Introducing: The Dulakes

Blasting out of Leeds with fuzz, feeling, and ferocity—The Dulakes are a band that demand to be heard. Formed in 2024 by four uni mates with a shared love for alternative rock and emotional extremes, the band—Ramsay Irwin (vocals, rhythm guitar), Joe Rainbow (lead guitar), James Gavin (bass), and Nat Dowding (drums)—have quickly built a rep across the North for gigs that are equal parts chaotic and cathartic. From melancholic breakdowns to full-throttle riffs, their sets flow like a fever dream, stitched together with instrumental interludes that keep the momentum razor-sharp. After a relentless year of live shows, The Dulakes have just dropped their debut single ‘No Clue’ (April 4th, 2025), the first in a stream of releases that promise to showcase the band’s refusal to be pinned down to just one sound—or mood. With DIY spirit, serious chops, and a lot more on the way, The Dulakes are gearing up to make 2025 their loudest year yet.

1. You describe your music as sometimes aggressive, sometimes  melancholic, and always loud—how do you approach balancing those  contrasting moods in your songwriting and live shows? 

R: We don’t really attempt to make it that way, it's more just naturally how it comes  about. It is the sort of music we listen to, so we don’t intentionally have that balance. 

JG: We also have very different inspirations, none of us really listen to the same thing  so it's not going to be cohesive idea. 

JR: We all approach it differently, I think the way I write and the way Ramsay writes changes the dynamic as well. 

R: Yeah, and I think that comes from our different influences. I think with the live shows  we balance the live shows by setting up the songs in a particular order, so it flows  nicely. 

JR: The recording process of songs allows you to be more stylistic in your choices,  whereas playing live is straight out of the blocks, loud. 

JG: You have to be energetic, always loud. 

N: I think that might be a bit of me, I play drums hard.

2. ‘No Clue’ marks your debut release—what’s the story behind that track,  and why did you choose it as your first official single? 

R: It is the song that we all felt epitomised our sound the most, it is one we have been  playing for a while. 

JR: It was always going to be the first single that we put out because of that. 

N: It was pretty much the first song we ever did that was the band's song. Before, we  were playing just Ramsay’s and Joe’s songs, but this felt like ours.  

R: It was the first song I wrote in the band, so it just made sense. 

JG: Carrying on from Nat, it has always been our opening song. We have never done a  set without opening with it. 

3. You’ve mentioned that each of your songs offers something different. Is  defying categorisation something that’s intentional for The Dulakes, or  does it just happen naturally?

JR: I don’t think that’s in my mind when I’m writing.  

R: I never write a song thinking I’ve written a song thinking I’ve written too many aggressive songs recently, I must write a sad one. I go through phases of listening to more melancholic music so I may feel more inclined to write a melancholic song. 

JG: Also, it’s more interesting for us, we wouldn’t want to play No Clue twelve times in a row with different words.

JR: When you write for yourself, it’s different for when you write for the band as you’ve got to have it in mind for how it is going to sound. 

R: And now I find it difficult to write for myself too. 

JG: Because there are four of us and we all write our own parts, it does naturally have an effect. 

N: As a band, we get four different interpretations of the same song. 

4. You’ve already been busy with gigs around the North and even putting on  your own shows in Leeds—what’s been the most memorable moment from  your first year playing live? 

JR: I thought the gig at the Lending Room was really good because the stage itself was  massive and we had a big turnout. I think that’s the best venue we have played. 

R: I think both gigs at the Lending Room were great. 

JG: The Blackpool gig was the first time we felt like a touring group, so that was great.  

5. What can fans expect from the singles you’ve got lined up next? Are there  any themes or sounds you’re especially excited to explore this year? 

JR: We have three songs lined up, two are about summer I’d say. 

N: Have a Dulakes summer; not a Brat summer; a Dulakes summer. 

R: I think you should expect a range of things; we have one by Joe coming out and two  more by me. I think the next two are more similar to No Clue, but then I think another  one that we will put out is quite different. 

N: I think it will be a nice gradient, I think you will be able to trace each song into the  next.