FEATURE: Spotlight: Problem Patterns

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Problem Patterns

__________

I am thinking ahead to…

IN THIS PHOTO: Problem Patterns recently won the NI Prize 2023 award for Video of the Year (Who Do We Not Save)

artists who may be included in various sites’ ‘ones to watch 2024’ feature. These lists will come out very soon. It is a good way of getting an idea of the artists who will help define and shape the next year. One band who I really like and should very much be in contention is Problem Patterns. The Belfast feminist queercore four-piece consists Alanah Smith, Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks and Ciara King. Powerfully, the quartet had already been playing together for a few months before their “collective fury” at a high-profile rape trial was the catalyst for them to become an actual band in 2018. Righteous, political, angry, essential and urgent, the band have been compared to the likes of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. There are not many groups speaking out about political and social issue. Whether that is gender and LG.B.T.Q.I.A.+ issues or poverty that is running throughout the country. Problem Patterns explored some deep subjects on their debut album, Blouse Club. I shall end with a few reviews for what most rank alongside the best and most important debut albums of this year. From a band who everyone needs to add to their playlists. I am going to start with some interviews and spotlighting of the phenomenal Problem Patterns.

Having just played at Other Voices in Dingle, and received a NI Prize 2023 gong for Video of the Year for Who Do We Not Save, Problem Patterns are really capturing public attention! Whilst more acclaimed in their native Northern Ireland and around the U.K. than internationally, that will change very soon. I am going to come to interviews they have been involved with. I want to start off with some useful biography and background:

"Problem Patterns is a four-piece feminist queer punk band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, comprised of Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks, Ciara King and Alanah Smith.

The band does not have a singular front person, opting instead to switch roles and instruments, to ensure each member in the group has a voice. While often lyrically tongue in cheek, they use their music as a form of catharsis. Most importantly, Problem Patterns aim to create a space of inclusivity and hope, for both themselves and the listener.

Formed in November 2018, their debut single, “Allegedly”, was recorded and released within their first month together. They released their debut EP, ‘Good For You, Aren’t You Great?’ in July 2019.

2023 proves to be the biggest year yet for Problem Patterns. Having now signed to UK-based label Alcopop! Records, the band have announced their debut album, 'Blouse Club', will be released later in the year.

Problem Patterns have been part of multiple notable compilations, including ‘A Litany Of Failures’ and ‘Bangers & Mash Ups’, the latter being a charity compilation that the band curated in support of She Sells Sanctuary.

The band have been nominated for Best Live Act at the Northern Ireland Music Prize in 2020 and 2022. They have toured with Bob Vylan and have played notable support slots for Le Tigre, Crawlers, and Fight Like Apes. Live shows are furious, celebratory and uplifting. Outbreaks of fun and positive havoc are part of the experience”.

The first interview that I want to bring in is from Chord Blossom. Prior to the release of Blouse Club in October, there was so much interest around Problem Patterns. Such a close-knit group who had already been championed by the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music; they can look forward to a golden 2024:

“Problem Patterns, Belfast’s pre-eminent DIY feminist queerpunk quartet are releasing their debut album Blouse Club on 27 October after five years of gigging, screaming, and lots of very hard work. They describe themselves as shouty, and justifiably so.

There’s a lot to shout about and shout they will. But Problem Patterns contain multitudes, as I speak to them via Zoom of a Sunday evening, am struck by how profoundly lovable the fourpiece are. From the conviction of their song writing, to their evident love for each other to their sincere silliness, you can’t help but want the best for Problem Patterns.

Your debut album is coming out this week, how are you feeling?

Ciara: It’s a little bit of a dream come true. The debut album feels like the first big thing. It’s what you build up to in a band. And it’s coming on vinyl. We’re really excited to see it and cry when we open it.”

Where did the name Blouse Club come from?

Bethany: “It came from me drinking in the Deer’s Head, because they have a snug there called the Blouse Snug, that only women can drink in. Men can drink in it if they’re with women. It comes from old bars in Belfast. I don’t know if it’s a Belfast thing or an Ireland thing or a Northern Ireland thing or what.

