Irish post-punk trio M(h)aol are back with their first new release since Something Soft, and “Scam Manifesto” finds the band taking an unflinchingly honest look at the contradictions that can exist between what we believe, what we tell others, and how we ultimately see ourselves.
Released today via Merge Records and Tulle, the new single arrives alongside an accompanying music video and is now available across streaming platforms. While M(h)aol have long built their music around subjects that extend beyond themselves including misogyny, identity, relationships, consumerism, and empathy “Scam Manifesto” takes a particularly personal approach.
For drummer and vocalist Constance Keane, the song emerged during one of her regular breaks from social media. Surrounded by a constant stream of content focused on appearance, weight loss, and the lives and deaths of strangers, Keane began confronting her own complicated relationship with self-image.
At the center of “Scam Manifesto” is a difficult but incredibly relatable contradiction: advocating for others to reject unrealistic expectations surrounding beauty and aging while privately struggling with those same pressures. It is not a song that presents Keane as having all the answers. Instead, it openly acknowledges the gap that can exist between our values and the insecurities we carry when no one else is watching.
That honesty has always been part of what makes M(h)aol such a compelling band. Since forming in Dublin, the group has developed a reputation for creating music that can be furious and confrontational one moment while remaining vulnerable, funny, and deeply empathetic the next.
The band’s current lineup Keane on drums and vocals, Jamie Hyland on bass and vocals, and Sean Nolan on guitar continues to push that balance forward. On “Scam Manifesto,” they are also joined by Sarah Deegan of Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra, whose backing vocals add another layer to the song’s presence.
Following Gender Studies, Attachment Styles, and Something Soft, M(h)aol’s latest release continues their evolution without abandoning the qualities that have made their work resonate so strongly. Since the release of Something Soft, the band has received significant recognition, including landing at No. 9 on Pitchfork’s Best Rock Albums of 2025 list, praise from The New York Times, and a KEXP Live Session.
“Scam Manifesto” succeeds because it refuses to make its subject simple. Self-image is often discussed in extremes: confidence versus insecurity, empowerment versus self-criticism, acceptance versus vanity. M(h)aol instead explore the uncomfortable space in between.
The song’s concept is rooted in something many listeners will likely recognize the ability to offer compassion and reassurance to everyone else while holding yourself to an entirely different and often impossible standard. That contradiction becomes the emotional heart of “Scam Manifesto,” and M(h)aol do not attempt to soften it.
There is something particularly powerful about the band’s willingness to direct their critical eye inward. M(h)aol have never shied away from examining the world around them, but this track feels especially exposed because it acknowledges that even those who actively challenge harmful beauty standards can still be affected by them.
The addition of Sarah Deegan’s backing vocals gives the track another voice within that internal conversation, complementing the band’s established dynamic while maintaining the raw, cathartic energy that has become synonymous with M(h)aol’s work.
More than simply criticizing social media or beauty culture, “Scam Manifesto” examines what happens after we recognize the problem but still struggle to free ourselves from it. That is where the song finds its greatest strength. It is angry, self-aware, vulnerable, and occasionally uncomfortable, but it never feels dishonest.
With “Scam Manifesto,” M(h)aol continue to prove that some of the most powerful social commentary can begin with personal accountability. The result is a sharp and deeply human post-punk track that doesn’t pretend insecurity disappears simply because we know better.
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