Winston's Zen

LETTING EMERGING ACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

London trio Bleech boast a winning combination of hardwork, killer tunes, and good looks that seem set to help them clean up on the UK indie scene.

Managed by Andy Ross, the brains behind 90’s brit-pop legends Blur, Bleech are fronted by sisters Katherine and Jenifer O’Neil, both talented guitarist and on-stage visions of rock-chick perfection. Sticksman Matt Bick may be the only male presence but he provides enough bare-chested testosterone to provide an undercurrent of masculinity to their grunge tinged indie.

Their female-to-male ratio inevitably draws comparisons to Elastica and The Pixies, but Bleech’s real sound draws influences from altogether more male sources. Adrenalin Junkie is a salacious Verve meets Libertines affair, and the gorgeous Flowerhands at times nods towards an early Radiohead. Impressive stuff indeed, and impressively consistent too. Recent well received shows at both Camden Crawl and Great Escape, and enthusiastic mentions in the mainstream press (NME called them ‘hard to resist’) will have done the bands chances no harm at all.

The girls and boy took a small detour on their route to fame and riches, stopping on the way to answer a few questions from Winston's Zen.


What’s the least accurate description of your music that you’ve ever seen or heard in the media?
Katherine: Well we get compared to Elastica a lot but we don’t think we sound like them!

Jennifer: Yeah, we haven’t ever had any drastic descriptions that aren’t like us but we do get the obvious girl band references because they can’t be bothered to actually listen to the music!!

Set the record straight. How should journalists be describing Bleech?
Jennifer: Well we have got that 90’s sound as that’s when we all grew up and what we listened to, but we are influenced by a lot of modern bands and older bands too that bring different qualities to the songs.

Katherine: Amazing! Haha, I don’t know. Its good to hear how other people perceive our music, but only if its good!

Matt: We are just writing honest pop songs but with a raw edge!

What has being in Bleech given you that you wouldn’t otherwise have?
Jennifer: The opportunity to actually do what I have always wanted to do! Be in a band and write and play songs that we all want to play, we have also made some really close friends....(Turning Worm) who make it even more enjoyable!

Katherine: We have had the opportunity to meet the most weird and wonderful people, and have supported some of our favourite bands.

Matt: My new Gretsch drumkit!

What’s a Bleech gig like?
Katherine: Sweaty

Jennifer: A bungee jump with hob nail boots on eating manuka honey

Tell us how you got together with Bleech.
Katherine: Well it all started when Jen and I needed a new drummer, Matt who was then a guitarist said “Yeah i’ll give it a go for a while”...and now we can’t get rid of him!

I sneak a look through your mobile while you nip to the bar. What’s the most famous name I find in the phonebook?
Jennifer: Yonah from Cleopatra

Katherine: Ed from The Darkness

Matt: Mark from Feeder

Put your iPod / MP3 player on random. What are the first five tracks?
Katherine: Klaxons – Golden Skans / Chris Brown – Gimme That / NERD – Jump / Feeder – Buck Rodgers / Bob and Marcia – Pied Piper

Jennifer: Foo Fighters – In Your Honour / Foo Fighters – Still / Dandy Warhols – Shakin' / QOTSA - Regular John / Coldplay – Everything’s Not Lost (Live)

Matt: Dimmu Borgir – Prophicies of the Apocalypse / Mars Volta – Eritarka / Send More Paramedics – Bokor / The Vines – Animal Machine / Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees

Tell us about the greatest album of all time.
Katherine: Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare...Pure genius

Jennifer: Thats a hard one...any Beatles Album, Nirvana – Nevermind, QOTSA – Songs for the deaf, Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head, Joni Mitchell – Blue, Kings of Leon – Only By The Night, Rage Against The Machine – RATM, U2....you see i could go on and on!

Matt:Back in Black by ACDC

And the best gig you ever saw.
Jennifer: Paul McCartney at Anfield stadium! Yes i can say i have seen a ‘Beatle’! Rage Against the Machine, Reading Festival 2008

Katherine: Yup the same as Jen’s, Rage...I even have a memorable scar on my leg from that gig

Matt: Muse at Reading Festival...I actually fainted at the end cos my legs gave way

What was the last record that made you stop in your tracks?
Katherine: Prodigy – Thunder

Jennifer: U2 – Get On Your Boots

Matt: Same as Katherine!

And the last one that made wish you were deaf?
Katherine: She’s So loverrrrrlyyy

Matt: The Ting Tings – Thats Not My Name

Jennifer: The Hoosiers – Goodbye Mr Ray

Debut single Is It True That Boys Don't Cry is available now through Pure Groove and comes highly recommended by everyone here on Zen Avenue. If you're in the South of England for five minutes at any point between now and November you should find that Bleech are playing somewhere nearby. Seriously, go check out the most expansive MySpace giglisting you ever saw, and head for a gig. You will not be dissapointed.

Back soon,
Winston

Bleech links:
MySpace | Last.fm
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