The Band: WYNONA BLEACH

The Release: 'SWIM IN THE BAY'

The Format: DIGISINGLE

The Release Date: JANUARY 26TH 2024

The Digital Link: orcd.co/swiminthebay

The Truth: cannily and crescendonically mixing alternative rock, shoegaze and power pop, Wynona Bleach are a 5-piece from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They consist of Melyssa Shannon (vocals), Jonny Woods (guitar / vocals), Aaron Black (guitar), James Foy (drums) and Carl Gilmore (bass). They release a brrrrand new track called 'Swim In The Bay' on January 24th. It's the first single from their forthcoming sophomore album and is boldly and unashamedly inspired by the act of giving both oral - and aural - pleasure. Obviously.

In early 2022 the band’s debut album 'Moonsoake' was unleashed, unveiling an exciting and energetically passionate body of work, all screamingly battered hearts and fractured emotions. The first raspberry pink vinyl run of 'Moonsoake' sold out, and the album has now been repressed on splatter vinyl, available from: wynonableach.bandcamp.com/album/moonsoake

Wynona Bleach have come a long way since forming in 2018 as R51, performing on the BBC Introducing stages at Reading & Leeds Festival, a 12-date headline tour of Russia and support slots with Alice In Chains, 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.

The band started 2023 by doing a BBC Sounds live session and interview, and a successful first visit to the USA with excellently-received, showcases at SXSW in Austin and New Colossus Festival NYC. A prestigious support slot followed with indie rock legends Ash on the Irish leg of their UK and European tour. 'Swim In The Bay' was recorded in the band’s rehearsal room/studio - an old ballroom above a working man’s club in Belfast - and it was mixed by Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh (The XX, Bjork, Manic St Preachers, Rufus Wainwright.)

How do you define Wynona Bleach? Just one listen of their '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.