Interview and story by Meliza Sestito

In what seems like a relentless churn of the UK’s indie music scene, there are few bands that manage to carve out a sound and identity that feels authentic. Dakota Avenue, a Manchester-based trio, are doing exactly that. And they’re doing it with grit, wit, and unfiltered honesty.

After their last single “Next Bill” was released back in May of this year, the band has returned with “Concrete“. The new single plays like an open letter, or more an intervention, to a friend disrespecting their partner. Rooted in truly raw emotion, “Concrete” tackles betrayal and a moral reckoning.

In the band’s cosy rehearsal space above a Manchester pub, Meliza Sestito, Sante Vincent’s Music Editor, caught up with frontman Jacob, bassist Andy, and drummer Jensen to talk songwriting, the band’s Salford roots, and social media headaches. The band’s name, Jacob explained, comes from the street where his college sat in Salford. A fitting metaphor: this is music born on pavements.

“When I came to uni and met Andy, he was in a billion bands and I didn’t care. I needed him in this one,” Jacob laughed. Andy joined the band with no knowledge of how to play the bass and no bass to play on. He bought his first just to join Dakota Avenue. “I’m still learning!”, he joked, “I just mime with a backing track.”

“You either adapt or get left behind. It’s not about chasing virality, it’s about building identity.” 

Drummer Jensen joined the trio through an ad from Find My Band. Essentially, classified ads for musicians and bands looking for a link up. “The first song I heard of Dakota’s was “Slap Me Silly.” I knew I wanted in. I spent the next day learning and recording it to send it over to them.”

Listening to the music and speaking with the band, it’s easy to see the Dakota process is led by instinct. “It usually starts with a drumbeat,” Jacob explained. “Then I’ll find a riff, something atmospheric, and layer in vocals. From there I build the track in Logic and send it to the guys. It’s like a blueprint, collectively we then bring it to life in rehearsal, and that’s when it becomes a Dakota song.”

The band bows to Foals as their north star: “They’re just so dynamic.” Jacob beamed. Dakota’s musical DNA includes deeper, darker cuts. All growing up as metal heads listening to Bullet for My Valentine and Asking Alexandria, they bonded over their love for the heavier genres.

The band lit up at the chance to talk about no-skip albums they love. “Sleep Token’s Even in Arcadia is enviously good. It’s not just sound—it’s the theme, the atmosphere. For me, “Caramel” is my favourite,” Andy added.

Jensen chimed in with the hardcore genre pick of You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To by Knocked Loose: “But only if you listen to it in order, if you just shuffle it, it sounds disjointed and weird.”

A question Meliza likes to ask all musicians is: If they could erase one song from their memory and relive it for the first time, what would it be. For Jacob it was seeing Bring Me The Horizon performing Doomed live at London’s Albert Hall with the choir and orchestra: “Just perfect.” He answered without a second thought as if he’d been waiting to be asked the question by someone at some point, and the answer was already at the tip of his tongue. 

Being from Manchester, a city soaked in musical legacy, comes with expectations. “There’s no competition, just inspiration,” Jacob reflected. “The scene is so rich. It forces us to be 11 out of 10 every time. That pressure turns into drive.” And while Dakota Avenue are forging their own lane, they’re passionate about supporting other local artists: “The Cutter are doing amazing things in the post-punk space. Balancing Act too, they’re an indie band worth watching.”

While their music is analog in spirit, Dakota Avenue are navigating the digital world like everyone else and not without growing pains. “Social media is stressful,” Jacob admitted. “I wasn’t raised on a phone. I didn’t get a smartphone until I was 16 because I never cared much. Now we’re supposed to be content creators too.”

Reservations aside, the band are happy to lean into the modern change. “You either adapt or get left behind. I used to complain about it, but now I’m like, what if we used it to actually build something? Not for virality, but to share who we are. People follow personalities.”

The band’s most memorable gig wasn’t one packed with thousands. It was a slow-starting set with a handful of people in the room, two of them being staff at the venue. “I was having a meltdown,” Jacob reflected. “Then 30 students walked by, heard the drums, and poured in. It turned into one of the best shows we’ve ever played.”

They sold out their merch that night. To end the already-memorable gig, Jacob’s now-fiancé showed up unexpectedly, which led to him having a lightbulb moment. “That was the moment I knew I was going to propose.”

As far as dream stages go, Dakota have big plans of the UK’s biggest and best festivals: Glastonbury, Boardmasters, Reading and Leeds Festival, and Tramlines.

Dakota Avenue may not be preoccupied chasing TikTok views, but when the journey feels this authentic, that doesn’t matter. In a world obsessed with trends, this band is building something slower, tougher, and far more enduring: a legacy.

You can listen to Dakota Avenue’s new track here.