Colin 
Blondine are starting 2026 at full speed. The Manchester five-piece release their new single ‘Match.Light.Intensity’ on 28th January, bringing their self-described “electronic-grunge” sound into sharper focus with a track that aims for euphoria, noise, and dancefloor impact all at once.
‘Match.Light.Intensity’ is built around contrast. On one side, you’ve got hooks, electronic energy, and techno-style breakdowns. On the other, you’ve got the band’s heavier, guitar-driven edge pushing through the shine. Blondine want the song to feel dancey and uplifting on first hit, while hiding a darker core underneath it. The theme circles mortality and death, but the track keeps it masked behind momentum and punch.
That push and pull suits the band’s identity. Blondine pitch themselves as a clash of worlds, mixing unsettling moods with big movement and a love of genre mash-ups. They describe their sound through bold comparisons, throwing together alt icons, distorted chaos, and club intensity, and it points to a band who want their songs to feel a little unsafe in the best way.
They also wear the DIY side proudly. Blondine have taught themselves how to record their music and have built their own merch world around it too, including screenprinting and sewing pieces tied to their songs. That kind of hands-on graft matters, because you can hear it in the way the band talk about what they do. This is a project built from obsession, not convenience.
A release built for sweat, movement, and noise
Live energy sits at the centre of Blondine’s appeal. They describe their stage presence as feral and unhinged, with sets that can swing from heavy to dancey to melodic without warning. That unpredictability feels like part of the point. You’re not meant to stand still through a Blondine show, and ‘Match.Light.Intensity’ sounds like it’s been written with that chaos in mind.
The single also arrives alongside a run of South West dates, with the band heading to Penryn, Plymouth, and Bristol to push the new release on the road. After forming this lineup in 2025 and breaking out of their home city through headline shows and queer events across the UK, this next step feels like a band widening their footprint and making sure people outside Manchester feel the impact firsthand.
With ‘Match.Light.Intensity’, Blondine are leaning into the idea that the best hooks don’t have to be safe. If they pull off what they’re aiming for, you’ll get something sweaty, euphoric, and wired, with enough bite in the guitars to leave a mark.