Dirty Nice

“charming mix of off-kilter melodies and classic songwriting chops” The FADER

“mind-bending” Rolling Stone

“weird and wonderful” i-D | “Now Hear This” The Independent

“vivid synth pop” The Times | “whimsical, playful” MTV | "upbeat wave of enthusiasm" DORK

“glorious, strange, and downright addictive” The Line of Best Fit | “pop gems” DIY

October 22nd - Off-beat cartoon indie / alternative duo Dirty Nice release new singles ‘When She Starts It Up’ and ‘There’s A Ghost In My Home’.

‘When She Starts Up’ takes cues from scuzzy late noughties indie, filtered through Dirty Nice’s quirky tune-factory. That cathartic chorus gives space for a primal howl, reflecting the freedom inherent in the lyrical story, as the duo explain: 

"'When She Starts It Up' was inspired by a friend of a friend's mum, Elspeth, who was the first woman to motorcycle around the world! Besides the literal story of someone riding off into the unknown, the tune is a celebration of doing your own thing - finding out for yourself (for better or worse) what worlds are out there...just waiting on you."

On the flip, after the viral success of their Alien starring song, 'If I Was Abducted By Aliens', Dirty Nice have turned their sights from the wholesome sci-fi to heartbreaking horror, featuring a very very sad little ghost on ‘There’s A Ghost In My Home’. It is a calming accompaniment - softly strummed chords over a bossa-nova-esque beat provide the backdrop for a wistful ghost to look over his life and regrets. The two-piece will be doing a unique collaboration with A View From A Bridge to promote this track - giving the titular ghost a chance to explain his thoughts on death, and how he’d give anything to hold his lover’s hand once more.

About Dirty Nice
Dirty Nice is ‘Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared’ composer Charlie Pelling’s musical project with Lisbon based musician Mark Thompson. Pelling is fast becoming the go to composer in the UK comedy scene working with the likes of 2022 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Sam Campbell and BAFTA winner Jamie Demetriou (Stath Lets Flats, Fleabag).

The duo’s technicolour world exists in the space between earthy personal vignettes and cartoonish uncanniness. In an age where every band/artist has to also be a content creator Charlie & Mark decided to lean into their interests of cartoons and comedy.

In the last year they have amassed a cult online following into the hundreds of thousands across Tiktok, Instagram and Reddit for their creative animations. Voicing and animating a whole host of eccentric characters themselves, they further expand the weird and wonderful world of Dirty Nice that all began with the music. 

The new single follows acclaimed second album Surrenderland which came out late last year - featuring lead single ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ which has sailed past a million streams, and was championed by The FADER, Rolling Stone, CRACK, It’s Nice That and more, as well as this summer’s viral online hit ‘If I Was Abducted By Aliens.

2021's debut album Lobster initially won the band fans across all media, with critical acclaim at press (MTV, i-D, The Independent, The Times, Notion, Wonderland, Complex, DIY, Clash, DORK Magazine, The Line of Best Fit) and radio (Jack Saunders on Radio 1, Steve Lamacq, Chris Hawkins on BBC Radio 6 Music).

Florence Pugh has come out as a fan of Dirty Nice while speaking on the VOGUE podcast. Collaborations with Wet Leg - who contributed backing vocals to their ‘Sunshine End Times’ single - as well as Desta French and Bad Sounds have also expanded their horizons along the way.