Wigan band Dirty Circus celebrating freedom with new single

The eclectic four-piece are back with Sunshine later this month and have further releases planned for later in 2021.

Getting upbeat, dance-influenced number Sunshine out to the group’s legion of fans has been a long process, as Dirty Circus originally recorded it just before the first lockdown and mixed it last year, but felt the vibe and mood of the song did not really fit with the novel coronavirus pandemic.

As Dirty Circus is known for its high-energy live shows there is particular excitement in the band about playing gigs in the borough and heading back to a festival this summer.

Frontman Chris Binns said: “This one has been in the works for a while, but we’ve come out with a bit of a summertime banger.

“It was originally ready as we were coming towards the end of summer and going into another lockdown and we just didn’t feel it was the right time to release it.

“We’ve sat on it until we’re out of lockdown and it’s almost a celebration of the North West of England and freedom.

“It’s all hands to the pump for us at the moment. We were doing the comeback gigs and they were received really well and we’ve had the new songs written but it’s all taken longer than we had thought.”

Dirty Circus is planning to make Sunshine one of five new songs it releases this year, and it is also planning to show off other aspects of its sound and writing by having the tracks remixed by a number of different artists.

Each song will have several alternative interpretations and the best of them will then appear as the B-side to an album later this year.

Chris says remixes have long been a big part of much of the music he has enjoyed and he is excited about bringing the concept to Dirty Circus.

He said: “It’s a bit like going through a mirror into another dimension of Dirty Circus. It’s taking you on a wild journey. The first remix we’ve got of Sunshine is really electro and has a vocoder.

“In the ‘90s remixes were something I loved and was really excited to listen to. Some of the biggest tracks, like Loaded by Primal Scream, were actually remixes.

“I was obsessed with this idea of remaking songs. Bands like Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays and Massive Attack all did it.”

Dirty Circus have also been bringing a bit of rewriting to their own back story, with the release of Sunshine accompanied by a tale involving guitarist Stevie Ahearn, the band’s lost full-length album, a search for a lost singer and an off-grid commune in New Zealand.

Chris said: “Because we’ve come back the whole point is to create a bit of mystery about us, about what’s real and what’s not. The story is not always going to be the story with us, it may or may not be true.”

One thing that is certainly not in doubt is the impact that Dirty Circus have made throughout their career in the live arena, and the group will be back in its element with a number of gigs planned for venues in Leigh, Tyldesley and Wigan as well as a jaunt to the Isle of Wight for a festival.

Chris said: “I can’t wait to start playing live again. Music is one of those things that can help anxiety with everything going on but we’ve not been able to do it.

“We’ve been missing out now for almost 18 months, it’s going to be mad.

“I feel like a caged animal ready to go for it again. Our live shows are a bit wild anyway, so I’m quite worried how into it I’m going to get.”

Sunshine, by Dirty Circus, is set for release later this month. Find out more about the band at www.facebook.com/Dirty__circus-1686236101623735

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