As the new year begins, so does the influx of brilliant music from ever-growing Scottish bands. A band that have recently gained notable traction for their talents are Glasgow based Dirty Mike. The three piece rock group previously released their first two singles in 2020 which were definitely crowd-pleasers and so, as you can imagine, their listeners were thrilled to hear that the band released their newest track “Campus Queen” on the 11th of January.
From the get-go, “Campus Queen” is an upbeat burst of energy with such relatable lyrics that make it feel like a personal diary of the band’s lyricist, Cammy Simpson. The lyrics go through the story of a night out in the famous Campus nightclub in Glasgow. Following the Art School fire that shut the club down, the band felt the need to pay an homage to the club that they had been to previously and made unforgettable memories in.
Drummer Christopher Simpson and Bassist Daniel McLellan accompany Cammy Simpson as he plays guitar and sings on the track. The track is the perfect image of Glasgow punk rock. It’s heavy, it’s aggressive and it makes you feel good. Despite brothers Christopher and Cammy being lifelong friends with Daniel, Dirty Mike have only been together as a band for 2 years and they’re proving to have lots of amazing potential with very little room for improvement.
The song speaks of relatable nights out and the regret felt in the morning. The wit in the lyrics is something so unique but when used properly in modern music, it feels like a direct (and often successful) tribute to well-known comedy rock bands such as Blink 182 and Green Day. Some personal favourite lyrics of mine that left me repeating the track include: “I can’t tell if it’s the lack of light or the drink that makes you look good tonight.” and “I need to get myself checked out, who knows what I might have?”
Cover Art by @chrissimmondsillustration on Instagram
Dirty Mike are a band to watch out for in 2021 and their talent shown through every aspect of “Campus Queen” proves that indefinitely.
Check out their social media below!