After the war, women weren’t allowed to drink in bars, so they made their own speakeasies, called Blouse Clubs. They were kind of precursors to lesbian bars as well, I guess. And it’s a double entendre for boy’s club. And we wear nice clothes, so it just seemed to fit. It’s a wee history lesson as well.

The cover of Blouse Club features art by Scotland-based artist Nänni-Pää, which depicts a colourful bar scene in the artist’s signature minimalist and linear style. How did you choose the album art? There’s a bit of a contrast between the clean, minimalist style and how your music sounds.

Alanah: We wanted to reference the title in terms of the bar scene and then have some little Easter eggs that reference past things we’ve done. There’s a take on the poster that we did for our EP prom years ago, and there’s a big picture of Beth’s dog Olive with a little crown and Bev’s cat is on the back, knocking over a cup of coffee, which refers to what Ciara and I do in our day jobs.

We all wanted something very aesthetically clean and tidy, with a firm structure with the border. And something very pretty-looking. We do have quite a DIY aesthetic on a lot of our things but I think it’s quite nice to have a parallel to our sound. Because it is a nice surprise, where you don’t know what you’re getting when you’re looking at it. If you had no idea what we sounded like and you put it on, you’re like “AAAH!” It’s a nice kind of opposites attract situation.

It’s coming up on five years since your first gig. It feels like you’ve accomplished so much in that time, does it feel like you’ve been together longer?

Alanah: I feel like we really hit the ground running. A lot of bands start and tinker away for a little bit, trying to perfect their songs or their live show, whatever. And we were all just so excited to get out there, that we wrote the song, we recorded it within a few weeks. We just threw out the single unmastered. We played our first show and then we just kept taking every single show that we could. We put out our EP within like six months of being in a band.

Bethany: Also unmastered.

Alanah: We just wanted to throw things out into the world. We’re just so excited with all of it. Even with COVID, we just needed to keep busy. And there were a lot of things that kept us going, thankfully, throughout that. It’s weird, because of COVID and that two and half years of being stuck inside, a lot of people are like, “why did it take you so long to put your first album out?” and it’s like, because of that.

Alanah: I think for us, this is the best possible time. It feels natural to be putting out our debut album now. Any earlier, it wouldn’t have been ready. It needed baking.

Ciara: We wouldn’t have been ready. I’m hardened as fuck by music.

Bethany: I think there’s a lot of pressure as well, through social media. “Oh, you have to make a viral TikTok sound, and you have to do this, and you have to get this many followers on Spotify.” I guess that stuff isn’t super important to us, because, not to sound like a wanker, but most of the time, we make music just for us.

Alanah: I think in terms of the social media stuff, our entire TikTok is what Bev thinks is funny.

Beverley: That’s true. Follow our TikTok to get a look inside my brain. We love this contrast that we have between being silly and being so serious, and being cutesy and being really angry. Those four things intersect a lot for us.

Ciara: You have to enjoy the silly wee moments to get through the really hard bits. Nine times out of ten, we’re sitting on the boat at 6am, just quoting stupid shows and laughing. Because you have to. If we didn’t do that and enjoy even those really horrible bits, we couldn’t get through it. I don’t know how people could be arsed. Because the gigs and the meeting people and the fun parts are incredible, but you know yourself, getting to those bits, 90% of it is sitting in the airport being like (groans). And you have to have fun. We do word searches and stuff now, at the airport.

Bethany: We like to buy trashy magazines, like Chat! and Take A Break! and stuff.

Beverley: Where was that Ciara, you just had a moment of clarity, when you were like “wow. We’ve travelled ten hours to play for thirty minutes”?

The four of you obviously love each other so much. How is it being in a band with your friends?

Ciara: We didn’t start technically as a friend group, we’ve grown into it. We were kind of Spice Girlsed.

Bethany: We manufactured ourselves.

