Lead Vocals – Darcy Fletcher / Lead Guitar – Samuel Staib
Drums – Oliver Platt / Bass Guitar – Neo Hol
What is the story behind the name “Unbleached”?
Year 7 music students Darcy & Oliver were wanting to enter our school’s battle of the bands competition ‘Sonic Blast’… but were left without a bass player. Grade 9 student Sam stepped in at the last minute, and the band was formed only 3 days prior to us performing at Sonic. With some very talented musicians from grades 7 through to 12 battling it out, the junior bands very rarely win against the seniors, but Darcy, Sam & Oliver took everyone by surprise when we rocked the stage with our covers of Fight for Your Right by the Beastie Boys, and Aneurysm by Nirvana. We ended up taking out 2nd place!
Our prize was getting to play a 30 minute set at the Beach House Hotel. That was 16 months ago, and recently we have welcomed Neo as the 4th member of the band, a decision that has strengthened us even more.
We came up with the name ‘Unbleached’ as a play on Nirvana’s debut album Bleach as Nirvana is a big influence of ours.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
DARCY – I grew up in a household with music loving parents! Dad played guitar and we were always exposed to music from such a wide range of genres. I guess that’s why I connect with so many different styles of music, I can’t just pick one favourite. UNBLEACHED are primarily a Rock/Nu-Metal/Grunge band and these genres are great because they are a mash up of different styles, there’s no hard and fast rules!
SAM – Listening to music such as Bon Jovi & Metallica when I was young, really inspired me to want to play the drums. That led to me exploring more instruments and musical styles, and now a day doesn’t go by that I’m not playing music in some form or another.
OLIVER – My Dad is a drummer and was always jamming at our house with his mates. I followed in his footsteps and have been playing the drums for as long as I can remember. I also play a bit of piano and guitar, but sitting behind the drum kit is where I feel most at home.
NEO – When I was growing up, music was always playing in our house. Listening to my parents favourite bands such as Pink Floyd & Queen is what sparked my interest in music. My Mum could play a little bit of guitar, and really encouraged me to learn an instrument, my love for music grew from there.
Who’s your dream musician to collaborate with and why?
DARCY – There’s a few! Top of the list to collab with is definitely Limp Bizkit. I just love their energy! I believe they are one of the best bands in the world to see live. Sam & I got to see them in concert last year and they made a lasting impression on us, Fred Durst is one of my favourite people haha! Also Pearl Jam, shredding with Mike McCready would be a dream come true. And then Silverchair, I am a huge Daniel John’s fan.
SAM – Easy choice for me, that would be Alice in Chains, specifically Jerry Cantrell. I really admire and am inspired by his style of guitar playing, and his voice is incredible!
OLIVER – Definitely Slipknot! Without a doubt! They were the first band I really got into, and their songs are still my favourite music to play on the drums.
NEO – There are a few legendary bass players I’d love to have a one on one chat with to gain some insight into their playing styles and writing processes, such as Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers… but who I’d like to collaborate with right now, I’d have to say Pierce the Veil. I’m really into their stuff at the moment and it would be so cool to jam with those guys.
Do you write your own music? Where can we find your music?
We are currently in the process of writing our first album. We are all perfectionists when it comes to our own music, and the quality we strive for doesn’t happen overnight. We want to be confident that everything we put out to the world will be something that we are all proud of, now and into the future.
The boys are so excited to get in the studio though and start laying down some of our music, and the ball has started rolling! 2025 is going to be a great year for our Band, so watch this space!
You can keep up to date with our Band, check out reels of some of our performances, and even book us to play at your event via our social media accounts.
Follow us on Facebook – UNBLEACHED Band, and on Instagram and Tiktok – @unbleached_band