Behind The Scenes With…Dirty Blonde

Hailing from the North West of England, Ailis MacKay (vocals, guitar) and Hayley Tait (guitar, backing vocals) perform arena-ready anthems under the moniker Dirty Blonde. Before even releasing a full-length album, the dynamic pop-rock duo have already been stacking up accolades, including being touted as ‘one of the most exciting acts to come through Radio 1’s Future Alternative.’ Their new single, Polly, is out now – so it seemed timely to catch up with these two and pick their brains on what they have in store for us in 2025 (and beyond).

What are some of your individual earliest musical memories?

Ailis: I lost all my hearing in my left ear when I was little so a lot of my earliest memories are figuring out how I heard music. I remember when my Mum started listening to Amy Winehouse in the car and that’s when everything started to click for me and that’s probably my earliest memory of singing.

Hayley: My earliest musical memory is a bit of a weird one. It was watching Labyrinth on TV and seeing David Bowie singing Magic Dance. I was probably about 7 at the time and had no idea who David Bowie was. I remember having to go out half way through the film as well, and back then you just watched whatever was on TV, so I didn’t see the film again or even know what it was called until a few years later. After that I got it on DVD and would just replay that song over and over again.

What are some of the main influences on your music? Are there any particular artists or genres that have shaped your sound?

It’s important to listen to a variety of genres, even those that are far from what you typically write. Drawing inspiration from different styles is key to developing your own unique sound and pushing the boundaries of what you do. 

Our main influences within our genre are bands like Kings of Leon, Wunderhorse, and Oasis, but we also really love artists like The 1975, Jason Derulo, SZA, and Chappell Roan. Even if an artist’s style is different from the Dirty Blonde sound, we find their influence can creep into our music, even if it’s something tiny like a vocal flip. For us, the contrast between heavy guitars and catchy pop melodies has played a big role in shaping what we consider our sound to be.

How do you prepare for a live show? Any pre-show rituals?

Before a show, things can get pretty hectic – long car journeys, load-ins, and sound checks can really wear you out. So, we like to make sure we have some time to just be together outside of that and have a bit of downtime. We usually go for food together and we all like to try new places. Ailis has a pre-show ritual, she’s superstitious about drinking a mug of her throat tea before going on stage. I think she genuinely believes she can’t sing if she doesn’t have it. It’s become part of the routine now.

Highlight of your career as a band so far?

The highlight of our career so far has definitely been opening for the Sex Pistols – that was a massive moment for us. We also had the opportunity to open the Big Top at the Isle of Wight last year, which was another surreal experience that we never really expected to happen. There have been so many standout moments in what’s been a relatively short amount of time, but sometimes the best highlights are the little things – the time spent travelling or just hanging out backstage with the band having a laugh.

Who else should we listen to from your local scene?

Ailis: Tom A Smith is class – pure talent but also really hard working with the tunes to match. 

Hayley: I’m really loving a band called Denver County Council – kind of Kings of Leon vibes and just generally really cool.

If you had to change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

We really wish there was less emphasis on songs going viral on TikTok. It promotes a very specific style of songwriting that fits trends on social media, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it becomes problematic when it’s used as the main metric for determining a track’s success in the industry.

There’s a worry that it could change the way songwriting evolves, possibly limiting creativity and diversity in the music we hear. It’s important to broaden the outlook and appreciate different approaches to songwriting beyond just what’s trending online.

Any projects in the pipeline that you’d like to share with us?

We’re going on our first tour for Independent Venue Week from January 28th to February 1st (playing in Huddersfield, Liverpool, Luton, Putney, and Nottingham). We’re really looking forward to being back on stage for that. 

Also, our second EP Looking For Trouble is coming out on April 17th, and we’re already well into writing and working on songs for EP3 and beyond. Lots to look forward to.

What is a superfan to you?

To us, a superfan is anyone who genuinely cares about the band and takes the time to engage with our music. Streaming has made music so much more accessible, which is great, but it’s also made the ‘experience’ a lot more impersonal. You can listen to a track and never even know what the artist looks like, which wasn’t the case when people had to buy CDs or vinyl and felt more connected to the music and the artist.

So, for us, the 2025 superfan is someone who really makes the effort – learning the lyrics, following and sharing us on socials – and a “god tier” superfan is someone who shows up to our gigs, supporting us in person. That kind of dedication means the world to us.

Learn more about Dirty Blonde