9Bach is an alternative folk group formed by Welsh singer-songwriter and pi… Read Full Bio ↴9Bach is an alternative folk group formed by Welsh singer-songwriter and pianist Lisa Jên and guitarist Martin Hoyland, a veteran of 1990s alt-rock band Pusherman. The group now includes Ali Byworth (drums and percussion), Dan Swain (bass guitar), Esyllt Glyn Jones (harp, vocals), and Mirain Roberts (vocals). The sextet's name puns on "nain", the word for "grandmother" in north Wales; "bach" means "small" in Welsh.

Back in 2005 Lisa Jên and Martin Hoyland were tentatively working on the beginnings of side project/hobby, 9Bach, when their good friend Ali Byworth told them to get their act together, and get a band together, for this great festival he’d been to the year before. “It would at least be worth it to get free tickets” he sensibly reasoned. They duly took note, and recruited Ali on drums, avante-garde harpist Esyllt, and her bass-playing brother Dan swain. Their first demo recordings secured them their first ever gig at Greenman 2005 (Baskerville Hall). That show won many fans including a present Will Oldham who asked the band if he could buy a CD from them. He couldn’t, they didn’t have one.