The song made its live debut at London’s Electric Ballroom in February as part of The 2026 Musos Awards. Written in a euphoric blur after seeing Oasis last summer ‘Indie Sleaze’ drags the spirit of the 2007 NME Awards into 2026, an indie-pop banger dripping with swagger, in debt to the era of Pete Doherty and Kate Moss. Lyrically inspired by Sabrina Carpenter, musically by The Dandy Warhols. The band say “it’s an indie disco anthem built for sticky dancefloors, neon lights and skintight jeans.”

Speaking further on the new single, the band say: “We were around to witness a golden age of indie music in the early 2000’s, but we weren’t old enough to get into the clubs. Sometimes we just want to go back in time and be Kate Moss in 2005! The best thing we could do was write a song influenced by that feeling, and picture ourselves on the dancefloor back then.”

The mesmerising performance-led music video for ‘Indie Sleaze’ was shot at L16 Studios, the home of Lime Pictures and Hollyoaks, and produced by a team of local Manchester fans and volunteers. Speaking on the video shoot, the band say: “it was an incredible experience to shoot in such a massive studio with a full crew. As independent artists, it’s tough to make your ideas come to life in videos, but we managed to capture the energy of the song in the biggest way possible. We couldn’t have made it happen without the help of local fans.”

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The new song follows a sell-out vinyl release that brought together their two previous EPs, along with a show stopping performance at The Sky Arts Awards last month. The band have also announced a special, one-off hometown headline show at Manchester’s The Deaf Institute for Saturday February 28. Tickets will go on general sale from Friday October 31.

Speaking on the new single, the band see it as an anthem of empowerment, saying: “We were inspired by a slogan tee worn by Hayley Williams, ‘Rage…’ was written to challenge the expectation that women stay quiet and small. This song is about owning every emotion – especially the messy ones – and finding power in letting them out. For anyone who’s ever been told to calm down, this is your song! Anger isn’t something that defeats us, it’s something that completes us!”

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Manchester’s Dirty Blonde are a blonde-bombshell alt-rock duo, fronted by the powerhouse pairing of Ailis Mackay (vocals, guitar, drums) and Hayley Tait (guitar, backing vocals). Since forming in January 2023, they’ve shared the stage with acts such as Frank Carter and the Sex Pistols, Louis Tomlinson, The Lottery Winners, Cast, The Subways, and The K’s.

In their new EP, Dirty Blonde prove that authenticity is their signature sound. Tracks like ‘Adore Me?’ and ‘Polly’ carry a sly charm, serving as the “nicer cousins” to the fierce anthems ‘Checkmate’ and ‘Rush’, while previous single ‘Northern Twang’ stands as the powerful matriarch anchoring it all.

Dirty Blonde have also launched their new YouTube series titled In Bed With Dirty Blonde which sees the duo talking through their songwriting techniques and other band anecdotes as well as answering fan questions.

After the success of previous EP Favourite Record, Dirty Blonde’s return reaffirms their status in Manchester’s alt-rock scene. Described as “Your dad’s new favourite band”, this EP is just the start of their journey and the future is looking blonde.

We had a chat with the duo all about the origins of the project, the making of Looking For Trouble, what they have planned next and more. Read the Q&A below.

Hi guys! How are you? For anyone discovering Dirty Blonde here for the first time, please give us a brief history on the band, your influences and describe your sound.

“We’re doing great! We’ve been a band for almost two and a half years now, and it all started in a pretty unexpected way – on a deep-sea fishing trip in Greece! Our influences are pretty diverse since we both grew up listening to different styles of music, which eventually blended together as we got older. We love all types of music and we think that mix of influences has really helped shape the Dirty Blonde sound. The inspiration for our Looking for Trouble EP ranges from Kings of Leon to Billie Eilish.”

Speaking of the new EP Looking For Trouble, what can you tell us about this collection of songs? And what do you hope fans/listeners take away from it?

“We had a lot of fun writing and recording this EP, and all the songs came together in different ways. We grew a lot – had a lot of ups and downs as a band and as people. We think a lot of the EP was finding a way of channeling all of these crazy things and emotions you go through trying to figure life out when you’re in your twenties.

“We hope fans feel connected to the songs – we have tracks that are meant to make you feel like a boss but there are also more introspective moments. It’s all about embracing who you are and owning it, even if it’s chaotic.”

