Duels were an English indie rock band from Leeds, West Yorkshire, active from 2005 to 2009. Founded by brothers Jon Foulger and Jim Foulger, along with Jon Maher, James Kirkbright, and Katherine Botterill, the group initially gained traction with early demos that earned airplay on BBC Radio 1. Their debut single "Potential Futures" was released in July 2005 via Transgressive Records and featured on the FIFA 06 soundtrack. Duels signed to Nude Records in May 2005, releasing subsequent singles "Pressure On You" and "Animal", with the latter reaching number 47 in the UK charts. Their debut album, The Bright Lights And What I Should Have Learned, was released in July 2006 and received critical acclaim, praised for its atmospheric songwriting and melodic richness. After leaving Nude Records in March 2007, Duels released their second album, The Barbarians Move In, digitally in February 2008 and physically in April via This Is Fake DIY Records. The lead single from this album was "Regeneration". In early 2009, guitarist Whiskas joined the band, but they quietly disbanded later that year without releasing a third album.
