Arkayla is one of Manchester’s most exciting young bands right now and their new single “Doctor” takes the energy of their live shows and puts it straight into your headphones.
It kicks off with a vocal line that sounds like humming, locked in with the guitar. It’s a simple touch that sticks with you and it’s satisfying when it comes back later in the song.
Lyrically, it’s deceptively simple but sticks in your head:
“I’m running around, I’m wasting my time, oh won’t you call me the doctor, doctor, doctor,
I’m not taking my pills today
And won’t you won’t you won’t you leave me alone”
It’s part frustration, part defiance and the delivery makes it feel like it’s being shouted over the noise of a crowded gig in the best way. The guitars push and pull against the vocal rhythm, keeping everything tight but restless and the whole thing has the pacing of a track that’s going to go off live. Surely, Arkayla has always thrived on stage and “Doctor” feels built for that setting. Imagine a burst of their loud, sweaty, heart-on-sleeve energy distilled into just a few minutes.
With festival dates ahead and a 900-capacity Manchester Academy headline in December, this track is another step forward for a band that’s quickly making their mark.
Catch them live on one of the dates below:
29th August 2025 – 110 ABOVE FESTIVAL, LEICESTERSHIRE
30th August 2025 – THIS FEELING BY THE SEA, BRIDLINGTON
31st August 2025 – ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS FESTIVAL, SHEFFIELD
19th September 2025 – THE PARISH, WREXHAM
20th September 2025 – CAFE INDIEPENDENT, SCUNTHORPE
10th October 2025 – ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER
11th October 2025 – TENEMENT TRAIL FESTIVAL, GLASGOW
15th November 2025 – LIVE AT LEEDS FESTIVAL
12th December 2025 – X FEST, STOCKTON ON TEES
19th December 2025 – MANCHESTER ACADEMY – HEADLINE SHOW
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