Ciara: Whereas now, we’re extremely close friends. Best friends. And like, life partners. You have to learn how to fight with each other. You have to learn how to love each other. You have to learn how to constructively criticise each other with heart and care.

Alanah: We always say it’s like a marriage and you have to keep working at it.

Beverley: You ever share a single bed with a friend?

Alanah: How about three at once?

Ciara: No one tells you, if you need to take a poo, if you need to change into your bra and pants at short notice, you need to not have any qualms anymore. The four of us got ready in a disabled toilet once.

Bethany: I saved Ciara’s life once in the shower. Her loofah got stuck in her nose ring. She was bollock naked and I had to go in and help her. It really is like being married to three gross men.

You have recently signed with Oxford-based independent record label Alcopop! Records. How has that been in comparison to being completely independent?

Alanah: Alcopop! is amazing because they still allow us a lot of freedom. They’re just helping amplify our voices. They’re doing a lot of work in terms of the PR stuff. We’re very used to sending emails every time we put something out. It’s been an odd adjustment not having to do that anymore.

It means, thankfully, more opportunities are coming in, but we’re busier than ever, which is scary. It’s been really great but it’s been like “oh! We need to fly over to do a BBC live session? I’ll try to get the day off work!”.

I want to take an interview from November. With their album out already, The Thin Air spoke with Problem Patterns about politics, representation and fancy blouses. It is a really interesting chat with a band who are primed for global domination:

“The singles released ahead of the LP show Problem Patterns in all their giddy nordy splendour. The decidedly fed-up ‘Letter of Resignation’ is peppered with giggles that tickle between casually biting lyrics. ‘Lesbo 3000’ is a direct attack on the dichotomy between lesbian hatred and fetishization – untethered queer rage, while ‘Poverty Tourist’ pokes the prickly topic of “playing poor”.

“It’s just wild to me that anyone would ever pretend to be poor,” says Smith. “These are very likely the same people who were bullying kids at school for wearing charity shop clothes. There’s nothing cool or relatable about a rich person pretending to be broke.”

Hardcore and riot grrrl influences are worn upon sleeves across the group’s discography. Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill has called the group one of her favourites – underscored when Problem Patterns supported Le Tigre on two UK shows earlier this year – while Henry Rollins has hyped them on his KCRW radio show. True scene cred. However, the group are far from aping their forerunners. Their sound is – and always has been – imbued with a serious cheekiness that could only be bred out of Belfast. The opening track ‘Day and Age’ from their debut EP Good For You Aren’t You Great? descends into a frantic and scattered monologue – a tongue-in-cheek apology for being “a wee silly woman”. ‘Gal Pals’ from the same release looks at the phenomenon of lesbian relationships being mistaken for extremely tight-knit friendships:

“Leaving all your Earthly possessions

To the love of your life, ah ah ah

Sharing a plot forever

With your wife

For the rest of your life,

Gals being pals!”

Politics has permeated the makeup of the group from its inception, as has a keen awareness of struggles experienced by queer women the world over. These two factors make themselves known loudly on the group’s furious contribution to 2020’s Litany of Failures Vol. 3 – ‘TERFs Out’. The track shows Problem Patterns at their most explosive. Vocals devoid of discernible melody but brimming with wit skid across a stomping instrumental, calling out for all women – cis or otherwise – to unite against the forces of trans-focused hatred.

“We’ve just had Rishi Sunak spewing hatred against the trans community at the Tory conference,” notes Smith. “If you have the privilege of being able to be outspoken about it, it’s important that you do so. The attack on trans people will not stop with trans people, it’s just that they’re the chosen target at the moment. This goes beyond us and queer punk.”

“It’s also wild how some of our songs become more and more relevant over time,” adds bandmate Boal. “Imagine a world where what we shout about in ‘TERFs Out’ was just a bad memory.”

At the time of writing, the group are on the cusp of the launch of their debut LP, Blouse Club. Five years in the making and consisting of twelve tracks, one wonders how it feels to have poured so much into a release made by and for the queer punks of Ireland.

