Punk Pop ‘n’ Roll, straight outta Dundee!
I knew from the first time I caught them live that there was something magnificently Dundee about David Delinquent & The IOU’s. Not Scottish in the tourist-board sense – no kilts, or mist rolling over glens here, but Dundee: funny, stubborn, unpretentious and seemingly suspicious of anybody taking themselves too seriously.
They style themselves as Dundee City Rockers, which is considerably more useful than trying to squeeze them neatly into any punk, power-pop or rock’n’roll pigeonhole, because The IOU’s contain bits of all three. It’s all tied together by big choruses, loud guitars, the added surprise of a saxophone, and the belief that three minutes is usually more than enough time to make your point.
‘Scandal’, an accomplished set of ten songs, a few years in the making, sounds like a record made by people who know exactly where they’re from. David Delinquent, Dundee-born songwriter David Hennessy grew up with a musical education that was suitably scrambled. Old-school punk from his dad, Britpop from his mum and Metal traded around with older kids, before eventually finding his way back to his very own version of very accessible pop punk rock.
That perhaps explains why the IOU’s have never needed to pass anybody’s authenticity test. Delinquent will happily wear a punk battle jacket while professing unashamed enthusiasm for pop music. The important thing is the song. As he has put it himself, he never particularly wanted to be the greatest guitarist or singer; he wants to write the best tunes, and that philosophy is stamped all over ‘Scandal’, the IOU’s full length debut.
An accomplished solo performer too, Delinquent has released a number of excellent singles and EPs in the last couple of years including ‘Scared to Spend’ and latterly ‘The Lads Are Away’. But make no mistake, despite the success of these solo projects, this album is not a singer plus hired hands. Rather, The IOU’s feel like several strands of the Dundee scene accidentally meeting in the same pub and deciding to start a cracking band.
Bassist Scott Sweeney – who previously played alongside David in Dundonian punks The Delinquents, along with drummer Gordon McNally – keeps everything rock solid. Guitarist Jason Paterson combines with Delinquent’s own guitar, to chop out some really accomplished guitar licks throughout. Lastly but by no means least is Bonnie Ross on saxophone, not only a great musician but a music writer and festival organiser who adds distinctive flavour throughout.
All the musicians are involved in their own projects and bring their own unique thing to the band – and that matters because ‘Scandal’ has a real sense of collective personality. Opening track ‘Rocksteady’ gets proceedings underway without wasting valuable drinking time: short, sharp, infectious. From the start the IOU’s rather special secret weapon, Bonnie Ross’s Lora Logic-esque saxophone, reminiscent of vintage X-Ray Spex, is a surprising and delightful counter to Delinquent’s distinctive gravel voice. belting out a memorable chorus.
‘Alleycats’ follows in a similar vein, with Ross’s saxophone flourishes becoming more prominent and the ‘shoo wop’ backing vocals adding a distinctly poppy edge to an otherwise driven rock song. ‘Too Far Gone’ and ‘Everybody Loves You’ follow in similar pub rock ‘n’ roll style demonstrating Delinquent’s love of a good guitar riff and knack for writing unfussy and catchy choruses that seem familiar by the second time around without sounding at all borrowed.
Musically there are traces of The Wildhearts, Slade, and Stiff Little Fingers across the tracks, and rather appropriately at times shades of compatriot Stuart Adamson’s Big Country guitar style especially on the rather more epic, ‘Shame Of My Youth’. With a title that could almost serve as an alternative name for the entire genre, and most of the listening audience, it brings a relatable sentiment that gives ‘Scandal’ substance beneath all the choruses.
‘Time Of My Life’ and ‘Nobody Else’ are both solid pop-rock tunes with melodic singalong choruses and some accomplished guitar soloing, which is ‘alright with me!’. The punk ante is upped again with the short but sharp ‘Hanging Out’, which is a rocking tune that could come straight from CBGBs in 1977. The Dead Boys with added saxophone vibe – that works brilliantly.
‘Not A Fan’, a guitar driven rocker, keeps things moving on in particularly defiant mood and sets up the album’s final song ‘Today’s a drag’ in which Delinquent shares his frustrations with modern life, both at work and on the road. Appropriately, like most of the songs on the album, this is very much about recognisable lives rather than rock-star ones. Relationships, mates, good times, bad decisions and the everyday business of trying to remain vaguely optimistic while the world continues to give you a bit of a kicking.
All in all, there’s a particularly Scottish, perhaps specifically Dundonian, lack of sentimentality about it all. Even when things get emotional, nobody starts gazing meaningfully towards the mountains.
Recorded with Graeme Watt at Seagate Studio in Dundee, ‘Scandal’ doesn’t attempt to disguise its origins or polish away its personality. It is pop music played by punks, rock ’n’ roll made by people who still understand the power of a good melody, and most importantly ten proper highly listenable songs. ‘Punk Pop ’n’ Roll of the highest order.
The IOU’s have already dragged their sound well beyond Tayside to Rebellion, Heartland and other festival and club dates around the UK. But ‘Scandal’ feels like the point where David Delinquent & The IOU’s stop being just an interesting Dundee band with some cracking songs and become a band people considerably further south ought to start paying attention to. In fact, it would be a scandalous if they didn’t! Guitars. saxophone. choruses. great songs, turns out that’ll do nicely. Aye it will!
Order your copy of ‘Scandal’ on vinyl and CD from HERE, and join David Delinquent & The IOU’s at their album launch gig on 25th September 2026 at Beat Generator, Dundee – TICKETS
Main Photo Credit: DARREN MCALLISTER – DMCAPTURES
Live Photos: BEARDED PUNK PHOTOGRAPHY
- Rock Steady
- Alleycats
- Too Far Gone
- Everybody Loves You
- Shame Of My Youth
- Time Of My Love
- Nobody Else
- Hanging Out
- Not A Fan
- Today Is A Drag
Follow David Delinquent & The IOU's on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Album review: The Drowns – ‘Harsh Reality’
One question: are the songs any good? That’s what most fans of The Drowns will want to know about ‘Harsh Reality’, the band’s fourth album.
Drug Church, London Electric Ballroom, 11th Sept 2026
Memo to self: next time you encounter a promising debut release, keep an eye on the band. Back in 2013, I reviewed Drug Church’s first
Punk Rock Creatives – Summer 2026 update!
For Punk Rock Creatives Podcast, taking a break doesn’t mean doing nothing… Marie is back with her latest updates, including; recording with The Pukes again,
Album review: The Meffs mean ‘Business’ on album #2
Fancy getting angry for 35 minutes? The Meffs have you covered. Their sophomore album ‘Business’ is ready to blast your ears from tomorrow, 11th September
Album Review: Slalom D release ‘I Choose My Own Way To Burn’, giving us a lesson in melodic punk rock with a heart
Slalom D, Sunderland’s finest, bring out their third album on Serial Bowl Records. Tilte ‘I Choose My Own Way To Burn’ comes from a quote
EP Review: mirabelle. remind us it’s OK to not be OK in new 4-track ‘LOSERS’
This September, heavy pop punks mirabelle. are dropping their new four-track EP ‘LOSERS’ via French label BANSHIES, and they’re calling it their “most ambitious release
Writer, lyricist, and guitarist with The Viral Breakdowns, radio presenter and passionate protagonist of Punk! From teenage rocker in the seventies, to playing my own original music in far flung parts of the world, I have a love for fast, loud, short sharp tunes with attitude and edge. Based in Chelmsford, you can find me out and about on the Essex and London music scene or rooting through the racks of record fairs, markets and car boot sales, looking for hidden punk rock treasures.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
