Manchester-based band The Empty Page don’t write love songs. Instead, you’ll find subjects like bed rot, victim blaming, and the end of the world set to catchy melodies, layered over bleak, shimmering guitar lines and fuzzy riffs.
The band (vocalist/bassist Kel, guitarist Giz and drummer Steve) recorded their debut LP, Unfolding, with Gggarth Richardson (RATM, Biffy Clyro, Melvins) in Vancouver, Canada, followed by a trio of 7-inches on Punk Fox records, including the critically acclaimed ‘When The Cloud Explodes’. Their second album, Imploding, was produced by Morton Kong at Eve, Stockport.
‘When We Gonna Run?,’ produced by Matt Peel (Eagulls, Dream Wife, PABH), was released in November 2025, followed by ‘Death On Our Side’ (a song about dying before you need a pension) in January 2026. ‘A Feminine Ending,’ a critique of the anti-ageing industry and a celebration of averting the male gaze, is their newest single out now.
“One day, you start to disappear.” ‘A Feminine Ending’ opens with a comment on the idea that women ‘disappear’ from the male gaze as they age, but rather than framing this as a bad thing, the song celebrates it. “Oh, what a relief, the beauty trap released”
The song continues into a critique of the patriarchy, aided and abetted by the beauty industry, in particular the anti-ageing racket. A hugely profitable sector that puts untold pressure on women to be ‘attractive’ and remain forever young. It is a pervasive and sinister message which begins in childhood. When you stop engaging with that rhetoric, you become free. “We’re under the filter / pumped full of filler”
Women’s voices need to be louder than ever in 2026. Decades of progress driven by the feminist movement are in danger of being rapidly undone in a world of out-of-control male egos. Many young women are rejecting traditional ideals of womanhood and averting the male gaze.
In light of recent horrific news items such as the deeply traumatic Epstein Files, and the use of AI to objectify and abuse women online with no concern for consent (or morality), it’s more significant than ever to criticise the pervasive and deeply concerning message that only young women are attractive, desirable, or of any value whatsoever.
We had a chat with Kel all about the making of ‘A Feminine Ending,’ the struggles of being part of the music industry, their live show and more. Read the Q&A below.
Hi Kel! For anyone discovering The Empty Page here for the first time, please give us a brief introduction to the band, your influences and mission!
“We’re an anxious alt punk band who write about all kinds of issues relating to the human condition and society’s ills. Music is therapy for us, and I think it is for our fans, too. We want to write songs for the sake of art, catharsis, and connection; everything else is bullshit.”
You’ve just released your new single ‘A Feminine Ending’ which is about rejecting beauty standards and the expectations placed on women in a world dictated largely by the whims of problematic men. Was there anything in particular that sparked the inspiration to write this song? What was the creative process like?
“It’s hard to pinpoint an exact catalyst for any song. I write almost every day and then pick out lines here and there that work as a starting point for songs. I think the first few lines were something I had noted down because I had heard people talking about how women ‘disappear’ as they age, like it’s a bad thing. But I thought, ‘what a relief’ to have an invisibility cloak and finally be able to just get on with things without my femininity being pointed out constantly.
“A musical idea Giz had shown me felt like it could work with the vibe I had, and it did. We had half a song for like, years, as we were busy finishing our album, and this song wasn’t ready. It was one of the first we worked on in the rehearsal room once we found our permanent new drummer, Steve. I like the almost hypnotic nature of it.
“The second half came from an idea I had inspired by a Veruca Salt song (25). I then tried to channel a combination of Patti Smith, Kat Bjelland and Eugene Robinson for the vocal build. I put the words together from a huge amount of angry, scrappy notes. It’s weird how it all works out in the end, but it comes from chaos a lot of the time.”
Throughout the decade you’ve been in a band and part of the punk scene, what would you say have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a female musician and how have you overcome them?
“To be honest, the challenges are largely the same, being in an independent band, whether you’re a bloke or a woman. It’s hard either way, but we have to deal with misogyny around every corner on top of that. It’s a really tough industry because musicians make no money, so it’s almost impossible to give up your day job. I quite like my day job, but it interferes with being able to say yes to opportunities, so it’s a constant battle between paying your bills and chasing your dreams. Dreams you have sacrificed almost everything for. I’m not sure I have overcome most of these challenges, but I love being an artist and will do this til the day I die, no matter how hard it is. I can’t live without it.”
You have a few gigs and festival appearances coming up. What can someone expect from a The Empty Page show? How do you want fans to feel after leaving one of your gigs?
“I want you to feel wrung out like a damp flannel – in a good way. I want to make you uncomfortable. Tingly. Euphoric. Overwhelmed with emotion. I want to make you cry. But I want you to feel better afterwards. We really give it our all. A lot of people comment on the emotional weight we punch out in a live environment. And the energy too. It’s a big ole anxiety party.”
Finally, what’s next for The Empty Page? Any plans for a new EP/album? Goals for the future or anything else you want to share?
“We’re currently making tour plans, and after releasing three singles in five months, we’re feeling pretty accomplished, but we are working on new songs too and hoping to get back in the studio asap.”
Upcoming dates:
25 Mar LONDON Blue Posts Soho
3 May SHREWSBURY Loopfest
20 May LIVERPOOL Kazimier Stockroom (w/Charlie Houston)
7 Aug BLACKPOOL – Scream + Shake Rebellion Fringe gig
More TBC!
