Born 59 Years Ago Today in Wales, the Rock Guitarist Who Helped Turn ‘The X-Files’ Into a UK Top 3 Hit

Welsh guitarist and songwriter Mark Roberts, born in Llanrwst on 3 November 1967, helped take Catatonia from early releases to major chart success. Their song “Mulder and Scully”, inspired by The X-Files, reached No. 3 in the UK, helping propel the album International Velvet to the top of the UK Albums Chart.

Roberts first played in Welsh-language rock band Y Cyrff, which split in 1991 after its members concluded that singing only in Welsh limited their chances of mainstream success. He formed Catatonia with singer Cerys Matthews, and the band also scored hits with “Road Rage”, “Strange Glue” and “Dead from the Waist Down”. Catatonia broke up in 2001; Roberts continued making music in other bands and as a solo artist, releasing his seventh album, Haenau, in November 2025.