Gruff Rhys is touring the 10th anniversary of American Interior, and he recently dropped by DC9 for a performance on the tour. Nalinee Darmrong was there to photograph the show.
The following article is adapted from a press release.
On April 12 at DC9, Gruff dedicated most of his show to American Interior and added a few other songs to round out his set.
In 2012, Gruff took a tour of the USA to find the location of the remains of John Evans. Evans was an explorer who set out to find Welsh settlers among Native American tribes along the Missouri River. The Welshman did not uncover any of his countrymen, and he eventually settled in New Orleans, where he died in 1799 at the age of 29. Rhys recorded an album inspired by his search, and American Interior was originally released in 2014.
On May 16, Rough Records releases a remastered and expanded version of American Interior, which inspired Gruff to spotlight the album on tour. In a blog post at the time, Gruff explained that the music video for the album’s title track was directed by Dylan Goch as a distillation of what happened when Gruff searched for John Evans. The video, and Gruff’s stage concert at DC9, featured a 1-meter tall puppet version of Evans, which was designed by Pete Fowler and built by The Felt Mistress.
Watch the official music video for “American Interior” by Gruff Rhys on YouTube:
Gruff Rhys is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker, and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals who obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He formed the electro-pop outfit Neon Neon with Boom Bip. Their album Stainless Style was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize. He won the 2011 Welsh Music Prize for his album Hotel Shampoo, which was followed up by American Interior in 2014, accompanied by a film, a book and a mobile app. He most recently published Sadness Sets Me Free, his eighth studio album, via Rough Trade in 2024.
Here are some photos of Gruff Rhys performing live at DC9 on April 12, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Nalinee Darmrong.
