London indie/post punk/shoegaze/alt five-piece Ain’t have revealed their debut single “Oar”.
The 7” ‘Oar / Teething’ will be out on 02 August via Fear of Missing Out Records. Buy it here.
Bringing together the stranger side of ‘90s guitar, post-punk, and shoegaze from both sides of the Atlantic, Ain’t expertly toe the line between nostalgia and ingenuity. Comprised of George Ellerby (Guitar/Vox), Ed Randall (Guitar), Hanna Baker Darch (Vox), Chapman Ho (Bass Guitar), and Joe Lockstone (Drums), Ain’t’s compulsion to create seeps through with urgency and heft.
“Oar”, written in the midst of the pandemic, meditates on the swarming frustrations that stem from losing faith in those in charge. Recorded with Oli Barton Wood (Porridge Radio, Shame, The Big Moon), Darch’s vocals elastic-snap between a darkened, sardonic reverie and a spitting swell, capturing both the self-protection of apathy and an ever-bubbling, eruptive anger. The band’s line-up produces a sonic scowl, piecing together an incandescent hum that borders industrial noise and a lush, slow-pop dreamscape.
Speaking on the single, the band says:
“‘Oar’ was originally drafted by George in the pandemic and was driven by the lack faith of those in charge. After joining the band, Hanna reinterpreted the lyrics to be loosely inspired by the legend of Llys Helig, she incorporates imagery from medieval Wales to the themes of irreparable disaster.
Watch a lyric video below.
Ain’t build their songs like seasons. Honouring both the calm and the storm, their lustral offerings bend toward introspective abundance and communal clarity. There’s a direct catharsis here, like a sonic sigh, that marks Ain’t as a vivid and boundless force.
Upcoming Live Dates:
25 May – The Victoria, London
28 May – So Young at The Social, London
08 Aug – Rough Trade Recommends at Rough Trade East, London
Photo Credit: Marieke Macklon
