Ain’t share new single ‘Jude’ + Announce first London headline show

South London’s Ain’t are back in fine form with their latest single, Jude — a brooding, textured slice of post-punk goodness. The track, released via Fear Of Missing Out Records, will be paired with previous single Pirouette on a limited edition double A-side 7”, out now.

Jude comes hot on the heels of a whirlwind few months for the band. They recently wrapped a sold-out UK tour with THUS LOVE, played buzzy showcases at The Alt Escape and Dot To Dot, and earned serious underground hype for Pirouette, which arrived earlier this year to critical love from the likes of NME, Stereogum, DIY, and BBC Radio 6 Music. Not bad for a band that only released their first official singles last summer — the thrilling Oar and Teething.

With producer Theo Verney (English Teacher, Egyptian Blue, Lime Garden) at the controls, Jude pushes deeper into Ain’t’s sonic universe — where scrappy 90s guitars, gauzy shoegaze haze, and a dash of post-punk tension collide. It’s a track that builds and bursts, with Hanna Baker Darch’s vocals unraveling lyrical threads about overthinking and self-doubt, inspired in part by a pub chat with a philosopher friend over too many pints.

As Darch explains, “George [Ellerby] wrote the riff and named it Jude — which reminded me of a pub called Jude the Obscure. I’d been there with a friend who’s a brilliant writer doing a PhD in philosophy. He’s prone to relentless overthinking, and some of the lyrics reflect the bitter, pints-deep tone of our conversations. We’ve been described as having the dynamic of a witch-hag and her raccoon accomplice.”

Both Jude and Pirouette have already become setlist staples, and fans can catch the band playing both tracks (and more) at their upcoming shows — including that much-anticipated London headline slot, plus dates in Brighton and a special appearance at one of Dork’s 100th issue parties alongside Lime Garden.

Upcoming Live Dates
18 June – The Hope & Ruin, Brighton (with thistle)
22 July – Dork 100 @ The Sebright Arms, London (with Lime Garden)

The Pirouette / Jude 7” out now via Fear Of Missing Out Records, but both tracks are streaming everywhere now.

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