With indie rock fuzz-bombs and shout-along choruses, The Dirty Nil has an
explosive sound harnessed through countless hours spent kicking up a racket in
the suburban basements of Dundas, ON. The band’s raucous anthems pack a
wallop on the debut album Higher Power — Pitchfork praised the LP’s “massive
hooks,” and Brooklyn Vegan wrote that “The Dirty Nil sound destined to cut
through all the noise.”
The Hamilton-based band formed in 2006, as a duo featuring teenage high
school pals Luke Bentham(guitar/vocals) and Kyle Fisher(drums). Quickly, the
guys developed a sound that mixed the catchy muscle of ‘70s rock with the
furious energy of punk. Kyle explains, “We all grew up liking classic rock music
and playing classic rock songs and punk songs all the time.” After a few years of
basement jam sessions, they added friend and fan David Nardi on bass. The
band has since introduced long-time friend Ross Miller(bass/vocals) to the fold,
taking over from Nardi.
The Dirty Nil released a string of singles and EPs, and their fanbase spread from
their hometown across the continent. They earned an admirer in NOFX’s Fat
Mike, who asked the band to cut a single for his celebrated punk label Fat Wreck
Chords (2014’s “Cinnamon” b/w “Guided by Vices”). They’ve hung out with
underground hero Ian McKaye at the iconic Dischord House in Virginia, opened
for FLAG, and took part in Warped Tour.
In early 2016, The Dirty Nil released the much-anticipated debut album Higher
Power through Dine Alone Records. With 11 songs full of shrieking feedback, in the-red distortion and titanic choruses, it’s a coming-of-age party for three friends
who have remained true to their rock roots without allowing themselves to be
confined by genre. Since its release, the band’s momentum has only increased
with global tours alongside Alexisonfire, Billy Talent and Monster Truck and
recognition from the likes of Kerrang! in the UK, who nominated the band for
‘Best International Newcomer’, Visions Magazine in Germany who named Higher
Power their #2 album of 2106, and at home in Canada where the band recently
won a JUNO Award for ‘Breakthrough Group of the Year.’
Not content sitting still, The Dirty Nil have announced the forthcoming release of
Minimum R&B. Comprised of eleven tracks from the band’s back catalogue, the
album will include one unreleased track, a combination of 7”s, and the EP ‘Smite’
all in one place. Dine Alone and Fat Wreck Chords have joined forces to bring us
this compilation which will be available digitally and in physical formats on April
28, 2017. The band already have tours confirmed in UK, Europe and Canada
before the summer of 2017, and there’s more touring in the works. For The Dirty
Nil, there truly is no end in sight.