“Creating this album has been an absolutely amazing experience,” Boal assures. “The late nights, the moments where everything fell into place, that time I showed up late to find Ciara boking her heart out… it’s been a wild ride with the best people. I’m just hoping that everyone comes to the Blouse Club launch in their fanciest blouses. I will actually cry if I walk into a room of blouses, I promise you that.”

“I think the bond we have has deepened,” adds member Ciara King. “We just keep getting more Problem Patternsy. We are much cheekier too. We hope to win the Eurovision Song Contest. Here is our email…”

It feels important that this album is being released when it is. Its subject matter is incredibly pertinent to the current climate. There is a community of people across and outside of the island of Ireland that needs representation. More specifically, their angers, their fears and their needs require representation. Is punk not the perfect vehicle for said representation? If so, Problem Patterns are behind the wheel”.

As part of their Emerging Artists Series, DMS spent some time in the company of Problem Patterns. Here is a band that you ignore at your peril. Alongside other wonderful groups like The Last Dinner Party, we are going to see a new wave of empowering female bands who are unifying fans and one step closer to headlining festivals - and also paving the way for women coming behind them:

“Mark: You’re a band who have always had a strong and consistent message – how did you translate this to the album?

PP: We have always been adamant that everybody in the band has a voice, and that there is no hierarchy. Every song on the album has something to say, it’s just that some might be a little more direct in its lyricism or musically aggressive than another.

Mark: What is it about vinyl that made you want to release your debut on the format and why DMS?

PP: It has been our dream as a band to be releasing our album on vinyl, especially to be able to do that with our debut. We’re super grateful to have had the support of Jack and Alcopop with this. DMS have been so super helpful getting it put together, especially as we have been learning as we go.

Mark: Problem Patterns have a reputation as a great live band, what could someone expect to find at one of your live shows?

PP: They could expect the four of us to be having the most fun - that’s what’s important. If we’re not having fun, there’s no point. It’s a wonderful bonus that the crowd often mirror that energy back to us.

Mark: You’ve shared the stage with bands such as Bob Vylan, Queen Zee, Le Tigre and Fight Like Apes, what is the best advice you’ve picked up along the way?

PP: Warm ups and adequate rest is the most important part of touring. Don’t be scared to tell the sound engineer what you need from them - it’s their job to make you sound at your best!

Mark: Tell us what you have planned to support the release of “Blouse Club”.

PP: We have our album release show in Belfast on October 27th (release day) with our friends Mucker and Touch Excellent, at The Black Box. We have a few shows and other surprises coming up as well, just keep an eye out!

Mark: Give anyone reading one reason to go and pre-order the album…

PP: Anyone can join the Blouse Club - come and yell with us!”.

Before getting to some all-important reviews of the mighty Blouse Club, Overblown’s interview with Problem Patterns needs to be included. They noted how authentic they are. Not a band anyone can accuse of being Plastic Punk, they remind me slightly of other groups like Panic Shack. Such a rich scene where we have these hard-hitting and compelling groups making indelible and crucial music for our age:

“Problem Patterns aren’t plastic punks whatsoever. They put their money where their mouths are when it comes to activism, and try to inspire change for more than back-pats off Guardian readers. “We put out some albums to raise money for Women’s Aid over lockdown, and we try at our gigs, our home gigs, to raise money for local charities.”

The reality of being a working band is never far behind though, and Beverley continues. “There’s only so much you can do, we work full time, do the band full time and there’s little space for more. We’re very particular about who we play with or where we play or what promoters are putting the show on. I think that’s also a kind of activism there, because we’re really trying to keep ourselves safe and also the people that are coming to our gigs.”

Creating a safe space at a punk show is the sort of thing that tedious old heads may sneer at, but – as Problem Patterns embody – there is nothing more punk than sticking up for the marginalised and rallying against the toxic systems, and those who uphold them. This is a constant reoccurrence throughout Blouse Club, a debut album where gigantic riffs and frantic rhythms collide head on anti-establishment lyrics. None more so than ‘A History of Bad Men Part II’, where the band take on the patriarchy with style.

