Hailing from New York, Jane Doe Ensemble are the trio of Lauren Kristin, Rachel Czajkowski and Aaron Batley. The band initially formed back in 2016 in the fall out of the US-election that year, inspired as much by, “the need for exploration and experimentation of genre, gender and self”, as much as any specific musical vision. The band recently returned with their new 7″ singles Pink Liquor/Respect, their first physical release, and first material of any sorts since 2018’s Vérité Rip. Two months on from a release that was somewhat hampered by an international lock-down, today we’re sharing the brand-new video to Respect.

Described by the band as, “the result of a series of happy accidents in the practice room and meticulous fine-tuning in the studio”, Respect is a masterclass in gentle song-building. The track begins with almost nothing, a loan guitar meanders between notes, the keyboard enters, floating between staccato pulses and longer held pauses, creating an almost heartbeat like affect. Then comes the steady tick of drums and warm vocal harmonies, taking the track off in the direction of Do Make Say Think’s lighter moments, or those brilliant early Warpaint tracks that made the world so excited. Then suddenly the whole track crashes to a halt and comes back a rapid fire blast of fairground keys, cymbal heavy drums and textured vocal layering, it’s a chaotic and cathartic about turn, and as delightful as it is unexpected. From there the track slides out like a sigh, the aural equivalent of watching the lights of a tower block slowly flicker off one by one.

There’s something about Jane Doe Ensemble that’s really quite compelling, while there are reference points, there’s also a sense that they are compiling them in their own way. Without ever sounding like they’re being deliberately obtuse, they don’t quite sound like anyone we’ve heard before. A winning blend of creativity, melody and personality, that all adds up to one of the most compelling stand-alone singles we’ve heard all year.

Pink Liquor/Respect is out now. Click HERE for more information on Jane Doe Ensemble.