Blek to the future with new album

JOHN BLEK is not really called John Blek. ‘Blek’ is a moniker adopted for the stage, with the songwriter and producer keeping his actual name a secret (rumour has it he was born John O’Connor).

This is possibly a consequence of the healthy paranoia one cultivates growing up in a semi-rural suburb — he’s from Glanmire, Co Cork — but also speaks to the artistic ambitions of Blek and his band, The Rats.

“The group was named after French graffiti artist [and Banksy inspiration] Blek Le Rat,” he says. “Having a stage alias is definitely freeing in some regards. It lets you express a particular aspect of who you are.”