The PSYCHOSCALLY Mantra: Northern Attitude, Genre Blending, and the Class Struggle in Modern Music

W: Jack King.

PSYCHOSCALLY, the boundary-breaking trio from North Manchester, are making waves with their aggressive, genre-blending sound and unapologetically working-class perspective. Comprising Jake (Guitar/Bass/Vocals), Nathan (Guitar), and Marco (Drums), the band is currently pushing their defiant single, ‘THE PSYCHOSCALLEH MANTRA,’ a track that has already proven its resilience by returning to streaming platforms after a baffling removal.

Jake, who answers all the band’s questions, notes that pinning down PSYCHOSCALLY's sound is the hardest task they face. They have been variously described as a collision of rock, punk, hardcore, numetal, and rap.

"I think our sound is always something I’ve found difficult to pinpoint to one genre when talking to people," Jake says. This diverse mix often leaves them in a sonic no-man's-land during live shows: "Too heavy for the post punk and indie crowds, not metal enough for proper alt/metal/hardcore crowds. So I guess somewhere between there."

Influences are wide-ranging, from the political urgency of Rage Against The Machine and the riff-heavy swagger of Queens Of The Stone Age, to the punk heritage instilled by Jake's father, citing bands like The Clash. "That political element is something that’s always been part of my songwriting," he confirms.

The band’s latest focus is the return of ‘THE PSYCHOSCALLEH MANTRA,’ a single that was inexplicably removed from Spotify last year following an increase in streams—a frustrating setback the band faced head-on.

The track is perhaps their most direct statement of intent. It is "one of our punkiest tunes and is always a fan favourite," blending tongue-in-cheek lyrics with authentic northern humour and attitude.

"Littered with references to the Mancunian humour and street culture that inspired the name... This menacing mantra puts a spotlight on the side of Manchester that never makes it into the manufactured ‘We Do Things Differently Here’ litany."

Musically, it features "thunderous floor toms, driving gutsy bass, explosive guitars and choruses, topped off with scene-conjuring and half-spoken, half-rapped Manc-accented vocals."

The single holds a particularly personal note for Jake, featuring a verse from legendary Manchester underground artist Michael O’Neill, who also taught Jake to play guitar—a significant "full circle moment." The cover art is a deliberate homage to The Fall’s ‘Mr Pharmacist,’ nodding to Mark E Smith, another icon from their part of North Manchester.

For Jake, inspiration often comes from two distinct emotional wells: frustration or proper good laughs. While their previous single, COTTONOPOLIS, tackled the anger surrounding the rapid gentrification of Manchester, The Mantra is inspired by "lived experiences of being out and about in town, meeting funny people, hearing funny stories, getting up to no good, being a scally!"

When discussing the band’s greatest strength, Jake immediately points to resilience. "I’ve been making music for years, had many setbacks... I just keep grinding away at it as it’s something I enjoy (most of the time)."

However, that resilience is constantly tested by modern demands. Their greatest weakness, Jake admits, is a "reluctance to jump on trends of self promotion on social media." The constant need to "make tiktoks and reels now – its soul destroying."

This resistance to fleeting trends feeds into Jake's most passionate point: the financial and opportunistic obstacles facing working-class bands today.

"The music industry is rigged against you from day one as a band," he argues, citing the rising cost of gear, the difficulty and expense of finding rehearsal space as old mills are converted into luxury flats, and the lack of income when starting out.

"I’ve always worked full time alongside doing music, I’ve done an apprenticeship and worked in factories around Manchester. It’s just what you’ve go to do."

Jake suggests the increasing prevalence of privately educated artists in the mainstream is a symptom of a larger problem. "The term nepo babys gets used a lot these days but to me it’s always been a class issue... Working class art isn’t being seen or heard anymore." He contrasts this with decades past, when the wealth divide was narrower, and legendary bands emerged from working-class backgrounds.

To round off 2025, PSYCHOSCALLY will play a final run of gigs before returning to the studio to record more tracks, including a much-anticipated collaboration with local Manchester rappers. With their unwavering attitude and refusal to compromise their northern identity, PSYCHOSCALLY is a much-needed, defiant voice in the current music landscape.

The 10 tracks PSYCHSCALLY couldn’t live without: