Manchester’s emergent nu-riot grrrl supergroup Brain Leak has officially closed their first bracing chapter with the release of the “Save Me” single, completing their debut ‘Put Back Together’ EP. Centered on the raw, complex introspections of songwriter Tara-Gabriella Engelhardt, the collection was forged during a volatile period of early sobriety and self-reckoning. The EP features an “all-star” assembly of the UK’s alternative scene, including members of Working Men’s Club, Peaness, The Orielles, and Blanketman. Following the critical success of their breakout single “Trying,” which earned rotation on BBC 6 Music and Radio X, this project marks Brain Leak’s arrival as one of the most vital new acts of 2025, blending bone-bearing vulnerability with explosive, atmospheric rock.
The production of ‘Put Back Together’ was an intentionally fragmented journey, with each track shaped by a different collaborator to explore various sonic corners. The latest single, “Save Me,” was produced by Henry Wade of The Orielles, while the EP’s closing title track features a powerful partnership with BC Camplight’s Brian Christinzio, whose sweeping arrangements and string sections provide a haunted, spiralling release. From the alt-rock intensity of “Something Skin” to the secluded GarageBand origins of “Hide,” the EP serves as a “Frankenstein production” that mirrors Engelhardt’s own path of dismantling and rebuilding. It is a defiant study in survival and artistic growth, signaling the beginning of a band that has learned to transform panic and melancholy into a cohesive, commanding sound.