Dirty Nice

Few bands manage to blur the lines between music, art, and escapism quite like Dirty Nice. Currently split between London and Lisbon, they’ve been building a cult following with their unique brand of surrealist "cartoon-pop" - the combined forces of animation and indie music wild at play. On their third album, they throw open the gates to Planet Weekend (23rd May, Chiverin Records), an amusement park inspired by 90s television adverts, their most ambitious project yet.

Led by the inventive duo of Charlie Pelling and Mark Thompson, Dirty Nice have a knack for pulling you into their oddball world. Known for their self-made animations as well as their music, they’ve created a multi-sensory experience online that’s as much about the visuals as it is the hooks. Think MGMT’s day-glo pop meets the Flaming Lips’ psychedelic theatrics, but with a distinctly British eccentricity that also draws inspiration from Charlie’s time composing for Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared.

Although Planet Weekend sees them reaching new heights; earlier albums, Surrenderland (2023) and Lobster (2021), already hinted at their potential. Earworms like SHARK!, which made its way onto the BBC Radio 1 playlist, and ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’, which Chris Hawkins uses as his audio-bed most days on 6 Music, showcased their knack for crafting earworms; while Rolling Stone, DIY, MTV and The Line of Best Fit also praised their surreal, otherworldly charm.

Photo credit: Will Elsom