Re-Live to launch new album created by Welsh veterans and their families
A Space in the Woods is a new album of original songs co-created by Welsh armed forces veterans, their families and community members, bringing together personal stories of life after service, mental health, resilience and belonging.
Created over two years by Cardiff-based arts and health charity Re-Live, the album will be launched at a special public listening event at Llanover Hall Arts Centre in Cardiff on Wednesday 14 October 2026.
The project began with weekly songwriting groups bringing participants together from across North, South and West Wales. For many, the idea of writing and performing music was completely new. None of the participants had written songs before taking part.
Working alongside professional composers, musicians and producers, they developed their experiences and stories into a collection of original songs, creating an album that moves between acoustic, folk, country and rock-inspired sounds.
Among those involved is Chris, an army veteran who runs veterans' support hub Caffi Naffi in Connah's Quay. Chris wrote and performs Black Dog, a deeply personal song exploring depression and resilience.
“The songs on this album show we are more than just boots and a beret,” says Chris. “I never thought I'd write a song, but now I have something my family can hear that says what I can't always put into words.”
Sam, a community member and former volunteer at Caffi Naffi, also found herself discovering a new creative side through the project. She wrote and performs the album's title track, A Space in the Woods, inspired by a woman veteran she met through the project.
The song explores the importance of belonging and offers a message of hope for veterans who may feel disconnected after leaving the services. Sam had never sung live before becoming involved.
“This project has been one of the best things I've ever done,” says Sam. “If a song you've written can help someone else, and make everyone feel good, that’s amazing.”
For Carole, another veteran who helped co-create the album, the project has provided a sense of stability and connection.
“Music is now back in my life, and this helps me feel like I've got an anchor, something to hold on to,” says Carole. “When I started in this group, I was a shell of myself. Now I'm totally different.”
The songs were developed collaboratively with Re-Live's arts practitioners, alongside professional composers, singer-songwriters and musicians including renowned music director and broadcaster James Sills.
The finished album was recorded professionally in studios across Wales and Liverpool, including Tŷ Cerdd in Cardiff, Kempston Street Studios in Liverpool and Rhyndaston Villa Studio in Pembrokeshire. It was then mastered by BAFTA award-winning sound engineer Dai Shell.
The result is an album that brings together intimate acoustic songs, rich vocal harmonies, sweeping strings, folk influences and driving rock, alongside quieter moments of reflection. Many of the instruments featured on the recordings are performed by the participants themselves.
Karin Diamond, Artistic Director of Re-Live, said the project demonstrates what can happen when people are given the opportunity to tell their own stories creatively.
“What excites me most about A Space in the Woods is that these are people in our communities sharing their lives through great songs. I think audiences will connect with them because they speak to experiences many of us recognise in our own lives, resilience, loss, hope and the wisdom that can come through difficult times. They remind us that we are not alone.”
She added:
“I believe great music should be accessible to everyone, not only as listeners, but as creators. A Space in the Woods reminds us that when people come together to share their stories through music, they create more than songs. They create communities that are alive with possibility.”
The album launch at Llanover Hall will give audiences the chance to experience A Space in the Woods in full, accompanied by images and film documenting the two-year creative journey behind the project.
The evening will bring together veterans, family members, community participants, musicians and music practitioners from across Wales who have contributed to the album. Following the listening experience, there will also be a conversation with the album's co-creators, exploring the process of making the record and the role creativity and music can play in supporting health and wellbeing.
A Space in the Woods forms part of Re-Live's wider arts and health work with veterans and communities. The organisation has previously worked on projects including the Coming Home comics project, which has featured on ITV News and BBC Radio 4's Front Row, as well as at the Imperial War Museum in London and Manchester.
The songwriting project reflects Re-Live's wider Life Story approach, using creativity to explore themes including connection, belonging, identity, mental health and wellbeing while giving people the opportunity to become co-creators of ambitious, professionally produced artistic work.
A Space in the Woods: Album Launch and Listening Event
Wednesday 14 October 2026, 6.00pm
Llanover Hall Arts Centre, Cardiff
Tickets: £10 standard / £7 concession
Tickets are available through Eventbrite, with pre-orders for the album available through Re-Live.
The album launch offers an opportunity to hear a collection of songs that began with people simply coming together to share their experiences, and grew into something much bigger: a professionally produced album shaped by the voices, creativity and lived experiences of the people who made it.
For more information about A Space in the Woods and Re-Live's work, visit re-live.org.uk.
