Manchester band The Empty Page (Kel – vox/bass, Giz – guitar, Steve – drums) has never shied away from difficult subjects. Writing on themes as diverse as climate-destroying billionaires, panic attacks, bed rot, nightclub nostalgia, victim blaming, and house cats.
New single ‘Death On Our Side’ is no different, lamenting the woes of a generation of people with no pension plan other than to die before they need to rely on one.
Following ‘When We Gonna Run?’, released in November 2025, just 18 months after the band’s second album, ‘Imploding’, the new single continues to seamlessly meld punk and shoegaze. It’s gritty and Mancunian, and at the same time a fragile commentary on the realities of life in modern Britain.
“In fields where strange static crackles / you and I climb the pylons
Small lives are plundered / and underfunded
But we got death on our side“
This is the second in a series of single releases recorded at Nave Studios, a former church in deepest Leeds, with producer Matt Peel (Eagulls/Dream Wife/Bodega). “We’ve long been fans of Matt’s work, so it was great to work together finally. The studio is so cool, and Matt’s references from Radiohead to Smashing Pumpkins align perfectly with the songs we’ve been writing”, says Kel.
The artwork is the second in a series featuring older fans of the band in their teenage years. Inspired by the DIY punk 7-inches of a pre-Internet world. The images feel both nostalgic and current.
Death On Our Side – out Wednesday 21 January 2026
Catch The Empty Page live on the following dates:
Thurs 22 Jan – Manchester – Gorilla – supporting Marky Ramone
Sat 31 Jan – Leeds – Handfest – Brudenell [SOLD OUT]
Sat 7 March Brighton – Prince Albert – supporting Shallow Honey
Sat 14 March Manchester – Louder Than War Live Fest – Mcr Academy
Sat/Sun 2-3 May – Shropshire – Loopfest
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