Dictator are a four piece indie band from and West Lothian, they are Michael Campbell (vocals), Zach Tarimo (guitar), Joe Murty (bass) and Allan Ramsay (drums).

They are equally at ease with heartbreaking ballads or stomping Indie bangers, their musical influences include bands like Primal Scream, Gorillaz but also a nod to electronica with bands like Massive Attack and Groove Armada.

Their previous singles Anthem for a Doomed Youth and Taped Up established Dicator as a band to watch.

The new single Days Gone By is released today, Friday 7 August, and when asked about the track the band said:

Days gone by is about choosing not to dwell on the past. Choosing not to live by your mistakes and choosing not to let them define you. It’s about not following the beaten path. It’s about pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and about not folding when the odds are stacked against you. It’s about not giving up and not choosing the easy way out. 

Too many of our own and past generations have been swallowed into the jaws of drug and alcohol abuse. This song was written as a social commentary on the normalisation of drug culture. Drug and alcohol abuse has always been rife in the poorest communities and these days it seems to us as that instead of addressing the root of the issue, it has been widely accepted as the norm. Days gone by is an interpretation of an isolated individual trying to navigate the right path through economical and social deprivation that has resulted in the destructive behaviours and culture that surrounds him. 

Days Gone By starts of with a gentle swirling of psychedelic sounds as it builds up the melody which when it kicks in elevates the song to the five and half minutes of glorious beauty that it is.

It tackles the storyline of poverty combined with drug and alcohol abuse with clever lyrics, capturing the struggles of the protagonist of not falling victim to what they are trying to escape, I particularly loved the verse when Michael sings “we’ve been together, we travelled far and wide, you’ll always be in my side and all the worn out faces oh they drift on by, they live and when they die they dream of days gone by”.

Days Gone By is a fantastic arrangement, a dynamic vocal, an ear worm of a melody and the perfect singalong line of “they dream of days gone by”, it’s up there as one of the best tracks I have heard this year.

Dictator are a must see for me when live gigs resume, they have used lockdown really well, building engagement with fans and they will be ready to blast off once restrictions are eased.

For sure Dictator are one of the best up and coming bands in Scotland, indeed in the UK, definitely a name to look out for, I know I will be following their progress very closely.

Give Days Gone By a stream now:

https://open.spotify.com/album/7LS2Xc3BFYtaTQdDGftqFD?si=eSCUEL9lSOC166yyEoir3w

Dictator can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Spotify:

https://www.facebook.com/dictvtor/

https://instagram.com/dictatorband?igshid=1iml3u75y43vn

https://twitter.com/Dictator_Band

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6s3XH0VddJvfm3evFlfEq7?si=p7XWweoQSiWINGb6m46VBA