There is such a rich tapestry of Irish and Northern Irish alternative music currently, with sociopolitical issues birthing a punk scene with serious teeth. “I think Northern Ireland specifically has been really good at churning out punk because it’s been quite a politically hostile place for a very long time,” Crooks says of the fruitful scene. “So much of that came from the troubles, where young people didn’t feel safe, and didn’t feel represented by their government”.

There is a real fire in the eyes of the band members as they begin to delve into the shortcomings of their elected officials. “Young people were seeing their friends getting blown up and killed and they didn’t really take either side in it. And that’s where the punk movement kind of came in Northern Ireland,” she elaborates further. “We’ve got a different struggle where it’s more like queer-focused about femicide and that sort of thing, but we [Problem Patterns] have the same heart as those bands”.

Released through the magnificent Alcopop! Records, Blouse Club is a remarkable album that announced a band who are sending out such important messages. Creating a safe and together space for queer fans, there is so much to love and respect when it comes to this amazing four-piece! This is what God Is the TV wrote about one of 2023’s finest and most powerful debut albums:

“Belfast’s Problem Patterns release their debut album on Alcopop! Records on 27 October, and it’s an utter thrill from start to finish. Indeed it does feel like Blouse Club should be listened to in order, and whenever put on this reviewer could not draw herself away, listening all the way through each time.

Opener ‘Y.A.W‘ is a smart, assured, static fuelled statement of intent. Thought-provoking, direct and to be frank, addictive. I wanted to listen to more of Blouse Club based on it’s very first track. The lyrics were so obvious and relevant, yet have they even been said before? Spat out with disdain it was immediately clear this album is going to be something special.

“She shouldn’t have to be your sister/

She shouldn’t have to be your mother/

Your relationship should not define/

How much you should respect her”

The anger is so palpable on ‘Big Shouty’ with its “Don’t put me in my place” lyric on repeat and literally screamed out. With three of the tracks on Blouse Club sitting at under three minutes this is punk rock, and at its finest I might add. ‘Advertising Services’ is arguably the most directly political track on the album. Calling out inequality and its perpetuation by fat cats and the powers that be:

“Profit is valued more than dealing with injustice/

The rich rake in billions – hoarding the wealth”

The guitar riffs are reminiscent of The Clash yet here the pace is a little slower, focusing more on the lyrics which sit at the forefront such is their importance. The start of ‘A History of Bad Men Part II’, with its “everybody good to go? ok” check-in soon progresses into something much darker. And its an interesting juxtaposition. It’s a slow, heavy, doom laden track, menacing in its rebuttal of the lack of respect, in other words a perfect atmosphere.

The pace lifts again on ‘Lesbo 3000‘ which rattles along at speed. It rebels against the behaviour of those who choose to shout abuse at those who are different. ‘Lesbo 3000‘ is a verbal fightback against the ignorance of others, and goodness it’s effective. Again the lyrics hit the mark:

“Nothing in your jeans

can change me

there is no “magic cure”

because it’s not a fucking disease.”

‘Pity Bra’ is the description of an experience at a Sleater-Kinney gig. There is something endearing about sharing this story – no spoiler alerts here, you’ll have to listen for yourself. It’s back to business on ‘Who Do We Not Save’. What an explosion of disgust at the powers that be and their selfish ways:

“We’re one or two paychecks away

While they decide who they won’t save/

You and I are collateral damage/

We are all just collateral damage”

‘Poverty Tourist’ almost didn’t make the cut for the album. It all fell into place during the final writing session before recording the album. Such is the quality of the song-writing and musicianship of Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks, Ciara King and Alanah Smith. And intriguing to learn that Problem Patterns swop roles and instruments. They do not have a traditional lead singer as such, rather preferring to give everyone the opportunity to have a voice. ‘Letter of Resignation‘ is a highlight, and not just because of the chorus of: “You can’t fire me, I’m leaving”. It’s opening mantra strikes a chord. The tight guitars and drums travel at pace, and there is a positivity and empowerment embraced within this track.

