Brighton ska, reggae, dub and punk outfit Dakka Skanks will return to their home city this September as part of a seven-date UK tour, with a headline show at Hope & Ruin on 19 September.
The Brighton date comes as the band prepares to release its new single, “I See Fire”, on 18 September, marking the latest chapter in the build-up to its forthcoming album, The Game.
Known for combining Jamaican-influenced rhythms with punk energy, dub and socially conscious songwriting, Dakka Skanks have built a reputation for high-energy live performances that bring together political edge and dancefloor momentum.
Their new single, “I See Fire”, takes inspiration from the financial pressures facing everyday life in modern Britain. Written and performed by the band, the track explores the exhausting reality of working to stay afloat as wages disappear into bills, debt and the rising cost of keeping a roof over your head.
Driven by the band’s distinctive ska-reggae-punk sound, the song reflects on the physical and mental strain created by constant financial pressure, while also capturing the desire to escape it — even briefly — at the end of the working week.
“I See Fire” is one of a series of releases leading towards The Game, an independently produced new album that has already demonstrated the strength of the community surrounding the band.
Dakka Skanks turned to their fans to help fund the recording of the album through a crowdfunding campaign, setting an ambitious £25,000 target. The band reached that goal in just two weeks, allowing them to bring the project to life independently.
For The Game, the band has also teamed up with five-time Grammy Award-winning producer Steve Dub, bringing his experience to a collection of original material shaped by real-life experiences, social pressures and the changing world around them.
Fronted by the distinctive vocals of Clara Wageli-Byrne, Dakka Skanks have developed a sound that refuses to sit neatly within one genre. Ska rhythms, reggae influences, punk attitude and dub all collide in music designed to make audiences move while retaining a strong social message.
The Brighton show at Hope & Ruin will be particularly significant for the band, bringing their latest material back to their home city just one day after the release of “I See Fire”.
The performance forms part of a whistle-stop seven-date UK tour, which will take Dakka Skanks from Bristol and London to Leicester, Brighton, York, Edinburgh and Glasgow throughout September.
For Brighton music fans, the Hope & Ruin date offers the chance to see one of the city’s own genre-bending live acts as they enter a major new phase.
With a new single, a forthcoming album and a growing national touring schedule, Dakka Skanks are heading into the autumn with plenty of momentum.
Dakka Skanks – Brighton Date
Friday 19 September
Hope & Ruin, Brighton
Tickets and further information are available via Dakka Skanks.
