Sometimes less is more, and who better to sonically deliver the phrase than the Dirty Nil. The Nil (as they call themselves) produce a distortion drenched lick of rock ‘n’ roll that rattles the brain cage, reminding us that the primal urge for rock ‘n’ roll still very much exists. The Canadian duo out of Dundas, Ontario made up by guitarist/vocalist Luke Bentham and drummer Kyle Fisher have their 5th album, The Lash on the way to be released on July 25 via Dine Alone Records.
“I felt awesome the entire time we were working on the material for this record. We had a quiet confidence in the writing, arranging, and recording.” Bentham says. In a way writing and performing these songs work as a therapy for Bentham, but ultimately it just feels good for him to do what he does. “I think it is always really hard to analyze my own lyrics, sometimes there’s not answers, it’s a bit of a Rorschach test for myself. It’s not a conscious effort to make myself feel better, but every time I write a new song and bring it to the band, I always feel a lot better. When I have a new song, and I have it in my back pocket. There’s no better feeling in the world when I have something that I’m stoked about and nobody’s heard yet, it’s really what forms my sense of optimism about the world. So, I’m always trying to write new songs and have heaters in my pocket,” he says with a grin.
With a new album, the Nil also bring along a new aesthetic for this chapter of the band. One that encompasses a dark, brutal, and medieval look to it. “When I visited the Vatican, I found myself in this dusty room with these bronze reliefs. And I just couldn’t stop staring at this one titled ‘the Horrors of War’ by Francesco Messina, where two guys are fighting over a knife, so I took a picture on my phone and we had it set as really the only image for our mood board. We tried to get that image as our album cover but got hit with a cease and desist from the Vatican,” he laughs. “I’ll put that up as one of my proudest achievements. So, we took that inspiration and had our new friend Jack Sabbat do all the art, and we really couldn’t be more stoked about it.”
“No false gods above me,” an epic line from the closing song, “I Was A Henchman,” now serves as a battle cry for the Nil in their new charge into chaos. “It’s kind of about regaining personal autonomy and escaping any cult like situations. Not being ordered around and living in fear.”
The Nil have some other new additions that come with The Lash as well. “This time we worked with our friend Vince Solivari, who has done demos for us, and we said, ‘Why not do it with Vince, down the street, in a much smaller and simpler studio with our friend?’ This one was a much more stripped back affair,” he says. This time around the band wanted to just go in and bang out an album full speed ahead. “Working with Vince, I saw a strange looking mic when we started doing vocals and asked, ‘What is that mic?’ and he said, ‘I don’t know, it looked cool, let’s just try it.’ And that was the spirit of making this album,” Bentham laughs. “We wanted to let it rip, make it quickly, and have a good time.”
Another addition to the Nil crew is Bentham’s dog Leo. “We’ve been trying to get him on a track for a while but the song ‘Gallop of the Hounds’ was kind of half written in mind to get Leo on a track. He performed brilliantly in the studio and was paid in corn dogs afterwards, so that was a great day,” he beams. “We also had our good friend Sarah record some violin over a couple songs, and I asked if she could do some cello, to which she said she’d never played one. So, I went out and rented one, threw it at her, and she figured it out!”
Known for his flashy and rockin tour outfits, Bentham is dialing it back this time around. Choosing to rather keep it simple but in line with what The Lash is going for. “We’re going really simple with a couple custom made t-shirts with art by Jack Sabbat that he hand-painted. I personally wanted to go in a more stark and austere direction.” The Nil also keep it light on tour with tour ritual shenanigans. “Every night we get a rotisserie chicken and the rule is you have to eat it with your bare hands. It’s a pirate’s life for us,” he laughs. “There’s also the junk food drive home. There were rules in the old days of not eating anything healthy, but the rules have eased up on us due to age,” he adds grinning.
Bentham looks forward to sharing his songs the best way a rocker n roller can, playing live. “I really like playing ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Band,’ ‘Fail In Time,’ and ‘That Don’t Mean It Won’t Sting.’ ‘That Don’t Mean It Won’t Sting’ was one of last songs for the sessions and I really like it, and Vince was like, ‘Listen, we need another banger.’ And I said, ‘Alright buddy I’ll reach into my private reserve of bangers.’ And we played it once or twice and recorded it.”
Good things can’t be forced and Bentham is well aware of this with songs for the Nil. “When things aren’t clicking and you can feel it, don’t burn yourself out on it and try something else. The key I’ve realized is to always have lots and lots of stuff to work on, because that keeps it fun for everyone,” he explains. “What I’ve realized is that when I get home the ecstasy of arriving home to your couch and creature comforts, fades after two or three days for me. And I love my home, I’ve got a fantastic partner, some dogs, a backyard, a nice situation. The older I get I realize, this is it. You gotta get as much enjoyment out of every single day you possibly can. Early on we found out it’s a long way to the middle if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll. There’s a lot of work that goes into getting yourself a sustainable career. Rather than dwell on commercial aspirations, we decided to just do whatever the hell we wanna do, and that is what The Lash is all about,” Bentham says. “I wanna say thank you to everyone for allowing us do this for a living and for supporting us. Kyle is my best friend and I can still see us as eight-year olds arguing about transformers on the playground, it blows my mind that we’ve made it this far together in any capacity. We have a very special bond and we look forward to bringing you the hits of yesterday and the hits of tomorrow.”
As the Dirty Nil front man always says, “Hail, hail rock ‘n’ roll!”
The Lash is out on Friday and you can preorder it from Dine Alone Records. Follow The Dirty Nil on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for future updates.
Photos by Liz Wiltshire
