The Dirty Nil

The Dirty Nil is a Canadian rock band formed in Hamilton, Ontario in 2006,^[1] who won the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2017.^[2] The band currently consists of singer and guitarist Luke Bentham, drummer Kyle Fisher, and bassist Anthony Vitanza.

Luke Bentham and Kyle Fisher began playing together in high school, and formed The Dirty Nil in 2006. ^[3] Originally made up as a two piece band they put out their first self titled EP on CD in 2008. In 2009 David Nardi joined the band on bass and backing vocals. With Daves addition to the lineup solidified this would be the first permanent lineup within the group. The band recorded and released their second EP Saccharine Visceral on CD in 2009 in part with Wolfshirt Records. ^[4]

They released their digital debut single Fuckin' Up Young in 2011, ^[5] and began touring North America, performing in clubs and at festivals. ^{[6] [7]} In 2012 the band released the Little Metal Baby Fist single. 2014 brought the bands first wide scale EP release with Smite. This EP would bring more attention to the band with songs like Nicotine, Beat, and Wrestle Yü To Hüsker Dü. ^[8] Also releasing in 2014 was the Cinnamon/Guided By Vices single in part with Fat Wreck Chords. On February 26th 2016, The Dirty Nil released their debut album Higher Power under Dine Alone Records. With this release the band started to gain considerable traction and attention. ^[9] The band embarked on headlining and supporting tours of Canada, Europe, the UK, and the USA. At the end of 2016, bassist David Nardi left the band.

The Dirty Nil joined Billy Talent on their 2017 Afraid of Heights tour. ^[10] Michael Peterson (formerly of Single Mothers) would join the band as a touring member throughout this tour. On April 28th 2017 the band released Minimum R&B, a compilation of the early singles and EP tracks from Smite, and Saccharine Visceral. ^[11] In March of 2017, Ross Miller joined as the new bassist of The Dirty Nil. To support the release of Minimum R&B the band would tour throughout Europe, Canada, and the UK. The Dirty Nil was nominated and won a Juno award for Breakthrough Group of the Year at the 2017 Juno Awards. ^[12] The Dirty Nil released their second studio album Master Volume on September 14, 2018 on Dine Alone Records, ^[13] and released the first single from the album, "Bathed in Light". The band would embark on tours of Europe, The United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada to support the release of Master Volume, ending the tour at The Opera House in Toronto, ON. In 2019 the band embarked on tours of Canada, The United States, the UK, and Germany. During the February Germany tour Jonathan Gallant of Billy Talent filled in on Bass for Ross Miller due to a broken hand. In November of 2019 the band would release the Astro Ever After/Idiot Victory singles backed by the Idiot Victory tour with Single Mothers.In August of 2020, the band announced a new album titled Fuck Art. During the Covid-19 pandemic the band put on a digital livestream tour titled the “Dancing 2 Thrash” Tour, backed by singles, Done with Drugs, Blunt Force Concussions, and Doom Boy. On January 1, 2021, Fuck Art was released. ^[14] The band would do another livestream tour due to the pandemic during April and May of 2021. ^[15] On October 1st, 2021, the band announced the departure of Ross Miller from The Dirty Nil. ^[16]

With a short tour scheduled for November and December of this 2021. The band recruited Sam Tomlinson as the new bassist for the band. ^[17] The band released their first single with Sam, Bye Bye Big Bear on November 18, 2022. In April and May of 2023 the band released two singles, Nicer Guy, and Celebration, as part of the lead up to their fourth album. On May 26, 2023, the band released its fourth full-length album: Free Rein to Passions, which Kerrang!reviewer Aliya Chaudhry said "strikes a balance between joking around and being vulnerable.” ^[18] The band would embark on a supporting tour throughout Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, throughout the rest of 2023. At the beginning of 2025, Sam Tomlinson left the band. From May to August of 2025, Kian Sorouri would fill in on Bass guitar during the bands United States and Canada Shows. On April 16, 2025, the band announced their fifth studio album, The Lash, which was released on July 25, 2025, through Dine Alone Records. ^[19] In September of 2025, Anthony Vitanza joined the band as their new bassist. To support The Lash, the band would embark on tours of Canada, Europe, the UK, and the United States, with Kian Sorouri playing bass during the USA shows. ^[20] On December 5th, 2025, the band released their first live album, Live at the Dine Alone Store.

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.^[21] 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.^[22] 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..."^[23]

• Luke Bentham – lead vocals, guitar (2006–present)
• Kyle Fisher – drums (2006–present)
• Anthony Vitanza – bass guitar, backing vocals (2025–present)

• Dave Nardi – bass guitar, backing vocals (2009–2016)
• Ross Miller – bass guitar, backing vocals (2017–2021)
• Sam Tomlinson – bass guitar, backing vocals (2021–2025)

• Kian Sorouri - bass guitar, backing vocals (2025-2025) (Touring)
• Jonathan Gallant - bass guitar, backing vocals (2019-2019) (Touring)
• Michael Peterson - bass guitar, backing vocals (2017-2017) (Touring)

• Higher Power (2016)
• Master Volume (2018)
• Fuck Art (2021)
• Free Rein to Passions (2023)
• The Lash (2025)

• Live at the Dine Alone Store (2025)

• Nil Tape (2012)
• Minimum R&B (2017)
• You're Welcome (2018)

• 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

• "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^[24]
• "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^[25]
• "One More and the Bill" (2020)
• "School" (Live) (2021)
• "Bye Bye Big Bear" (2022)
• "Nicer Guy" (2023)
• "Celebration" (2023)
• "I Hate The Internet" / "True Devotion" (2025)
• "Gallop of the Hounds (2025)