The production of $$\eta ^{(\prime )}\pi $$
η
(
′
)
π
pairs constitutes one of the golden channels to search for hybrid exotics, with explicit gluonic degrees of freedom. Understanding the dynamics and backgrounds associated to $$\eta ^{(\prime )}\pi $$
η
(
′
)
π
production above the resonance region is required to impose additional constraints to the resonance extraction. We consider the reaction $$\pi ^-p\rightarrow \eta ^{(\prime )} \pi ^- \,p$$
π
-
p
→
η
(
′
)
π
-
p
measured by COMPASS. We show that the data in $$2.4< m_{\eta ^{(\prime )}\pi } < 3.0{\mathrm {\,GeV}} $$
2.4
<
m
η
(
′
)
π
<
3.0
GeV
can be described by amplitudes based on double-Regge exchanges. The angular distribution of the meson pairs, in particular in the $$\eta ' \pi $$
η
′
π
channel, can be attributed to flavor singlet exchanges, suggesting the presence of a large gluon content that couples strongly to the produced mesons.