Iwan Rheon, who plays resident villainous bastard (son) Ramsay Snow on Game of Thrones, also sings and plays guitar – and his debut album was just released earlier this year.
If anyone’s followed Rheon’s career from Misfits to Game of Thrones, it’s clear the actor is a hard one to figure out. More the “he seems familiar…have I seen him in something else?” guy than a well-known star (although that’s definitely about to change), he’s thoughtful and reflective in interviews, and seems the type that sees everything as an artistic process – so I don’t know why it came as such a surprise to me that he’s a singer as well.
I stumbled upon Rheon’s single ‘Dinard’ by accident, and within the hour I blew through his latest album Dinard and some of his earlier offerings as well (prior to Dinard he released three EPs in as many years – clearly he’s serious about his music, and likes to keep busy). Rheon’s voice is rich with emotion and intensely raw, one that cuts right to your soul. His Welsh background gives his songs an undeniably distinct kick – it makes you take notice, whether you like this kind of music or not.
The song Rhodd, for instance, is sung entirely in Welsh, and it’s a hauntingly beautiful piece that sticks with you long after it’s over. Other songs like ’Tongue-Tied’ and ‘Dinard’ pick things up a bit, but Rheon’s vocals always ensure it’s still very much in his style no matter how he changes things up. The songs on Dinard liken his sound to Passenger and Mumford & Sons, and fit more into a mould than some of his earlier offerings, like ‘Bang! Bang!’ – perhaps in a ploy to make his album more marketable. But his style is still very much his own, and still incredibly distinct. There’s a quality to Rheon’s voice that just can’t be put into words. It’s powerful and hypnotic, and there’s a timeless beauty to it that you just have to hear to understand.
It’s a crime that his music has flown under the radar for so long. Rheon’s known for being an actor, but his talent for singing and playing music is so strong it has to be shared – may he never put that guitar down.
And just in case you didn’t know this either: Jacob Anderson, who plays Grey Worm – Daenerys’s staunch Unsullied warrior – sings as well. You’re welcome.