research focus
Why South Wales
The archive as method
Contribution to knowledge
About the researcher
About the research
This project forms part of an ongoing PhD exploring the South Wales emo and alternative music scene between 2000 and 2015.
The research examines how this scene can be understood as a distinct cultural formation, shaped by place, participation, and shared experience. While “emo” is used as a framework, the project approaches it as a fluid and contested label, shaped as much by fans, media, and local contexts as by sound.
The research focuses on three key areas:
How the South Wales scene can be retrospectively defined and understood within wider discussions of genre and scene identity
The role of cultural memory in shaping how this period is remembered, revisited, and reinterpreted
The experiences and contributions of those involved in the scene, including fans, bands, and industry participants
South Wales provides a unique context for understanding music scenes. Emerging from a post-industrial landscape, the region has a strong history of community, collectivism, and cultural production.
The music scene during this period developed through local venues, grassroots infrastructures, and connections that extended beyond the region through touring and digital platforms. This project considers how place, identity, and infrastructure shaped the development of the scene.
This website functions as both a public archive and a research method.
By inviting contributions from those who were part of the scene, the project gathers personal memories, artefacts, and experiences that are often absent from formal histories. These contributions help to build a collective record while also informing the research.
The archive allows for a participatory approach, where the scene is not only documented but actively reconstructed through the voices of those who experienced it.
This research contributes to discussions of music scenes, genre classification, and cultural memory by offering a regionally grounded account of the South Wales emo scene.
It positions the scene not simply as part of a broader global movement, but as a locally situated cultural formation shaped by specific social, spatial, and historical conditions.
Dani Hewitt is a Senior Lecturer in Music Business and a PhD researcher exploring music scenes, cultural memory, and gender. Her work focuses on the South Wales music scene and the role of participation in shaping cultural histories.