‘You’re just like your mother’ - Sally Wainwright reveals how an 'insult' inspired the original songs in Riot Women

Riot Women is taking the country by storm, and never has midlife invisibility and anger felt more real and more relevant.

Sally Wainwright's menopause inspired drama has finally got the nation asking all the right questions: Why do women become unseen at a certain age? Why isn't there more support for the "midlife squeeze" generation pulled between the needs of their family and their ageing parents?

There are so many conversations coming from the series, but one that doesn't induce quite so much of the needed rage coming from the show concerns the absolutely excellent soundtrack.

Midlifers drawn in by the themes of Riot Women have also been thrown into a state of euphoric nostalgia by the brilliant soundtrack. From Garbage and Skunk Anansie, to James and Electric Light Orchestra, hands up who has heard an absolute banger from their youth that invokes a memory so powerful you can reach out and touch it?

Some of the songs have been written just for the series, penned by Brighton-based punk duo, ARXX. Hannah Pidduck and Clara Townsend who make up the band, incorporated some of Sally Wainwright's personal experiences into the music, adding that extra stroke of brilliance.

Which songs did ARXX write?

The duo wrote the original songs, Seeing Red, S**ting Pineapples, and Just Like Your Mother for the show.

According to Radio Times, Just Like Your Mother is based on something Sally Wainwright's husband used to say to her - he left her after 29 years of marriage and just after her mother was diagnosed with dementia.

However, Sally wasn't going to let something used against her in arguments taint how she felt about her mother, and about what is actually a common patriarchal insult. She got ARXX to flip the meaning on its head.

"It was one of his favourite lines to throw at me," she says, adding, "but the bad things in life often turn into good copy in the end. The point of the song is that it’s actually a compliment. I’m very happy to be like my mum!"

The show also had a police advisor on board (Tamsin Greig's character, Holly, is a police officer,) and a menopause advisor. ARXX were given snippets from both of the advisors to incorporate into their music.

Police advisor, Lisa, came up with the line "I'm so depressed, I can't get dressed," which made it to the original song, Seeing Red - and we'll never forget the line, "if the menopause happened to blokes, we’d be getting HRT from Tesco."

Riot women: Soundtrack

Apart from the original songs, you can expect to hear a great line up of memorable hits in the series, including:

• I’m Only Happy When It Rains - Garbage
• Weak - Skunk Anansie
• The Passenger - Iggy Pop
• Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
• Waterloo - ABBA
• Races - Interplanetary Criminal (feat. Blanco)
• Dissolved Girl - Massive Attack
• Nothing Matters - The Last Dinner Party
• Don’t Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra
• Sit Down - James
• Your Maker - Gonjasufi and Anna Wise
• Nothing’s Wrong - Miss Grit
• F**k and Run - Liz Phair
• Crying in the Carwash - ARXX

Is Rosalie Craig really singing in Riot Women?

Yes, Rosalie Craig is singing in the series - she's an experienced West End musical singer and performer.

However, incredibly, none of the other cast members could play their designated instruments for the band in the series, and had to learn just for the show.

The women spent time working with musicians Toby Higgins and Nick Pinchbeck while they honed their musical prowess, and Sally Wainwright even learned to play the drums herself in solidarity.

"I was really keen that they should be playing their own instruments," Sally says, adding, "I hate it when you see people pretending or miming as I think it instantly takes you out of it. I think it also helped them to really own their characters."