30 years in, Dodgy are back with new music, a packed touring schedule, and a milestone anniversary worth celebrating properly. ‘Hello Beautiful’, the band’s 6th studio album and first full release since 2016’s ‘What Are We Fighting For’, is out now on Flip Flop Records.
The album arrives on the strength of real momentum. Comeback single “Hello Beautiful” delivered the band’s first Top 40 chart appearance in over a decade, and new single “It’s Not The End” confirms the album’s range, melancholic and uplifting in equal measure, classic Dodgy melody wrapped in a more reflective tone.
Singer Nigel Clark laid out the creative process plainly: “‘It’s Not The End’ was arranged really quickly in the studio during the sessions for the new album. It started with a simple lyric that felt really direct and honest, and the song just seemed to guide us where it wanted to go. Reviews have said it sounds like an older, wiser, deeper Dodgy, which is exactly how I’d want us to sound in 2026.”
Drummer Mathew Priest added: “It feels like the right time for the band. The reaction to the new music has been brilliant and we’re really looking forward to taking these songs out around the country. Independent venues are where we started and they’re still the lifeblood of live music.”
Recorded by original members Clark, Priest, and Andy Miller alongside long-time collaborators Stu Thoy and Graham Mann, ‘Hello Beautiful’ reconnects with the melodic optimism that made Dodgy one of Britain’s most loved guitar bands, while carrying the weight of 3 decades of shared history.
The ‘Hello Beautiful’ UK tour continues this week, with remaining dates running through late May. Later in 2026, Dodgy celebrate the 30th anniversary of ‘Free Peace Sweet’ with a series of special shows featuring guests The Icicle Works. Originally released in 1996, ‘Free Peace Sweet’ delivered some of the band’s biggest songs including “Good Enough”, “In A Room”, “If You’re Thinking Of Me”, and “Found You”, and remains one of the defining British guitar albums of the era.
Nigel summed up 2026 for the band: “The new album feels like a fresh start, and celebrating Free Peace Sweet at the same time makes 2026 feel pretty special for us.”
Tickets are available now at dodgyology.com.
‘Hello Beautiful’ UK Tour Dates:
May 16 — An Seomar, Inverness
May 17 — King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
May 21 — The Forum, Tunbridge Wells
May 22 — Papillon, Southampton
May 23 — Quarters, Brighton
‘Free Peace Sweet’ 30th Anniversary Shows:
September 26 — O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London
October 1 — O2 Academy, Bristol
October 2 — O2 Institute, Birmingham
October 3 — O2 Ritz, Manchester
October 9 — O2 Academy, Liverpool