[MUSIC NEWS] THE DIRTY NIL Release New Single

Ontario’s The Dirty Nil return with fists swinging on their explosive new single, “Rock N’ Roll Band,” the latest from their forthcoming fifth studio album, The Lash, out July 25th via Dine Alone Records/Civilians, available to pre-order now. Following the chaos of their lead single, “Gallop of the Hounds,” and the dreamy introspection of “Spider Dream,” this one pulls no punches – it’s a snarling, full-volume gut check for every wide-eyed hopeful with rockstar dreams.

“Rock N’ Roll Band” was the very first song frontman Luke Bentham wrote for The Lash, and it arrived fast and furious. “I don’t remember what particular aspect of the industry had got my goat that day, but I’d worked myself up to a fine lather,” Bentham recalls. “I blasted out the whole song in 30 minutes and instantly felt better.”

The result is a cathartic, high-octane blast of alternative rock and punk, packed with frustration, truth, and just enough sarcasm to keep it all fun. “Though the song is pretty negative, it makes me happy,” Bentham says. “This one is for all the road dogs – we salute you.”

Everything about ‘The Lash’ evokes a certain brutality. During a trip to the Vatican, Bentham found inspiration in some of its forgotten art: “I was in a very dusty part of the basement, and they had these crazy bronze reliefs that were some of the most brutal things I’ve ever seen. There was a particular one called The Horrors of War. It was two guys fighting over a knife. That image ended up guiding a lot of this record.”

From there, the band brought in UK designer Jack Sabbat for his acerbic, bootleg punk-flyer style, assuring The Lash would look right at home in a beat-up bin of old Crass records or in a Medieval torture dungeon. Thematically, the album’s 10 tracks trade Bentham’s usual happy-go-lucky romanticism for a cathartic vent session about everything from music industry bullsh*t to the dissolution of a relationship. Drummer and co-conspirator Kyle Fisher jokes: “I’ve been telling people that this is Luke’s therapy record.”

Since forming in 2006, The Dirty Nil have always embraced the flashier side of punk. But with The Lash, they strip it all down to the essentials – just two friends in a room, playing like everything is on the line. For fans of The Jesus Lizard, The Bronx, and Metz, The Lash is a high-stakes rock record from a band that has spent over a decade tearing up stages, building a worldwide following, and even winning a JUNO Award for Breakthrough Band in 2017. They’ve played the game and jumped through the hoops – now, The Dirty Nil are doing things entirely on their own terms.

“Rock N’ Roll Band” is available and streaming everywhere now, The Lash will be available Friday July 25 via Dine Alone Records & Civilians.