It’s as if The National’s vocalist has been replaced with the ghost of Noel Coward:

Marmaduke Dando is a singer-songwriter of morose ballads and frisky drunken jigs. A young crooner with an old fashioned voice and values to match, he writes of the horrors and beauties of the modern world, and barks them back at it with his 5 piece band. Brimming with romance and spitting protest, his shows often extract references to early Scott Walker, Jacques Brel, and Kurt Weill, with the occasional histrionics being likened to Billy McKenzie. Cutting a figure like Dostoevsky as New Romantic, his rabbity chic is a sight to behold.

Bred from genuine pirate ancestry, Marmaduke originally hails from the southern port of Portsmouth. Having thrown in his lot with the ocean, Marmaduke moved to London to try his luck on the cruel stages of the capital’s music scene. For the past five years now, he has been honing his sound, shuffling musicians, and pressing palms, with the aim of building a most formidable act.

This year saw the band play many of the small UK festivals, including Wood, Uncivilisation, and Festibelly, to name a few. Earlier in the year, Marmaduke compered and played to the thronging masses at Secret Cinema, for the dreamy Wim Wenders classic ‘Wings of Desire’. His songs have also been set to short films, played in the Houses of Parliament, and used as an aid for aspiring Casanovas.

Marmaduke’s recently released debut album, ‘Heathcliffian Surly’, is already creating a storm amongst a devoted fan base. With a tour of the provinces imminent, a recently sold out headline gig at London’s Hoxton Hall and a music video accompanying the first single “Odessa”, it will be only a matter of time before the more discerning music aficionado is acquainted with Marmaduke Dando.