DIRK.

Have you met DIRK. yet? DIRK. is one of the biggest and most played indie acts in Belgium, having scored two successful albums and a string of alternative chart-toppers, with three (3!) singles simultaneously storming the indie charts in 2020, one of them (‘Hit’) even reaching number one. As one influential music magazine put it after their triumphant gig at the Pukkelpop festival in 2021: “DIRK. has what it takes to be one of the best Belgian bands around, simply because they already are.” So, we think it’s about time the rest of the world gets to know DIRK. a little better as well.

DIRK. surfaced in 2018 with their debut record, simply called ‘album’, and reached national indie stardom with their 2020 sophomore album ‘Cracks in Common Sense’, sounding warm and nostalgic like Weezer, and edgy like Pixies and Fugazi. In the past two years the band has worked hard to become an even more close-knit fourpiece, and surgically removed what
little baby fat was left. DIRK. sounds more focused and ferocious, and at the same time explores new musical territory, adding a touch of sheer international class and wit, much like Blur did towards the end of the 90s (“13”).

Take ‘Idiot Paradise’, the first single and title track of the forthcoming third album. It’s packed with 3 minutes of ultra-infectious hooks, before shifting to a coda of crunchy riffs, a soaring melody, and thumping drums, screaming Silversun Pickups, Pavement and Car Seat Headrest.

Take it from us, the album ‘Idiot Paradise’ is going to be a game changer for DIRK. It’s set for release in the spring of 2023 and will be showcased at Brussels’s iconic Ancienne Belgique venue on March 31st, and the coolest European festivals in the summer that follows. Being the raucous live band they are, you’ll want to be there. DIRK. can’t wait to see you.