More than thirty years after they first surfed the shimmering crest of the Britpop wave, Dodgy return with a single that feels both familiar and revelatory. “It’s Not the End,” released yesterday, arrives as the second preview of Hello Beautiful, their upcoming sixth studio album due out 1 May 2026.
I’m not about to bang on about their history, roots, inspirations, blood groups, family tree dramas or whatever Britpop ancestry chart you’re into. Do your own homework , Google’s free. I wanted this to be about the single. Because I love it.
After being spoiled by the bright, youthful buoyancy of their melody soaked anthems of their 90s heyday, especially with Free Peace Sweet, giving us all the breezy earworms of ‘Good Enough’ and ‘Staying Out for the Summer’, the intro to ‘It’s Not the End’ actually made me sit up straight. My first thought? Oooh… this is different. Not worse or better. Yes, it’s unmistakably Dodgy, but using a totally different lens that I didn’t see coming.
From the second Mathew Priest’s drums kick in, steady and intentional and like they’re clearing a space, I felt a little rush of anticipation. And when Graham Mann’s keys join with that gorgeous, hovering synth line, I actually caught myself smiling thinking ‘Oooh this is nice!!!’. Thoy’s bass and the simple guitar lines join forces before the line “Let me paint a picture” opens the song, and weirdly enough, that’s exactly what those first few bars do. The track settles into this understated confidence with no showing off, no flash. The rhythm flows beautifully. There’s a calm tenderness in Nigel Clarks voice now.
A beautifully worn softness that tells you he’s lived a bit, felt a bit, survived a bit. There’s something deeply comforting about a voice you’ve grown up with, a lived in vocal you’ve heard at every stage of your own life. Its evolution doesn’t diminish its beauty, if anything, for me, it makes it more precious.
I get tired of the idea that when a band sounds more reflective, it must mean they’re “maturing,” like it’s some sort of polite euphemism for slowing down or losing their spark. It feels patronising for me. As if youth automatically equals joy and age automatically equals gloom. That’s not how life works. It’s not how creativity works either. We evolve, we shed skins, we pick up new ones. Why wouldn’t a band do the same? This is what makes a group interesting, hearing those shifts, observing those slight changes in colour. I don’t want a band to freeze in time just so listeners can cling to the version they discovered when they were 17. Dodgy have always had more facets than the “summer anthem Britpop” label pinned on them. If anything, I suspect songs like this were always sitting quietly in their shadows, waiting for the right moment. Sometimes the era dictates the art, and maybe back then all we wanted was bright, uncomplicated indie sunshine—myself included. But I’ve grown since then, and I’m far more interested in hearing what lies beyond the familiar crowd pleasers. Who honestly wants the same-style song on repeat for the rest of their life?” There are enough tribute bands out there for that malarky This track feels like Dodgy are making music on their terms now, not the era’s.
Then comes the chorus, refreshingly open and vulnerable, almost deceptively cheerful, with the line: “I’m sorry that you, don’t feel the same, is your mind made up or is it up for change?” There’s something incredibly joyful about the clarity of the vocal. I love when a chorus is clean enough that you can sing along long before the lyrics stick. That’s always been one of my favourite things about the power of music, when the melody finds you before the meaning does. And when you finally connect with its meaning, it impacts you more because you’ve already been under its spell. What I didn’t expect, listening to this track, was the quiet sense of connection, like the band are letting you peek into something a little more private, a bit more vulnerable, without ever losing that familiar Dodgy warmth. It reminds me why I’ve listened to them all these years. Bands grow, and so do we, and sometimes, when you’re lucky, those paths line up for a moment.
I always listen to a band while I’m writing about them. I feel like I’m keeping the door open for the inspiration to wander in. Call it “creative juices” if you want, but for me it’s more about staying connected to whatever the music is trying to say. And this track… I’ve played it more times than I care to admit. The more I listen, the more convinced I am that it’s one of my favourite Dodgy songs to date, and it’s starting to make the wait for the full album feel far too long. I’m also completely taken by the Tom Hawke cover artwork. It has that perfect balance of charm and intrigue. I’m hoping it finds its way onto some new merch if it hasn’t already.
Listening to a new track from a band you love feels a bit like settling into the passenger seat on a quiet afternoon and your husband suddenly takes a turn you weren’t expecting (and by ‘husband,’ I mean the imaginary one I just seem to use for metaphors). You don’t ask where you’re going, you just get that little flutter of excitement because the detour feels oddly special.
Some bands take you on a tip-run and you wonder why you bothered making an effort but this time, the path Dodgy took me on felt like a little detour made just for me.
No one cares about the destination, the journey is all that matters and I’m really excited about where we go next.
From the moment Priest’s drum first strike to the very last string ringing out, I genuinely loved it, completely and without hesitation. If I was in Dodgy, and this was my next single, I’d be proud as hell.
The guys are busy this year – from a string of summer festivals to the much anticipated Free Peace Sweet anniversary tour.”
Details below for both Album and Anniversary Tour.
HELLO BEAUTIFUL – SPRING TOUR 2026
April 2026
• Thu 30 Apr – Norwich – The Adrian Flux Waterfront
May 2026
• Fri 1 May – Grimsby – Docks Academy
• Sat 2 May – Buckley – The Tivoli
• Fri 8 May – Leek – Foxlowe Arts Centre
• Sun 10 May – Nottingham – Rescue Rooms
• Fri 15 May – Aberdeen – The Tunnels
• Sat 16 May – Inverness – An Seòmar
• Sun 17 May – Glasgow – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
• Thu 21 May – Tunbridge Wells – The Forum
• Fri 22 May – Southampton – Papillon
• Sat 23 May – Brighton – Quarters
SUMMER FESTIVALS 2026 (Selection)
• Sun 5 Jul – Manchester – Barton Aerodrome
• 17–18 Jul – Godney Gathering, Glastonbury
• Sat 18 Jul – Humberfest
• Sun 2 Aug – Poole Harbour Festival, Poole
• Sun 23 Aug – Rewind Festival, Henley-on-Thames
FREE PEACE SWEET – 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR (AUTUMN 2026)
(From official tour listings)
• Sat 26 Sep – London – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
• Thu 1 Oct – Bristol – O2 Academy Bristol
• Fri 2 Oct – Birmingham – O2 Institute
• Sat 3 Oct – Manchester – O2 Ritz
• Fri 9 Oct – Liverpool – O2 Academy
Words and Images by Shavorne Wilbraham
You can buy official tickets at:
Dodgy’s official site dodgyology.com
