As the murmurs surrounding Bleech 9:3 grow, beginning before any music was released their name became a constant presence in conversations about the next band you must go and see live. After releasing their debut single, ‘Ceiling’, they have now shared their second song – ‘Jacky’ – on Ra-Ra Rok Records.
Although their sound can be generally described as heavy alt-grunge, reminiscent of the 90s, to entirely designate their music to such a realm would be of insult to the emotive capabilities within their music. The screeching guitar as the beginning of the song instantly sends you into a frenzy of tumultuous and unnerving sensations which resonate with the narrative of the song. On the new single, ‘Jacky’, Baz Quinlan (vocals/guitar) says:
“To me it is in part about my own life and in part the lives of those with whom I shared the illness of drug addiction with as a young person back home in Dublin. Though it is not specifically about being an addict, that’s just one way people lose themselves and too often their lives. I’m talking about that loss and the difficulty with understanding it.”
Perhaps, in part, the initial success of the Bleech 9:3 is due to their ability to play a music with sensibilities that have become common experience, whether material loss or a loss of meaning that we are all currently experiencing. How to find purpose in a historical moment which strips meaning for money – where pain and pleasure are only understood as commodities – can we have a place to gestate on mortality and value? I, for one, enjoy that Bleech 9:3 seem to be doing so with a measure of anger, of violent noise that are perfectly suitable forms of expression in this capitalist chaos.
The project of Bleech 9:3 evokes a similar thread to the book, ‘Practicing Dying’ by Charlotte Northall, through their joined ability to question and challenge our dominant narratives around mental health and drug-addiction. Seeking to determine, how through cultural production, we can explore – with time and creation – alternative approaches to treat or come to terms with the “sickness of self” that have become prominent in our society.
With three-sold out shows at Third Man Records’ Blue Basement in December, as well as supporting Shame and Cardinals to see out the rest of 2025 – Bleech 9:3 are a band to follow, and hopefully you’ll be wise enough to grab a ticket before they sell-out your town.
Bleech 9:3 join the bill for the So Young Weekender, Southampton in January. The bill also includes Sorry, Lime Garden, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Dove Ellis and more. Tickets here.
Pre order the bands debut 7″: via Bandcamp here.
Photo by Tatiana Pozuelo
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