Blink

Blink is an Irish pop/rock band from Dublin, active from 1991 to the present. The group forms part of a name shared by several different acts, but the Dublin band is the Irish group associated with a mixture of humour and melancholy.

History

The band forms in the mid 1990s in Dublin, Ireland, with Dermot Lambert, Robbie Sexton, Brian McLoughlin and Barry Campbell. Their inclusion on a CD for a trade festival in New York leads to wider attention and interest from international music executives, which results in a deal with EMI for their debut release. Four months after their first gig, they are already working in recording studios with producers including John O'Neill of The Undertones, Gil Norton of Pixies and Steve Hillage.

The group later sets up its own New York-based label and also records for Parlophone UK and Paradigm Records. Individual members remain active in the Dublin music scene, while the band itself becomes inactive, with no gigs or new music planned.

Releases

Blink release three albums: A Map Of The Universe By Blink, The End Is High and Deep Inside The Sound Of Sadness. Their first album appears in August 1994, enters the Irish album chart at number 8, goes gold quickly, and reaches the Irish top ten. The single “Cello” supports the album and reaches number 10, staying there for six weeks. The remix of “Cello” by Soundcrowd Orchestra also becomes a major hit.

Their first singles, “Going To Nepal” and “Happy Day”, reach the Irish top 20, while “It’s Not My Fault” debuts at number 8. The End Is High is released in the US in 1998 and is named Billboard magazine’s album of the month. Deep Inside The Sound Of Sadness follows and is nominated for Best Irish Album of the Year at the 2005 Meteor Music Awards.

Recognition and touring

At home and abroad, Blink gain attention through radio play and touring. After recordings and releases in Ireland, the group spends time in Boston and New York and plays extensively in the United States, where alternative radio and college radio support their work. They are nominated for four awards at the Hot Press Music Awards. The band also shares bills or dressing rooms with acts including The Ramones, Mercury Rev, Moby, Lloyd Cole, The Cardigans, Mark Geary, Brendan O'Shea and blink-182.

In the United States, A Map Of The Universe By Blink sells more than 80,000 copies by the end of 1995, and The End Is High reaches 90,000 copies within a short period after release.