Please take us through your songwriting/creative process for Looking For Trouble. We’ve heard it was quite cathartic for you? Did you do anything different compared to Favourite Record?

“The songwriting process for Looking For Trouble was different from song to song. ‘Adore Me?’ came together really quickly through a series of WhatsApp voice notes. It was definitely the quickest and easiest we’ve ever written a song. I think the way the process differed from Favourite Record was that we allowed ourselves to trust our instincts. Playing festivals and seeing people singing songs that we’ve written in our bedrooms gives you the confidence to think outside the box and not worry about how things are ‘usually done’. It’s always exciting to see a song come together from that initial spark of an idea to the final version. We’re really lucky to have Ailis, who’s super talented at recording and producing our demos. It allows us to bring the songs to life before we even step into the studio which allows us to really develop and fine-tune the songs.”

What was your favourite part making Looking For Trouble and what did you find most challenging?

“Kind of a cheat answer but we’ve loved every part of Looking For Trouble. It’s amazing having a handful of song ideas on a voice memo and then they end up having their own little world. We decided to challenge ourselves to have a music video for every release, which has definitely been the most testing part – but also the most rewarding. Hayley is a pro videographer so we’ve done everything completely DIY on a budget pulling in favours from our mates. The lads who play with us have also been super hands on and we couldn’t have done it without them.”

Finally, what’s next for Dirty Blonde? Any shows coming up? You recently launched a new Youtube series called In Bed With Dirty Blonde – any updates on that or anything else to add?

“We’re headlining London Dingwalls 2 on 16th May (in Camden). In Bed With Dirty Blonde is a series we’ve made for people to get to know us a bit better- talk about how we make music, how we make the videos, what we’ve been up to and answer any questions people might have – anything goes! We have so much to catch up on – we allocated some filming time but then we ended up playing a couple of shows for Louis Tomlinson and it’s all been a bit mental since! We have the first episode out now and we will be putting out the next few episodes soon – it’ll cover the shows we’ve been doing, our writing process and a special collaboration episode.”

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Speaking of current single ‘Polly’, the band say, “We wrote ‘Polly’ about that messy, crying on your bathroom floor, unpredictable side of falling in love that no one talks about. Someone can give you all the reassurance in the world but how do you know that it won’t all come crashing down?”

Falling in love is often romanticised as effortless and idyllic, but Dirty Blonde’s ‘Polly’ dives headfirst into the other side that isn’t so widely spoken about. Despite its emotional depth, ‘Polly’ keeps an upbeat vibe, capturing the exhilaration of love while staying honest about its complexities. Born out of a spontaneous collaboration with their producer during a COVID-induced break, the song started as a fast-paced grunge experiment before evolving into its current form. The band also release their DIY music video for ‘Polly’complete with yellow lyric captions inspired by Arab-Australian artist Sarah Bahbah.

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Following packed out shows at this year’s Isle of Wight & Great Escape Festivals, the fierce female alternative duo comprising members Ailis Mackay (vocals, guitar) and Hayley Tait (guitar, backing vocals) are firmly making their mark on the UK alt-rock scene. Naming Kasabian, Billie Eilish and Oasis as their main musical inspirations, Dirty Blonde draw from their combined influences as well as elements of alternative rock and a heavy dose of Riot Grrrl attitude to create their distinctive sound.

Showcasing a softer side to the duo, ‘Don’t Cry’ highlights just how versatile Dirty Blonde are as a band. Recorded at The Lounge Recording Studio with Gareth Nuttall, the track touches on nostalgic echoes of Oasis as well Jamie T influences, adding a touch of raw authenticity, along with some grungy guitars that give it an edgy vibe – all wrapped up in that distinctive ‘Dirty Blonde’ attitude.

Speaking of the track, they say, “We’ve had this song tucked away for over a year. At first, I was a bit hesitant to include it as a ‘Dirty Blonde’ song as it’s noticeably quite different, but after sharing it with the band we made the decision to take it to the studio and incorporate it into our live set. ‘Don’t Cry’ is a slight departure from our usual energetic sound, offering a more personal experience. This song is a blend of different styles, drawing inspiration from various sources, but somehow it all comes together.

“Lyrically, it captures the essence of individuals who constantly fake remorse, only to repeat their actions again and again. The key takeaway from this song is to have faith in yourself and don’t tolerate negativity from anyone.”

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