Today sees Millie Manders and The Shutup – release their latest album ”Wake Up, Shut Up, Work” read our review here

As I’m sipping on a Piña Colada whilst burning my Irish ass off in the Santorini sun on this beautiful Sunday morning (Sunday the 27th), I’m finally getting around to listening to the new LP from Millie Manders and the Shut Up.  Again, I have been privileged listening to yet another powerful album, before the release date. 

London based punk, ska, pop, rock Female fronted band are like a non stop train and their music will not and should not be avoided! 

Following in the footsteps of none other than their neighbouring London band, The Clash! Millie Manders is also screaming at the top of their lungs from a political stand point and similar to Joe Strummer, we are swinging from the left, touching on such topics of strong feminism, mental health and war such as the ongoing genocide in Gaza.  The band have also been raising money for the non profit organisation Mercy Without Limits who have been helping orphans and women across the world and even more so lately during the atrocities that are ongoing in Palestine. 

Mercy Without Limits mission is “To educate and empower women and children by enabling them to have an effective and positive role in constructing a better society”.

Millie has mentioned in the past that she tends to sing about topics which makes the listener feel uncomfortable and sometimes leads to loosing many listeners due to the political topics that may lie within, but it’s not something that has stopped her continuing on this path and writing exactly what is in her mind and how she feels about the world. 

One song in particular on the new album which I’m sure falls under this category is “Can I get off”.  And my first go to reaction of “what could this have been inspired by, musically” was that of Scroobius Pip. Not a million miles away from London, Scroobius Pip is an Essex born artist and the similarities are seen in the spoken word-poetry-Hip Hop style approach to this more Punk-Ska track. 

Even though the iconic duo of Dan Le Sac v Scroobius Pip have a more electronic beat approach to their sound, Scroobius Pip grew up being inspired by Punk music and so the inspiration is heavily heard in his own music as he approaches writing with that raw power and anger towards topics close to the heart, similar to what we are seeing here from Millie. 

The track “Can I get Off” kicks off with “So much hate in this country, So many things not understood” and this goes for a majority of the western world. We are blinded to the horrors unfolding in the world, living in our bubble of privilege and safety, and Millie is giving us a pin to pop it.

“Did I say something wrong?

Do you feel uncomfortable?

How do you think the Gazan’s feel

While they’re still being bombed?

Am I siding with Hamas?

You’re gonna ask that one again?”

The above is a paragraph which, unfortunately, will cause a massive stir and debate between the two sided coin in which we are living through at the moment. When in reality it should be the most obvious thing to see if you have your eyes opened. 

The uncomfortable feelings which Millie is provoking in this track is something we need more of in the music industry (LONG LIVE RATM) and day to day life in general. And so because of that, I’m a huge fan and I applaud her “not giving a fuck” vibes towards the potential loss of fans. 

If anything … she has gaining the right fans. 

The album has a sound which can move from radio friendly pop with an essence of PINK, but even more so, major similarities to that of the 1992 self titled album by No Doubt with it’s beautiful ska like horn section and mirroring the strong female presence of someone like Gwen Steffani. 

The strong Female presence is at the forefront of Millie Manders and the Shut up, with Millie pushing for femininity across the board from sound engineers, female brass section to only using female photographers on her tours, which is something I had spoken about before in a previous review on the lack of female presence in our Irish Pits. 

“I have got women playing sax and trumpet and violin and cello,” says Millie. “Our next tour is going to have a woman photographer and sound engineer. In alternative music there isn’t enough space for non-cis male people. I want to give opportunity to women, trans women and people that aren’t cis male in a part of the industry that is very male dominated.”

WAKE UP, SHUT UP, WORK is the latest release from Millie Manders and the Shut Ups and I urge you to at least go have a listen to this powerhouse of a band! 

My only negative thing to say right now is that I cannot see Dublin on the line up of their tour, but Millie, if you are reading this, please pencil us in for an oul Guinness or two.

I’m giving this tornado of an album 7/10 stars

Rating: 7 out of 10.

MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUTUP have announced details of an autumn tour for their forthcoming sophomore album WAKE UP, SHUT UP, WORK – the eagerly awaited follow up to their acclaimed debut Telling Truths, Breaking Ties – which is released today 2 August and is available to pre-order on CD and vinyl here https://linktr.ee/milliemanders as well a number of independent record stores (Rough Trade, Banquet, Resident, Crash Records, Truck, Sister Ray and Cool Discsamong others) and Amazon.


Reviewer Carl Foran – @carlforanphotography

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