Wynona Bleach have come a long way since forming in 2018 as “R51” and have achieved much in that time: performing at BBC Introducing stages at Reading & Leeds Festival, a 12-date headline tour of Russia, and support to rock legends Feeder, The Slow Readers Club, Lonely the Brave, and more…. Their accomplishments only stacked up further when in late 2022 they were nominated for the Northern Ireland Music Prize for both Album and Live act. A winter tour in 2022 culminated in two shows at Other Voices Festival. The band had arrived.
How do you define Wynona Bleach? Just one listen of their current “Moonsoake” album immediately tells you they possess a defiant, raucous, rock energy but also that their genius amplifies a gloriously sweet and pretty ‘colour palette’, the music underscored and embellished by Melyssa’s trademark ‘Bubblegrunge’, scathing, little-girl-crossed vocals. In that sense they are wonderfully indefinable. Continuing this fragrantly anomalous theme, it is perhaps unsurprising the band signed their record deal in a beach hut located in a landlocked locked down beer garden in downtown Brixton!
“Moonsoake” was recorded immediately after the band was personally chosen to support Alice in Chains for the sold-out Irish leg of their 2019 world tour. It was recorded with Bill Ryder-Jones in an abandoned factory in Portugal, complete with a full recording studio determinedly hauled over there by the band from their hometown. The album also features tracks mixed by Grammy nominated Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh, who have had extensive careers working alongside artists including Manic Street Preachers, Tori Amos, Bjork and Rufus Wainwright, to name a few.
Wynona Bleach are: Melyssa Shannon: Vocals, Jonny Woods: Guitar / Vocals, Aaron Black: Guitar, James Foy: Drums, Carl Gilmore: Bass
What was it that inspired you all to form a band?
Jonny: We’ve all aspired to play music since we were kids, and WB was our idea to blend Powerpop and Shoegaze.
Who are your favourite bands/ artists right now?
Carl: Tramp! Class band full of class people making class tunes! – further afield, Young Gun Silver Fox – groovy indie tunes full of lovely tones.
Who would you love to collaborate with?
Melyssa: I’ve been a lifelong Placebo fan, so I would love to do a duet with Brian. Jonny: I’ve always wanted to work with producers that are a world away usually from our sound, and I’d have to say I’d love to work with Jai and/or AK Paul, the london based producer brothers. Jai’s solo work is massively influential to me and AK has worked one some absolutely amazing productions that all just hit the right spot in my brain.
What was it like supporting bands like Ash and Alice in Chains on tour?
Jonny: Incredible – At some point Jerry Cantrell was side of stage watching us play, I totally had to pinch myself! Sean Kinney also gave us a pep talk just before we went on stage in dublin and told us about how they once supported Slayer at the start of their careers and they were shitting themselves!
Any future tour plans?
James: Yes, we’re recording our second record very soon so we’ll be touring after that!
The single ‘Swim In the Bay’ is out now – can you tell us more about this release?
Carl: It’s about going down…… I’ll leave it at that and let you read between the lines of the lyrics.
Is there a new album in the works?
Melyssa: There absolutely is, and we are super pumped to be back in the studio this spring to get started on the recording of it. Every rehearsal we’ve had recently has been spent working on demos and we’re excited for our lil demo babies to be actual real songs in the world!
Tell us about the reissue of your debut album “Moonsoake” on vinyl.
James: We decided to reissue Moonsoake on limited addition splatter vinyl because we sold out of the first pressing within a few months of releasing it and we ned to fund the second record!
Where can we find you online?
Jonny: We’re on all streaming platforms, as well as facebook, instagram and tiktok under Wynona Bleach
We have TWO SETS of Moonsoake Vinyl + T-shirts to give away!
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