Today we’d like to introduce you to Blazer.
Hi Blazer, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Dublin, Ireland. January 2023. Singer Jessie Dingle had been performing short sets for months in Dublin’s independent acoustic scene before booking a 45-minute set in one of Dublin’s heaviest metal bars (looking back, she doesn’t know why she did it either). Frightened and with a month to prepare, Dingle sent out an all-call for drummers, bassists, pianists, and guitarists in the area, “just for one show.” Nine months later, BLAZER (Jessie Dingle, Aoife Haines, and Eleanor Mancusi-Ungaro) have made a name for themselves as an up-and-coming presence in Dublin and abroad. In July, lead singer Jessie Dingle and drummer Aoife Haines made their international debut at Mozart’s Cafe in Austin. “We knew we wanted to go to Austin because of the music scene,” said Dingle, discussing their travel plans. Besides their time at Mozart’s, Dingle and Haines spent a night at Broken Spoke, taking in the sights and sounds of an Austin night out (remember to ask them to show off their line dancing skills). They both came away impressed with Austin’s live music culture and history. Reflecting on her time there, Jessie characterized it as “the place that made us realize we could make a name for ourselves outside of Ireland. There are so many talented artists.” A cowboy hat and guitar picks weren’t the only things Aoife and Jessie brought back from their vacation to the South. At their most recent gigs, they led the crowd in a stirring rendition of the Chicks and Beyonce’s 2016 single “Daddy Lessons,” with Jessie singing, Eleanor on bass guitar, and Aoife on an improvised washboard. The performance earned cheers and whistles from the crowd and invitations to upcoming shows around Ireland. BLAZER would love to return to Austin in the future!
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
No band has ever had a completely smooth journey! Between juggling college, working, band practice, and 11 gigs in 9 months, we have also faced written noise complaints from the next-door neighbors! One of the first challenges we realized we would have to face was that very few venues in Dublin have their drum kit. As a full band with no driver between us, we have had to carry guitars, a keyboard, amps, and a huge bass drum (and an improvised washboard) across the city. (Although we’ve made a rather paltry profit, we have at least been able to cancel our gym memberships). A challenge we are facing at the moment is expanding the band to include a full-time bassist and lead guitar as Eleanor has been swapping between both bass and keyboard at the same gigs, and we are looking forward to being able to expand our range because of this.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
There aren’t a lot of young bands in art rock anymore, but it is time for a revival. We are determined to succeed and proud of how far we have come since joining in January. Jessie Dingle is fluent in Irish Gaelic and began writing songs in Irish when she was thirteen. As a band, we hope to encourage the use of Irish Gaelic outside the classroom by writing songs in English and Irish Gaelic. We give an energetic and engaging performance that strives to include the audience in the show. We are known for being playful onstage and doing something unexpected. As well as this, an audience member is invited onstage to play the tambourine during one of the songs at each gig.
Can you talk to us about the role of luck?
We are fortunate to have the resources and opportunities to play and improve in music. We were also lucky to be able to travel to Austin to broaden our musical horizons and are very appreciative to Amber Williams (IG: @ambersjournals), who lent Jessie her guitar for her set at Mozart’s. We are so grateful for the support of our fantastic friends and fellow artists who have believed in us from the start. That said, hard work and determination will take us further than luck.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @blazer.band
- Tiktok: blazer.music
Image Credits
Jamie Murray, Monica Ruman
