The Dirty Nil
The Dirty Nil is a Canadian rock band from Hamilton, Ontario,[1] who won the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2017.[2] The band consists of singer and guitarist Luke Bentham, drummer Kyle Fisher, and bassist Sam Tomlinson.
The Dirty Nil | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Dundas/Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | |
Years active | 2006–present |
Labels | Dine Alone Records |
Members | Luke Bentham Kyle Fisher Sam Tomlinson |
Past members | Dave Nardi Ross Miller |
History
The band members began playing together in high school,[3] and formed The Dirty Nil in 2006. They released their debut single "Fuckin' Up Young" in 2011,[1] and began touring North America, performing in clubs and at festivals.[4][5] They followed with a series of further singles and EPs and released their full-length debut album Higher Power in 2016.[1] Following that album's success, they released Minimum R&B, a compilation of the early singles and EP tracks in 2017.[6] The Dirty Nil released their second studio album Master Volume on September 14, 2018 on Dine Alone Records,[7] and released the first single from the album, "Bathed in Light".[8] In August 2020, the band announced a new album titled Fuck Art, which was released on January 1, 2021.[9][10]
Musical style
Music critics commonly label the band under the punk rock genre. The band mixes the swaggering riffs of hard rock with the attitude and energy of punk.[11] Despite these classifications, the band said in a 2015 interview with Vice that they don't define themselves as a punk band but rather define themselves as just a rock band.[12] In a 2023 interview with New Noise Magazine, however, frontman Luke Bentham walked back those comments. "When I originally held that view, I think that the term punk was a very loaded word in our circle of bands where it was very frowned upon to call yourself a punk band because that had to be an accolade that others bestowed upon us. It was a medal that you earned to be punk, and you couldn’t call yourself punk. I don’t believe in any of that crap anymore. But when you’re 24, and you really care about the opinions of the people in your scene..."[13]
Discography
Studio albums
- Higher Power (2016)
- Master Volume (2018)
- Fuck Art (2021)
- Free Rein to Passions (2023)
Compilations
- Nil Tape (2012)
- Minimum R&B (2017)
- You're Welcome (2018)
EPs
- The Dirty Nil (2008)
- Saccharine Visceral (2009)
- Summer Mix – Tape Vol. 2: Covers (2013)
- The Dirty Nil Record Club Volume 1 (2013)
- The Dirty Nil Record Club Volume 2 (2013)
- Smite (2014)
- The Dirty Nil Record Club Volume 3 (2014)
- The Dirty Nil Record Club Volume 4 (2015)
- Little Elephant Session (2016)
- The Dirty Nil Record Club Volume 5 (2016)
- The Dirty Nil on Audiotree Live (2016)
- The Dirty Nil Record Club Volume 6 (2017)
- Little Elephant Session 2 (2018)
- Master Volume (2019)
- The Big Rip (2022) – split Cam Kahin, Ashlee Schatze, Spirit Desire
Singles
- "Fuckin' Up Young" (2011)
- "Little Metal Baby Fist" (2012)
- "Zombie Eyed" (2013) – split single with Northern Primitive
- "Cinnamon" / "Guided by Vices" (2014)
- "No Weaknesses" (2015)
- "Friends In The Sky" (2016) – split single with Food Court
- "Caroline" (2017)
- "Surrender" (2018)
- "Bathed in Light" / "Queen Bitch" (2018)
- "Pain of Infinity" (2018)
- "I Don't Want That Phone Call" (2018)
- "That's What Heaven Feels Like" (2018) – No. 31 Mainstream Rock Songs[14]
- "Unchained" (2018)
- Live from Saturday Night Livestream (2019)
- You're Welcome I (2019)
- "Astro Ever After" (2019)
- You're Welcome II (2019)
- You're Welcome III (2019)
- You're Welcome VI (2019)
- "Idiot Victory" (2019)
- "Christmas at My House" (2019)
- "Done With Drugs" (2020)
- "Doom Boy" (2020)
- "Blunt Force Concussion" (2020) - No. 34 Alternative Airplay[15]
- "One More and the Bill" (2020)
- "School" (Live) (2021)
- "Bye Bye Big Bear" (2022)
- "Nicer Guy" (2023)
- "Celebration" (2023)
References
- "The Dirty Nil: Who's Next?". Exclaim!, March 21, 2016.
- "Diana Panton and Dirty Nil take home Juno Awards this weekend". CBC Hamilton, April 2, 2017.
- "Review: The Dirty Nil are totally committed to the power of rock on Master Volume". NOW Toronto,
- "ROCKINGHAM: How The Dirty Nil achieved Master Volume". Hamilton Spectator, Luke Ottenhof, September 14, 2018
- "SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE DIRTY NIL - HIGHER POWER". The Spill Magazine. February 26, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "The Dirty Nil Revisit Early Work for 'Minimum R&B' Compilation". Exclaim!, February 9, 2017.
- "The Dirty Nil Master Volume". Exclaim! Adam Feibel, published September 7, 2018
- "The Dirty Nil announce new album, premiere raucous "Bathed In Light": Exclusive". Billboard.
- Gregory, Allie (August 17, 2020). "The Dirty Nil Announce New Album 'Fuck Art'". Exclaim!. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- Gregory, Allie (September 15, 2020). "The Dirty Nil Plot Virtual North American Tour, Detail 'Fuck Art'". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- " The Dirty Nil". AllMusic Biography by John D. Buchanan
- "The Dirty Nil Is Not a Punk Band". Noisey, November 17, 2015.
- "Interview: Luke Bentham of The Dirty Nil Talks 'Free Reign to Passions'". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- "Mainstream Rock Songs – Week of December 15, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- "Alternative Airplay - Week of February 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2021.