Bolton’s own Pageant Mum return on 10 October with Hackles Up, their first release on Red Tape Music and a striking step into a new era. Fuelled by Izzy Ingham’s searing vocals and the band’s raw, grunge-meets-pop-punk energy, the track captures the emotional fallout of a toxic, on-again off-again relationship. Recorded live at Our Lady Studios with producer Mike West, it carries the urgency and honesty of a band creating in the moment.
Fresh from standout sets at The Great Escape and gearing up for major support shows this year, Pageant Mum are quickly becoming impossible to ignore. In the Q&A below, they break down the real-world stories, studio chemistry, and musical influences behind Hackles Up.
Hackles Up explores the cycle of a toxic relationship. What inspired you to tackle that theme?
Toxic relationships are so normalised these days, standards are nothing like what they used to be – or what you see in the rom coms…. Everyone knows someone in this kind of situation, or is in it themselves, I wanted to create a song that embodied that, the pain and conflict of not knowing what the right decision is. Maybe the song can help people like that feel more united, feel less alone in their turmoil
Izzy, you’ve mentioned it’s about being “trapped in an on-again, off-again relationship.” Was this drawn from personal experience or storytelling?
I’m too upfront for anything like that so no nothing from my personal relationship haha! I’ve found myself being the therapist friend to alot of girls throughout my teenage years who have been in this situation though – never ends well… I guess those stories I heard painted a picture for me to write the song.
The track has a real raw, spontaneous energy. How much of that came from those spontaneous studio moments you mentioned?
A lot of the energy comes out when we are in the studio. we recorded the track live as a band in the same room. this really allows us to put ourselves into the song
How did the writing process unfold between the four of you — was it collaborative from the start, or did it evolve from one person’s idea?
We wrote the song in the studio as a full band. who wrote what is never remembered as we just threw ideas at each other until we felt proud of what we had.
The sound blends grunge grit with pop-punk hooks. How did you find that balance between aggression and accessibility?
We all came from different genres originally and now all share mysic with each other. it’s allowed us to mix genres naturally as thats what we do between each other
You’ve been praised for your fierce, female-led vocals paired with bold instrumentation. How do you approach balancing emotion and power in your performances?
I think it’s something thats always come natural to me, everyone that knows me knows im both incredibly emotional (some would say a little too much) and overbearingly powerful – with my volume in particular. I’d say alot of it was also crafted through the musical theatre I did as a kid, I was always good at acting and I guess that followed me to the stage
The production feels very live and immediate — do you think that reflects how you perform on stage?
Since we record it all live the end product of the song felt as real as we could make it. The goal when going into the studio is always to sound like the live show. I (Liam) love 90s hardcore and post hardcore where the ethos was very much the same and i try to channel the same energy in the studio with the band.
This single is being described as a “new era” for Pageant Mum. What defines that new era for you?
The new era has come from a shift in what we are listening to currently. it’s been maybe 2+ years since we recorded the stuff that is already out. We now have a lot of songs recorded which represent the band at its current state and are looking forward to sharing them with everyone.
If “Hackles Up” were a scene in a film, what would be happening?
I like to imagine a mix of cut scenes of the two people stuck in the toxicity of their relationship – the smashed glasses, slamming doors, but also the cozy nights when everything was good, the smiles and laughs shared. I think a scene like this would pair nicely with the narrative of the song which is; whats the point going through the effort of getting comfortable with another person when you can live through the uncomfort of someone who knows you inside and out?
What’s on Pageant Mum’s pre-show playlist right now?
Liam – Rival schools, Quicksand, Texas Is The Reason, Mineral and Million Dead.
Elliot- Turnstile, Speed, Militarie Gun, Bjork and Pest Control
George – Northlane, Vianova, Loathe, Guilt Trip and One Step Closer
Izzy – ACDC, Paramore, Alice In Chains, Three Days Grace and I Prevail
