Irish Four-Piece Bleech 9:3 have released their new single, Underrated, from their upcoming self-titled debut EP. They play Whelan's of Dublin tonight, 1 May. We asked vocalist and guitarist Baz Quinlan the BIG questions . . .
Baz is joined in the band by Sam Duffy (guitar). The pair met at AA, where Baz became Sam's sponsor and they moved from Dublin to London together in 2024.
Bleech 9:3's early singles have been met with critical acclaim from publications such as The Guardian, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, and Kerrang! and radio support from BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6Music.
"I think the vulnerability of those meetings helped us be a lot more comfortable with each other from the get-go," they say about their first recordings.
Speaking about Underrated, Baz says, "I wrote it at the end of 2024, it was one of the first Bleech songs that we jammed back then.
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"Bad worship is a theme that runs through the EP. I felt driven to write about how it twists love into something else. How the twisting becomes the thing that you end up wanting."
Baz and Sam spent their teenage years gigging in various projects around Dublin before first meeting in their early twenties
"I think to find someone your own age, with the same dreams as you, from the same city and is also suffering from the same thing… we knew immediately that we could help each other," recalls Sam. "You can lose your mind thinking about how rare that is."
Bleech 9:3 play: 10 June - supporting Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds in Malahide Castle, Dublin, 25 August - supporting Wunderhorse, Custom House Square, Belfast, 26 August - supporting Wunderhorse in City Hall, Cork, 30 August - Electric Picnic, Co Laois.
How would you describe your music?
I think it's dirty, dark, and beautiful. beautiful.
Who are your musical inspirations?
My musical inspirations go as far back as being a kid, listening to the records my dad was playing in his car, Radiohead, you know, the early Coldplay records, the best U2 stuff, Jeff Buckley's Grace. Being a teenager, the first bands I really studied were Arctic Monkeys and Kings of Leon, Radiohead also included in this time. In more recent times, I think we've all been inspired by what Fontaines D.C, have done, and Wunderhorse, but there are too many to mention.
What was the first ever gig you went to?
The first ever gig I went to was Bruce Springsteen with my dad when I was twelve or thirteen. I think it was in Lansdowne Road in Dublin.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Demon Days by Gorillaz.
What is your favourite song right now?
June Guitar by Alex G.
Favourite lyric of all time?
I'm not sure if it's my favourite, but I don't think anyone has managed to be as concise as Ian Brown with his lyric for I Wanna Be Adored by The Stone Roses.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would have to choose Amazing Grace because I always need more grace.
Where can people find more information about you and your music?
You can find our music on all streaming platforms and YouTube. There's a decent dose of it on TikTok. If that's your thing, you can find more information on Instagram, social media platforms, or via our mailing list.
Alan Corr
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