‘Picture of Health’ opens with screeching guitars before the thunderous drums kick in. Here Problem Patterns confront the issue of control over our bodies. Self-care is paramount and this is passionately addressed. On ‘TERFs Out’ Problem Patterns object to Trans exclusionary radical feminists who do not believe that Trans women are legitimately women. Again its the lyrics that make the point so clearly, so concisely and delivered with a heartfelt passion:

“Standing with your oppressors will not make you more free/

You can’t tear down who built up our community.”

‘Domestic Bliss’ – what an end to Blouse Club! A full on guttural assault on the senses. These are the lyrics for the whole track but what a delivery. The vocals hit hard and that pounding bass ensures the listen is rooted. Hardcore in its vibe, and hard-hitting with its theme. Not every track has to be packed with lyrics to get its message across. And is that a washing-machine finishing its cycle as the outro?

“Domestic bliss

Who’s doing the dishes

Clean the house

Spread the filth.“

Problem Patterns share the following on their creative process:

“We make music for ourselves and each other first. We’re trying to build a positive space from subjects that can otherwise be very difficult to face. We want to bring some hope and joy to those who may need it the most. We want to strike fear into those who seek to harm the vulnerable. We want to annoy anyone who thinks we aren’t good enough. At the end of the day, we are doing this for ourselves, but we are happy to involve anyone who wants to fight the good fight.”

With Blouse Club they have achieved this, bringing an album that shakes at its very core, unleashing its fury against social injustice, corruption and discrimination. Personal and opiniated, and fitfully the music matches the themes hence the ferocious soundscapes. One of the albums of the year to date”.

I want to bring in a couple of other reviews before I bring this feature to a close. NOIZZE were certainly in awe of Problem Patterns and Blouse Club. People might not have heard the album and the Northern Ireland band. Make sure that you correct this now:

“The debut album from the Belfast DIY quartet, Blouse Club is twelve tracks of righteous and rallying queer punk that see Problem Patterns take aim at the bigotry that has become embedded within our social fabric, male violence as an endemic, working class cosplay and how Tory policy is nothing more than the party ripping the copper out the crumbing walls of this country. These subjects are then expressed with the abrasiveness of Melvins, the rage of GEL, the contemporary buzz of Bob Vylan, the sass of Queen Zee and the classic punk heft of L7. This, in total, makes this record familiar and approachable, yet still individual and fresh. It’s heavy, bellowing and like a shot of Fireball to the gut, incendiary and damn good fun.

Brilliant opener ‘Y.A.W’ instantly establishes all of this within its first 30 seconds. Featuring a guitar tone that sounds like sandpaper and a bassline that hits like a shovel, ‘Y.A.W’ introduces the record like the aforementioned Fireball as it decries violence with sheer musical power. The following ‘Big Shouty’, as its name implies, is a fierce screed of pure unfiltered riot grrl and the fun punk stylings of ‘Advertising Services’ only highlights the sardonic nature of this record with both joy and frustration.

As the grunge-laden likes of ‘A History Of Bad Men Part II’ and the breathless ‘Lesbo 3000’ – a track reclaiming homophobic slurs set to incite pile-ons only seen previously seen at hardcore shows – continue to affirm the sheer volatile power of this record, truthfully, it becomes apparent that to pigeonhole this record is an insult to its brilliance. Blouse Club is a unique amalgamation of a plethora of qualities that comprise this band as creative force and to compress this record into an established box for convenience would be a great disservice to it’s creativity and energy.

Fun, rage and the brilliantly harsh and unsanitised Melvins-esque guitar tone may be the trifecta of touchstones that bind the record together, but apart from that, each track on this Molotov glitterbomb of a record carries its own delivery, presence and incendiary device. Simultaneously however, each track is a crucial integral part of this album, As seen in the more melodic leads comparable to Fresh and Martha within ‘Pity Bra’, the L7 reminiscent bounce of ‘Poverty Tourist’ and the wonderfully sarcastic venom of ‘Letter of Resignation’ that exposes how many women are merely just emotional caretakers for male partners, each song is it’s own entity within this fiery ecosystem of a record.

