Moletrap explores fragile identity and lost language on ‘Middle of the Land’
Mid Wales and Bristol-based band Moletrap return with their evocative new single ‘Middle of the Land,’ a meditation on language, memory, and cultural survival.
Out now as a digital release, ‘Middle of the Land’ builds on the band’s recent momentum from previous singles ‘Rhagofn‘ and ‘Taffy (Flags On Aber Prom).’ The track blends alternative and rock sensibilities with a deeply rooted emotional core, exploring the bittersweet feeling of a disappearing dialect and its impact on local identity. The song’s themes are grounded in the story of Radnorshire Welsh—a near-extinct dialect, said to have last been spoken by a widower living in remote Cwm Elan. The band’s fascination with this fading voice inspired the creation of the song’s chorus, which took shape over four years.
The band explains:
“The ‘Middle of the Land’ chorus was the last thing we wrote over a period of four years – a friend from one of our villages had told me about Radnorshire Welsh, a dialect, according to local legend last spoken by a widowed man living in a remote cottage on the edge of Cwm Elan and the Elenydd Uplands.
“We requested a copy of his last interview, recorded before his death, from the national archives – eager to hear the lost lilt of local Welsh. We’re still waiting for it, and we may never hear it. How strange.”
They continue:
“It’s bittersweet isn’t it, when a dialect dies, the loss reminds us of the fragility of identity and inspires us to double down on what remains. With that, we birthed ‘Middle of the Land’, a celebration of the area’s dogged grit and a promise to do what we can for, and in, the centre of Wales.”
Out now, ‘Middle of the Land’ is a sonic and lyrical tribute to the resilience of Mid Wales and a teaser of what’s to come on the band’s soon-to-be-released rock album.
Connect with Moletrap:
Stay up to date with The Daily Music Report’s latest music news & releases. Check out the most exciting and important music news here.