The Enemy: “Indie sleaze? Isn’t ‘sleaze’ a derogatory word?”
The Enemy frontman Tom Clarke spoken to NME about the return of indie sleaze, revealing how he accepts that his band’s new package tour will be seen as a simple nostalgia-fest for many fans.Supported by fellow ’00s indie bands The Subways and The Holloways, The Enemy are headlining the ‘Indie Til I Die’ package tour, in association with O2 venues, for six shows in October.It marks the second major tour for The Enemy since singer and guitarist Clarke, bassist Andy Hopkins and drummer Liam Watts reunited in 2022 after a six-year split. The Subways have continued in music since their debut album ‘Young For Eternity’ in 2005, while the tour marks The Holloways’ first shows since splitting for the second time in 2020.All three bands enjoyed mainstream success in the ’00s, with 11 Top 40 singles between them, while The Enemy’s 2007 debut album ‘We’ll Live And Die In These Towns’ was a platinum-selling Number One.The tour continues the rise of indie sleaze nostalgia, alongside festivals such as Shiiiine On Weekender and the recent London dayclub Daytime For Heroes.Read on for Clarke’s thoughts on package tours, who he’d want to see play in his own ‘Indie Til I Die’ showcase, The Enemy’s progress on a new album and how he’s never heard of the term “indie sleaze”.NME: Hi Tom. How did the idea for an ‘Indie Til I Die’ package tour come about?Tom Clarke: “We’ve wanted to play with The Subways for years.