In all though, one of the most vital elements of this record is its juxtaposition between its lyrical subjects and delivery. Here, Problem Patterns use this record to explore and unflinchingly expose the rampant violence that woman face on a daily basis; be it direct at the hands of men or through crippled healthcare systems. These, quite frankly, are subjects that played parts in the deaths of countless women the world over. But here, they’re addressed with sardonic lilt and a sense of raw, urgent rage that mirrors the rough sound of the record. This sense of urgency compliments the record thoroughly and ensures these messages are delivered in a fashion that truly hits home.

Blouse Club is not a sanitised or clean record, and nor should it be. It’s rough, frantic and discordant body of work that’s vital as it is brilliant, and with it’s energy propelling forward without hinder, Problem Patterns have created a record that sounds as brilliant as it is culturally crucial. It’s the sound of a band being the best version of themselves, and not only is it going to incite bedlam live, it’s going to make invoke conversions that should have held amongst men a long time ago.

Score: 9/10”.

I am almost there now. I will end it with Louder Sound’s perceptive and hugely positive review for Blouse Club. I think that Problem Patterns are going to have a storming 2024. You need to follow them on social media and catch them live whenever you can:

“Northern Ireland has always had a special relationship with punk music. The original 1977 movement gave young people a place away from the horrific sectarian conflict that was taking place around them, and inspired homegrown bands such as Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones, Rudi and more. Punk was both a form of escapism and a place to reject violence. Today, our government is consistently more unstable than those in neighbouring countries, and always a few years behind in granting basic rights to women and LGBTQ+ people. Our rage is specific to us, and so our punk music is uniquely cathartic.

Belfast-based DIY feminist queer-punk quartet Problem Patterns are the perfect manifestation of this singular spirit, and their debut album Blouse Club might well be the most fiercely outspoken, no-holds-barred punk album of the year.

Throughout the album, they take on all of the inequalities plaguing Northern Ireland and beyond. Starting out with the heart-racing power of Y.A.W with the war cry “A woman’s worth should not come down / To how much you wanna fuck her”. Lesbo 3000 is a screaming reclamation of homophobic slurs, taking a verbal weapon and turning it towards the oppressor. TERFs Out condemns transphobia with similarly intense passion, an anthem that plainly defends trans rights and slams exclusionary feminism.

The quartet - Ciara King, Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks and Alanah Smith - also face lesser-explored topics head-on. Poverty Tourist makes razor-sharp observations like “You bought out the stock at Oxfam / To cut it up and make a profit”, a DIY punk take on Pulp’s Common People. Who Do We Not Save draws attention to a healthcare system on the brink of collapse in Northern Ireland (where waiting lists are much longer than anywhere else in the UK). Amidst the rage towards corrupt (or largely absent) governments, there is still an overwhelming sense of community and solidarity at the heart of these lyrics.

Blouse Club has its lighter moments, too. Pity Bra tells the story of a Sleater-Kinney concert in Dublin where a Problem Patterns t-shirt was hurled at the stage, hitting riot-grrrl legend Corin Tucker right in the head. It pays tribute to the musicians that influenced them while showcasing what a special band they are in their own right. This is a band who aren’t afraid to break the punk mould and subvert expectations - for example, don’t have a set front-person, often swapping roles between songs.

Blouse Club is an exceptional debut album from perhaps the most ferocious new punk band on the scene right now. Problem Patterns’ ferocity is unmatched and inspirational, and their passion, anger and gut-punching delivery will remind you why you fell in love with punk in the first place”.

A band I have known about for a while but have not yet put in this Spotlight feature, they are going to be on many ‘ones to watch 2024’ lists. We are going to see these emerge very soon indeed. If you have not discovered this incredible band, then there are links to look at the bottom. Go show your support to…