It has been a long hard road for Broken Lines in recent years, but the band is delighted that road leads to Brecon's The Foundry on Friday.

Having released a debut album to critical acclaim and radio play from as far afield as Los Angeles, and many rapturously received gigs in their homeland of Wales and in England, Pembrokeshire’s Broken Lines, like everybody else, found their lives put on pause as a result of the Covid lockdowns.

The whole entertainment industry was hobbled by the pandemic but there were still tantalising opportunities. Over this period Broken Lines were invited to represent the UK in a global online 24-hour gig, an event that promised to link one live session to the next all over the globe in a continuous festival of music that would potentially bring the bands to the attention of millions.

“It was an incredibly exciting prospect but ultimately turned out to be built on massive ambitions and a lot of sand and never actually happened”, explained guitarist and vocalist David Wellan.

And just when light appeared at the end of the tunnel with the end of lockdowns, the ability to get together and the opening of venues, one member of the band was floored by mental illness and resulted in him stepping away from the band.  

David explained: “We do what we can to look after each other but we also wanted to keep the band going and find the momentum we were riding pre-Covid so we found a replacement. But we soon realised that, despite everyone’s best efforts, chemistry is unique and special and not something that can be easily replicated or replaced.”

And in a virtuoso three-piece set-up that chemistry is absolutely critical. After several months the band managed to get back together in their original combination only to be subjected to further mental health issues afflicting immediate family members. The entire fabric of the band started to come undone.

Broken Lines have continued to write and record and still refuse to be a band that can be categorised. Drawing on personal influences as diverse as New Model Army, Nick Cave and The Pink Fairies, their music straddles alternative rock, prog rock, punk, psychedelic rock and power pop. The trio weave incredible intricate atmospheres, with thumping rock with catchy melodies, all shot through with passionate lyrical content covering the most diverse subjects imaginable. The musicianship always outstanding, the vocals always worth hearing and the performances always worth witnessing. 

David reflected: “Every time we felt like we were getting back on track and seeing a way forward, we seemed to charge headlong into a wall. I don’t mind admitting it all came within a whisker of finishing us as a band and friendships were pushed to the limit. But despite it all being a bruising time, we pushed on through and it has actually resulted in us forging even stronger bonds, massively increased our awareness of the fine lines involved in mental health and it has made us closer to our truths, all of which has fed our creativity”. 

And Brecon’s The Foundry will be welcoming Broken Lines on Friday, August 16 from 7:30pm.  

Further information about both Broken Lines and The Foundry in Brecon can be found on their respective websites at www.brokenlines.co.uk and www.thefoundrybrecon.co.uk