Dirty Nice is the UK duo Charlie Pelling and Mark Thompson that spawned from their love for cartoons, comedy, and indie music. Pelling works closely with stars of the UK comedy scene and uses his gift for inhabiting their eccentric worlds to craft the universe of Dirty Nice with Thompson. The cartoon world their music calls home is simultaneously irreverent, vibrant, endearing, enthralling and exciting.
Dirty Nice’s ear for song craft is apparent on their latest single “SHARK!” which blends the effortless cool of chillwave with the youthful energetic punch of indie rock. Manic energy pours from the spazzy guitar which is softened with a tube amp sound that is crunchy and delicious. The song bends and shifts with hyperactive vocals that deny expectation without alienating the infectious cartoon pop punk sound the song creates. Dirty Nice’s second full length Surrenderland featuring “Shark!” is due out November 3rd via Chiverin. Fans of Toro y Moi, Washed Out, and Wavves should check out this track, they find lots to like. Here is Dirty Nice talking about their upcoming full length:
“‘Surrenderland’ is both a physical place in time and also a state of mind. It acted as a guiding principle for the making of the record, leaning into our instincts and interests, with both the cartoon visuals and the music influencing each other’s processes. We wanted to follow the fun with this album, not overthinking and naturally letting our love for noughties indie influences creep in. This led to a vibrant and joyous celebration of acceptance in one’s self, exploring themes of growing up without stifling the inner child and giving yourself over to the people around you wholeheartedly. ‘Surrenderland’ is being yourself. The song itself is an ode to the old banger we used to drive up and down the country in when we were teenagers in bands. We called it ‘the shark’. Life was 100mph and everything was ahead of us. Similar to some of the main themes of the ‘Surrenderland’ album, it’s about embracing the past, warts and all and most of all just being yourself.”
Listen to the latest single “SHARK!” from Dirty Nice on Spotify and watch their animated video for the cut on Youtube.