Bleach Lab Single ‘Smile For Me’

Bleach Lab share “Smile For Me” alongside a live session of the track, which is the latest single from their forthcoming debut album Lost In A Rush of Emptiness, out September 22nd via Nettwerk. Produced by Boygenius, PJ Harvey and The Big Moon collaborator Catherine Marks, the band recorded the album in the same room for the first time; a transformative move after forging their trio of explorative EPs while splintered apart by the isolation of lockdown.

DEBUT ALBUM LOST IN A RUSH OF EMPTINESS

OUT SEPTEMBER 22ND VIA NETTWERK

On the new single, frontperson Jenna Kyle shares, “Lyrically, This was one of the most empowering but challenging songs to write on the album. The theme for ‘Smile For Me’ is of my own experience of sexual harassment, as well as experiences I know far too many women suffer themselves. Something I hear so often as a woman in public is being told to ‘cheer up, love’, if I’m not immediately, positively responsive to an unknown person’s advances. It’s completely deflating, infuriating and humiliating. The lyrics are intentionally directed at the culprits and offenders, words I would be too afraid to say in the moment if not for fear of the reaction.”

With Bleach Lab’s previous singles, “All Night”, “Counting Empties” and “Indigo,” off Lost In A Rush of Emptiness, the glimmering indie-rock band have built their foundations on what is essentially an exercise in joint catharsis. Rather than moving towards explosive reactions or culminating in a singular moment of revelation – here this is achieved by the band’s intentional burrowing deep into the disorientation of a life-altering moments and sitting with and dissecting those feelings. Each band member’s experiences live within Lost In A Rush Of Emptiness, with its title being a line borrowed from Leonard Cohen’s posthumous collection The Flame. Bassist Josh Longman, who plays a key role in the record’s lyricism alongside Jenna Kyle – wrote key tracks including the eviscerating “Counting Empties,” where he explores alcoholism – documenting and acknowledging how an old drinking habit impacted his relationships. A key thread through the record too is Kyle’s grappling with the fallout from a toxic relationship, but there’s also more universal moments too – such as on new single ‘Smile For Me’, where she recounts her frustrations and experiences of sexual harassment, exploring the tension between both the simmering rage and feelings of powerlessness these encounters cause.

**Pre-save / Pre-order Lost In A Rush of Emptiness here:**

https://bleachlab.ffm.to/lostinarushofemptiness

Lost In A Rush of Emptiness Tracklist:

All Night
Indigo
Counting Empties
Saving All Your Kindness
Everything At Once
Nothing Left To Lose
Never Coming Back
Smile For Me
Leave The Light On
Life Gets Better
(coda)

The band’s reputation has been furthered by their dynamic live shows – which have included a sold-out headline show at London’s Lafayette late last year, and recent tours with Priestgate and We Are Scientists. Bleach Lab are gearing up for a run of further festival and headline tour dates this Autumn including stops in Europe, Ireland and through the UK – full dates below.

Festival Dates

21-23rd July | Southwold, Suffolk | Latitude festival

23rd July | Emo, IE | Forest Festival

20th – 21st Oct | Rotterdam, NL | Left of the Dial festival

27 Oct | Amsterdam | London Calling Festival

EU/IE/UK Tour – October/November 2023

Tickets here

28th Oct | Paris, FR | Supersonic

Fri, 3rd | Belfast | Ulster Sports Club

Sat, 4th | Dublin | The Grand Social

Mon 6th | Birmingham | Hare And Hounds

Tue 7th | Nottingham | Bodega Social Club

Weds, 8th | Manchester | Canvas

Fri, 10th | Glasgow | Stereo

Sat, 11th | Liverpool | District

Sun, 12th | Leeds | Brudenell Social Club

Tues, 14th | Bristol | Thekla

Weds, 15th | Brighton | Patterns

Thurs, 16th | London | Scala

Originally hailing from Buckinghamshire, founding members Jenna and Josh first met at college before Bleach Lab organically came together further down the line, with their vast and varied influences lending a kind of democracy to their music. Drummer Kieran Weston loves the shimmering ‘80s pop of bands like The Cure and The Smiths, while Kyle is drawn to “sad solo female artists” like Phoebe Bridgers and Daughter’s Elena Tonra, for instance. Guitarist Frank Wates “always seems to know what’s going on” in new music, and is a key source of the band’s knack for crystalline dream pop. 2021 saw the four-piece mark their arrival with the release of their first two EPs,

A Calm Sense of Surrounding and Nothing Feels Real, the latter produced by Stephen Street (The Cranberries, The Smiths, Blur). 2022’s If You Only Feel It Once, drove the bands vision forward and saw them team up with producer Duncan Mills (Peace, The Vaccines, Jake Bugg) to delve deeper into poppier, more modern sounds. With each consecutive release, the band have experimented without restriction, dipping their toes into unfamiliar genres to fully work out what kind of band they are, what works best for them, and where to go next. Their debut full length effort will see Bleach Lab take another huge step forward, and sets the tone 2023 and beyond.