Dolours arrive with the kind of name that already feels like a mood — heavy, atmospheric, and slightly tongue‑in‑cheek in the way only a Midlands‑born band could pull off. Formed in early 2026 on a Shrewsbury industrial estate that might as well have been designed for post‑punk incubation, they channel frustration, humour and emotional abrasion into something sharp, danceable and defiantly odd. Their early singles have begun rippling through the Midlands alternative scene, carried by a sonic palette that swings from breakcore to hardcore and every “core” they can physically play, stitched together with a mischievous self‑awareness that makes Dolours feel less like a new band and more like a fully formed world.
Dolours is a striking name with a real sense of weight and atmosphere. What’s the story behind choosing it, and what did you want it to signal about your sound or identity as a band?
The title has a few different meanings and potential interpretations which is what we like about it. If you look at the latin translation of ‘dolēre’ it means ‘to grieve’ which is a touch morose. Ironic really that the purpose of the band and creating music is ‘to celebrate’ rather than ‘to grieve’. Whichever way you look at it, it’s a band name that is relatively easy to remember and that’s good enough for us.
When did Dolours officially come together, and what were the circumstances that made you realise this lineup and this project were the right vehicle for your music?
We got together properly in January of 2026 and began practicing together and writing on an industrial estate in Shrewsbury which I’m sure you will agree is the most punk rock town among The Welsh Marches
Your sound blends post‑punk abrasion with gothic and industrial edges — critics have compared elements to Gurriers, Gilla Band, Killing Joke and even early‑2000s garage revival acts . Which artists genuinely shaped your sonic DNA, and who influences you in ways listeners might not expect?
Flattery will get you everywhere. Except for the moon, one often needs a rocket to get there.
I really like much of what modern pop and alternative music has to offer, with a few notable exceptions. I like to think that our music is influenced by everything from breakcore to hardcore and every core in between. As much as we like to stick to our roots, we also enjoy exploring every nook and cranny of what we are physically capable of playing.
“Blunt” and “I Am A Dog” both explore themes of frustration, identity erosion and emotional unrest. How did those songs come together creatively, and what do they reveal about where Dolours are heading next?
Like most good songs both tracks were composed from a bedroom in the West Midlands with little more than a USB interface and a can do attitude. The songs were written primarily as an expression of frustration and angst but also have warmer elements and some humour too. Those hard hitting bass synth tracks that you’ve been hearing in clubs since the 80s are really where we would like to go. Music that makes you dance at best and at the very least, raise an eyebrow before you hit next on spotify.
How was your summer — did you manage to get out on the festival circuit much? Any standout moments, chaotic stories, or shows that made you feel the moment?
We played LoopFest in Shrewsbury which is always good. It’s a good example of a well curated festival run by locals for locals and those who like live original music. We will continue to play that festival for years to come hopefully! Our gig at The Clarendon organised by local legend and avid ‘bare-foot’ enthusiast Rob Fellows was very fun. Pub gigs are usually the most fun, because oftentimes people who would never have even thought to stay and listen end up sticking around to hear you out. Furthermore, I enjoy nothing more than going into a green room and finding the empty water bottles of every previous band on the line-up, scattered around the floor. It reminds me of the need for water and how thirst connects us all.
With your early singles making noise in the Midlands scene, what’s next? Are you already shaping an EP or album, or experimenting with new directions sonically?
Our EP will be out in November so watch this space.
If Dolours were curating their own 3 day dream festival — any acts, dead or alive — who would headline on each night, and why do those artists feel spiritually connected to what you’re creating?
If I could have any artist dead or alive to play a festival it would be Yungblud dead and Johnny Cash alive. I would keep Jim Morrison dead because I think that would be an absolute nightmare otherwise. Janis Joplin alive - because she’s no good to anyone dead. Sombr could come but he’d be dead too. Echo and the Bunnymen as a closing act when everyone is coming down from the copious amount of drugs they took during a surprise set from Duran Duran. Then while everyone is leaving through the gates I would give every member of Slipknot a paintball gun and everyone would have to run through the gauntlet as the paintballs whizz by to get home. Then while every ticket holder lies face down in the quagmire, Jacob Collier would emerge in that mental rainbow coloured shirt he wears. He would command everyone to moan in tune with ‘Moon River’ and if you were even a half step out of tune, he would consume your soul.
Don’t worry though, you would be able to scan our handy QR code to buy your soul back at the expense of your personal data being sold to AI weapons companies in silicon valley.
Let’s do a Dolours “Come Dine With Me” - what’s your ideal starter, main, and dessert? And who in the band is most likely to burn something… or secretly be a culinary genius?
For my starter I would make jerk chicken wings
The main would be coq au vin
And then a cheese board to finish
I call this menu ‘Jerk coq cheese’….
I (Arthur, the chief guitarist and chef de cuisine) happens to be a culinary genius.
Tell us something interesting about Dolours — a strange habit, a hidden talent, a weird superstition, or a story from the studio that sums up who you are as a group.
Our drummer used to be a rat exterminator which is why he hits the drums so hard probably.
How does being from Birmingham shape your identity? What’s the current energy of the city’s alternative scene, and where does Dolours fit within it?
I love Birmingham dearly. She is like my nan, in the sense that she talks funny and treats me with mild disdain at all times.
In terms of music Birmingham always has and always will pump out some of the most important music this country has to offer. Notable ‘Gans’ are off to the races and have made some absolute ragers during their meteoric rise to fame.
It is difficult to cut through in Birmingham and if I am completely honest, cutting through isn’t something I am that fussed by. Finding community is more important to me and Birmingham has that in spades. It is the dark and dingy capital of the west midlands with odd places that when you visit make you think “I think I’ve taken a wrong turn” which is exactly the sense of unease and tension that I would like to capture in my music.
What becomes clear after speaking with Dolours is that their chaos is deliberate, their humour is armour, and their music is a kind of communal exorcism — one that’s as likely to make you dance as it is to make you raise an eyebrow. With an EP landing in November and a growing reputation for turning pub crowds into converts, they’re carving out their own crooked lane in Birmingham’s alternative landscape. Dolours don’t seem particularly bothered about “cutting through”; they’re here to build community, stir unease, and celebrate the strange corners of the West Midlands that shaped them. If this is the beginning, the next chapter is going to be loud, playful and unmistakably theirs.
Keep up to date with their musical happenings over at INSTAGRAM