South London alt-rock trio Dead Air are back with their new single “Black Flag“, out 17/10/2025 via Fly Tip Records. It’s their first release since last year’s “Fast Food World“, and the first explosive taste of a new EP coming in 2026.
At just over three minutes, “Black Flag” is pure controlled chaos, a ferocious mix of crunching riffs, relentless rhythm, and a primal hook that’s basically a grunt and a repeated line. It’s raw, unpolished, and completely alive. Dead Air sound like they’re surrendering to instinct and loving every second of it.
Frontman and bassist Reuben Moonasar explains:
“We were listening to loads of Beastie Boys around that time with our producer Tom Fuller. You can definitely hear that no-bullshit energy. Rich really went in on this one — it shifts the whole groove and adds this new edge to the track.”
Guitarist Lyle Salvatore adds that “Black Flag” is about risk, rebellion, and letting go.
“It’s about embracing chaos and leaning into the unexpected. It ties into the new EP’s themes , villainy, injustice, inequality, and how power can corrupt something that was once democratic.”
Drawing inspiration from the punk punch of SOFT PLAY and the genre-bending dynamism of Turnstile, Dead Air bring a new edge here, more instinctive, less filtered.
“We weren’t trying to force it into what made sense or what we should do,” Reuben says. “We just leaned into what felt right.”
The single follows a huge year for Dead Air, who dropped their acclaimed “Elements” EP in February, gaining spins on BBC 6 Music, Radio X, and KEXP (US), and tearing up festival stages across the UK. Their reputation for intense, no-frills live shows has made them one of the most exciting names in British alt-rock right now.
With “Black Flag“, the trio are closing 2025 on a high, a UK tour is coming, and they’ll join Skindred for a Halloween show that promises mayhem. If this single is any clue, the next chapter of Dead Air will be their loudest, dirtiest, and most dangerous yet.
As for what’s next? The band’s message is simple:
“Fck sht up. Die.”