Bolton Post-Punk Upstarts Emerge With Grit, Wit and a No-Holds-Barred Sound
Remain Blank’s newest release The Kitchen Floor / The Second Time announces the band’s next phase with the reckless confidence of a group unwilling to play it safe. The double A-side, released in 2024, captures the essence of a band straddling chaos and craft, humour and heartache, all wrapped in jagged guitar work and spoken-word sensibility. Building on the noise generated by their debut Plastic Hooligans, which quickly caught the attention of tastemakers across the UK alt scene, Remain Blank continue to punch through the monotony of polished indie with raw edges and ragged truth.
The Kitchen Floor opens the project with frontman Alex Lennon Heywood’s blunt invitation—“Just go.” The lyric sets the tone for a song that spirals into the delirium of substance abuse, carried by a relentless instrumental march. Described by the band as one of their earliest and quickest songs to come together, it’s no surprise that the track pulses with immediacy. Written around a set of lyrics penned during a moment of ironic self-reflection, it evolved into a live staple that has become emblematic of the band’s early sound: unpredictable, uncompromising, and unmistakably honest. The track doesn’t glamorize the subject matter; instead, it captures the absurdity and fragility of feeling invincible while spiraling out of control.
Paired with it, The Second Time shifts the focus from existential blur to the far more personal wounds of teenage heartbreak. Sonically brighter yet equally potent, the track leans into catchy riffs, sharp phrasing, and a soaring lead guitar performance by Séan Lane that gives it undeniable replay value. Laced with Bolton charm and lyrical irony, it’s a song that pokes fun at rejection while still letting the sting linger. “A song about getting binned off,” as Alex casually frames it, becomes something more—a love letter to youthful failure and the learning curves that shape you.
While each track stands strong on its own, together they reflect the band’s range: an ability to confront both the chaotic and the tender without sacrificing the energy that defines their aesthetic. The double release feels less like a strategic move and more like a mission statement—Remain Blank aren’t here to fit into a scene, they’re here to rip through it on their own terms. Influenced more by the immediacy of the Irish alt-punk wave than the region’s indie norms, their sound echoes with urgency while maintaining enough personality to sidestep imitation.
With their debut album on the horizon, this dual offering serves as a dynamic preview of what’s to come. Remain Blank prove they’re not just capturing attention—they’re commanding it, with the kind of conviction that only comes from a band who knows exactly what they want to say and how loud they want to say it. In The Kitchen Floor / The Second Time, we find two stories told with fearless honesty and undeniable style. It’s not just a release—it’s a warning shot.
