Celebrating a decade as a band The Empty Page, are in my humble opinion the most exciting, accomplished and driven band to emerge from Manchester in the last 10 years. They are an exemplary band, a firebrand of uncompromising passion, fervent vulnerability and humane honesty. Named after the Sonic Youth song, who were possibly inspired by the poem by Indian guru, Sadguru, the name “The Empty Page”, couldn’t be more fitting or anecdotal for this band. You see, The Empty Page aren’t just a band, they are a narrative of inflamed emotions, societal frustrations, and urban decay, expressed so profoundly through their powerful and soul-drenched lyrics. Along with their razor riffs, pounding beats, spiked strums, seething and preening interludes and mesmerising vocals, The Empty Page, inject a much needed dose of empathetic earthiness that immediately connects them with their audience.
Comprised of Kel on vocals/bass, Giz on guitars and Steve on drums, The Empty Page are as gusty as you get. They are undercover wolf warriors of justice, shouting from the roof-tops of dystopia, whilst hurling fireballs at the politicians of capitalism and corruption. They are a combatant force of nature, that uproot the ethos of third wave feminism of the early 90s and stir with an intoxicating mix of post-punk, post-grunge, noise-rock, post-brit-pop, no-wave, art-punk, shoegaze, experimental rock, neo-psychedelia and indie-rock.
As a frontwoman, Kel is in a class of her own, whose impressive vocal range alternates between the riotous heights of punk, the primitive wails of grunge and the ethereal realms of rock. Charismatic and outspoken, Kel is the bona-fide artist, a melting pot of modern feminism and politcal punk. Talented in the bucket-loads, Kel could sing about the rainy weather of Manchester and still sound incredibly uplifting. She just has one of those voices that stops you in your tracks and gives you hope that the world can be a better place.
Through their formidable, brave, bold and fearless energy, The Empty Page are the champions of the underdogs, not afraid to speak out, even if it means breaking taboos, dismantling and dispelling a few myths along the way. In a plastic age of botox, duck-selfies and photoshopped politics, here is a band that stays true to the ethos of feminism, whilst advocating personal empowerment. They are true artists in every sense, creating music that resonates, rattles, and revolts, whilst emancipating the caged and enraged. They are the anti-establishment against a vacuous, shallow society, bulldozing the barriers of patriarchal absurdity and challenging the misogynistic attitudes that rear their ugly head.
They are a band of substance, whose astute intellect and heightened sensitivity challenge the status quo and make us stand up and listen. Not since the riot grrrl movement, punk-feminist ethos of the early 90s and post-punk revival of the early 00s has there been a need for a band like The Empty Page. A band that stands tall amongst their peers, with their colourful, eclectic, and sparkly exuberance, could be the secret love child of Hole, Curve, Lush, Babes of Toyland, Kathleen Hanna, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Garbage, Elastica, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Joy Formidable with Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and Pixies, renewing their musical DNA, whilst rearranging the genetic code.
Since exploding onto the music scene in 2016, The Empty Page have gone from strength to strength, gaining a growing fanbase, not just in Manchester but across the globe. They are the torchbearers of truth whose sell-out live shows have won them critical acclaim and rave reviews from local press. Having released two albums : Unfolding (2016) and Imploding (2024), and 2 EPS, it’s their 7th single “Death On Our Side”, which has been a personal favourite playing in the Manc Review Towers this year!
Released on January 21st 2026, Death on Our Side is an outstanding track. It’s a high voltage of electrical currents, charging through the circuitboards of post-punk, whilst connecting with the underground currents of New Wave. Through the soaring vocals of Kel, Death on Our Side astral travels through the vertiginous vortex of dreampop, whilst spinning with the spectral sonics of shoegaze. There’s something quite nostalgic and euphoric listening to the the fluctuating, heavenly hues and elongated tones of Kel. She has this effortless gift at moving musical soundscapes with her standalone vocal prowess.
Just when you think you are in the presence of a punk queen, you feel the shift into a more ethereal dimension. Like a direct descendant of PJ Harvey, Bjork and Toni Halliday, Kel is a guttural goodness that sings from the deepest part of her soul, dissipating her emotions from every primal pore. Along with the surge of racing riffs, oblique strums, wonky waves and robust beats, Death On Our Side, quantum travels through the wistful wilderness of alt-rock, whilst levitating through the lucid portals of neo-psychedelia. It’s a majestic anthem, navigating through the misty ambience, evoking a sense of airy grandiose, whilst resting themselves on terra firma.
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Photo credit: Debbie Ellis