that they sing more songs in English - to be told that every song in that night's set had been.

This was no accident: sometime around the release of Moog Droog they had made the decision to move towards the mass market. As singer Gruff Rhys later said, "Between us we'd released about six or seven albums in various bands in the Welsh language. So we formed an English language band to make accessible music. We put out English language albums because we've got ambition and we thought it was potentially easier for an international audience."

The band stayed on Creation until the label's collapse in early 2000, and released the albums Fuzzy Logic (1996), Radiator (1997), the b-sides and rarities collection Out Spaced (1998) and Guerrilla (1999).

Fuzzy Logic was the first album Gruff had sung in English - he later remarked that it sounded like a seemingly random collection of accents - and was the first SFA recording with a decent budget behind it.

Some controversy came for the band at the end of 1996, when The Man Don't Give A F**k became an unlikely entrant in the Christmas singles chart. Originally intended to be a b-side, it was put back after problems clearing a Steely Dan sample. When it did appear, The Man was deleted on its day of release, and quickly became a collector's item.

In 1999, the band planned a shamelessly pop assault on the charts. However, the calypso rock of Northern Lites and the sentimental balladry of Fire In My Heart didn't strike much of a chord with record buyers, and the album Guerrilla wasn't a great commercial success.

Its follow-up, Mwng, came out the following summer, and was recorded on 'pop strike'. According to Gruff, "we thought if our English language pop songs aren't getting played on the radio, which was the whole point of Guerrilla, we might as well make Welsh language pop songs that didn't get played on the radio. I suppose it's our attempt at direct action."

Despite being predominantly acoustic, slow and brooding, and entirely in Welsh, Mwng was a surprise hit, and became the biggest-selling Welsh-language album of all time (until Bryn Terfel released a Christmas album later that year).

In July 2001 SFA made a little more history by simultaneously releasing the album and DVD Rings Around The World. The DVD was mixed in 5.1 surround sound, and contained films accompanying each track. As Gruff says, "It was originally going to be a state of the planet concept album, but we decided not to do that in the end. It's about Earth, and the pollution of space, it's about debris. Musically this record covers a lot of ground."

A new album, Phantom Power, was released in July 2003, and was again accompanied by another DVD with surround sound. And in October 2004, the band's first best-of collection, Songbook, was released. It collated all the band's singles from the Llanfair PG EP through to Hello Sunshine, and is an essential first purchase for anyone discovering this wonderful band.

August 2005 saw them release their seventh studio album Love Kraft, which was experimental with all the band contributing and performing lead vocals on various of tracks.

Hey Venus! was launched in August 2007 and saw a return to the 'poppier' tones of their 1996 debut album Fuzzy Logic.

Comments

Damo Davies, Leeds
After being introduced to the SFA's Fuzzy Logic in 96 by my brother, I don't think that there has been any other band that I've managed or actually been bothered enough to see as much!

Eamon Hennessy, Limerick
Best music, best band. They make me smile,laugh and cry. They're what it's all about, long let them make such music.

sfa ok - manchester
seen them over 40 times in various countries around the world over the past 12 years. Never cease to amaze me, back then I got all the 7" early rare singles for a fiver a pop!

Glenn from Dublin, living in Los Angeles
I've seen them live about 10 times and they always blow me away, the last gig was in a really small venue here in Hollywood, they played for an hour and a half in the crazy space suit outfits, don't know how they didn't die of heat exhaustion and ended with "The Man..." backed by pictures of Blair, Bush and other less dangerous tyrants, it was in my head for weeks. Apparently they sold the tank to Don Henley for his collection!?! Glennser

Tony from Twickenham
They are wonderful. I notice they've got bald blokes in the band, is there any chance I could do some guest backing vocals? (I am welsh, from Neath originally). Best to leave it a few weeks as I have a nasty cold at the moment!

Mike from Leeds
The most creative, mad bunch of welsh geezers that ever drove a tank! Mwng? Don't understand a word of it but the music's good. Keep on touring fellas.

Matt, Newport
Saw them in about '96 at blackwood miners institute for the first time. Ever since there isn't anyone who comes close to the live performances given by Gruff and the boys. must have seen them about 20 times now and still get the same feeling at every gig, which 10 years on speaks volumes. i've checked the latest news flash and their sensational!

Clueless Morgan from Norwich
i went to the gig in Norwich last year (October?) and it was FAB!!! Dunno about a tank, but they did drive on in a golf cart and played the whole gig in luminous bubble wrap space suit thingys.

John Jones from Wrexham
I am continuously pleased by this band. I cannot listen to one album without crying like a baby or punching the air and shouting YES! at least once. How many other bands have released so many albums of which at least 99% are excellent at best or really really good at worst? I know everyones saying it but LoveKraft really could be their best so far, who'd have thought you could even come close to Radiator? Also I have seen some great gigs in my time but last years Brixton with GLC was just THE best, pure entertainment! I'd love to have a copy of that! Excellent songwriters, wicked people (so it seems) and real (whatever that may mean). SFA OK

stu dench fron penmaenmawr, conwy
i suppose you could say i like sfa alittle bit... i`ve seen em 15 times since 95... got everything released on most formats... wardrobe full of tee shirts... even my missus has got the skinny fits!!!... yeah their alright!... god! i`ve even got the sfa logo as wallpaper long live SFA!!!!!

Fat Pigeon, Warwick
Best live band, most original melodies and lyrics - see them a dozen times or more each year and can NEVER get enough of them - Rock on SFA!!!

Ray Nayoan from Indonesia
thanks goodness for magnificent SFA. i love how they keep such a positivibe in their music and at the same time their music is so revolutionary (both in their lyrics, compositions, and the album concepts). my first taste of SFA was rings around the world. They did rang in indonesia. thanks SFA for opening up the space of goodness in music universe.

Martijn, New Jersey, USA
I love the experimentation and the unusual arrangements / instrumentation of SFA. They seem to be one of the few sub-mainstream bands that can keep releasing albums of consistent quality. 7 albums down and they're making their best music ever. Write down a list of 90s bands and see how it compares!

Stoneshifter, Black Country UK
Godbless SFA. SFA's albums shine the brightest in my collection. SFA ok.

Posh Dave from llandudno now living in leeds
I love the super furry animals, they just remind of home ,the only music to have whilst driving through snowdonia !!when i come home from time to time.

John Fullarton from Dublin
The Best Welsh Band of all Time! They have there own amazing sound which allows them to keep making amazing records and brilliant live shows, I can't wait to see them at Oxygen this year!!!!

Matt Harrison , Paignton , Devon
SFA are great, experimental, classic,spontnious(dyslexia hurts),everything a band should be, need a support act?

Nastya from Russia
hello, i'm from siberia - it's a country of big white bears, you know... so the Super furry animals is my favourite band, becouse these guys in their video "golden retriver" looks like my grandma, when she was young!!

Owen in Australia
My lovely wife bought a copy of mwng off ebay (we hadn't heard any SFA until it arrived). It is on high rotation in our kitchen and we are using it to supplement our Cymraeg-learning efforts. Daioni!

Preston Protz from Cardiff
I believe it was sold to Don Henley from The Eagles.

neil bevan from lancsahire
what ever happened to the s.f.a tank that was carted round festivals In 96/97?

A brief history of SFA

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A brief history of SFA

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