Jim Barr : bass
Portishead, Jukes, Nik Young, John Parrish, Marc Gauvin, the invisible pair of hands
Clive Deamer : drums
robert plant, portishead, roni size, jools holland, dr john, tom jones, hawkwind
Pete Judge : trumpet
super furry animals, organelles, artic, morning star, mopti, papa noel, kneehigh theatre
Jake McMurchie : saxophone
portishead, super furry animals, mackay, oblit-r8, what four, ultrasound, nyjo
Influences
Cake, Ornette Coleman, Kings of Leon, Albert Ayler, Esborn Svensson Trio, Acoustic Ladyland, Dick Dale, Tony Orrell, North African Cuisine, Lycanthropy, small motorcycles, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, the sun, moon and stars, more cake, domestic cleaning products, beans, Ian Dury, always room for more cake
"Gloriously powerful"
***** -BBC Music Magazine
"Seamless and Startling"
****- The Times
"A blast"
****- Mojo Magazine
"A revelation" ****-Evening Standard
Q . how and when did The Blessing first get together ?
A. there used to be an Ornette Coleman fan club in Bristol … the meetings were held in a very old café in Westone under Nudlum .
They have the best bleach cakes in the world . also coffee .
Listening to Ornette and eating those cakes .. we knew we had to do something together .
Q . Can you explain why you wear suits and bags on your heads ?
A . We do a lot of weddings and funerals … so its easier just to wear suits all the time than turn up to a formal occasion wearing the usual jodhpurs and sandals . we wear bags so no one can see us laughing.
Q . Its been said in many of your interviews that you wont use chords
In your music . why is that ?
A .when we started playing together , we could only afford the cheaper brands of chord ..they made our music sound sickly and greasy .
After one particular session we had used far too many chords … clive our drummer was violently sick . even now that we can afford much better quality chords , we choose not to .
Q . what would you say is the single biggest influence on The Blessings compositions ?
A . some time ago whilst touring in andalucia , we were served a local delicacy …. “The creaking of prawns “ .. we all simoultaniously became synaesthetic . now all our melodies are infused wth the delicate purples and pinks of small crustacia frying .
Hey! Appologies if this is the second comment we've sent you recently...bit of a mix up in the bands communication :)
Anyway.. we've been a little quiet for the last few months but we are very pleased to announce our new EP is finished and up on our myspace! It's called Bright Lights and has four brand spanking new tracks to blow your mind. Please have a listen and tell us what you think and if you love it, buy it! :)
"Exciting, Striding and assured. It has an energy reminiscant of everything that was good about the Klaxons debut album.." - BBC Radio Bristol
Thanks for accepting and sharing your lovely sound here on myspace, I shall definitely be looking out for your album. I hope you get a chance to have a listen to my music. Increase the peace brothers.
