Wynona Bleach

Northern Irish quintet Wynona Bleach came together in Belfast during the final months of 2012, merging expansive shoegaze layers with melodic alt-rock and dream pop. Initially operating as R51, the four-piece lineup of vocalist Melyssa Shannon, guitarist Jonny Woods, bassist Anton Hughes, and drummer Matt Killen released their first single, “Boxkite,” in 2013; guitarist Aaron Black joined shortly afterward, and the expanded group followed with the 2014 track “Slowhound.” BBC airplay helped the band secure early festival slots, including appearances at Leeds and Reading in 2015 to promote the Pillow Talk EP. Staying fully independent, R51 maintained steady momentum through self-released projects, issuing the No Chill EP in 2016 and the single “Heavy Friends” the next year before headlining a tour across Russia. In January 2018 the members revealed their shift to the name Wynona Bleach and unveiled “Eyes Burning” as their inaugural release under the new moniker.