London’s post-punk provocateurs World News have kicked off summer with the release of their first single of the year, “Don’t Want To Know”—a track that cements their rising status in the UK’s indie underground. Dropping via their own imprint, Pie & Mash, the single was recorded at RAK Studios and produced by Tommy Bosustow (Muse, Taylor Swift), marking a sonic high point for the band.
With its jangly guitars, earworm hooks, and deep baritone vocals, “Don’t Want To Know” offers an emotional gut-punch cloaked in nostalgic textures. Frontman Alex Evans delivers a brooding performance, his voice weighed down by lyrics that explore disillusionment, emotional fatigue, and the desire to retreat from life’s hard truths. “I think when I wrote it, I was definitely in a depressive episode,” Evans confesses—an honesty that anchors the song’s haunting power.
Since their formation, World News have built a sound that leans into post-punk, indie rock, and shoegaze, drawing from a rich palette of ‘70s and ‘80s influences. Their moody, atmospheric guitar work and coolly detached melodies have earned them comparisons to The Smiths, Dire Straits, and The Clash—though their voice remains unmistakably their own.
The band’s evolution has been nothing short of relentless. Last year alone, they released two critically acclaimed EPs (Escape and Mindsnap), made their U.S. debut at The New Colossus Festival in NYC, and earned nods from Stereogum and The Fader as a band to watch. The new single suggests they’re only just getting started.
World News first emerged from the haze of the COVID-19 lockdown, formed around the Evans brothers—Alex and Rory—who started out playing under the name Tinman in Brighton’s vibrant local scene. A mistaken booking involving an Austrian DJ led to a name change, while a chance meeting with drummer Malte Henning (at a Pizza Express, no less) solidified the lineup. Rhythm guitarist Jack Tollman joined in 2024, just in time to contribute to their darker, more expansive EP Mindsnap.
From the raw introspection of their debut EP Job and Money in 2020 to the punchy, matured energy of their recent releases, World News has cultivated a distinctly DIY ethos. Their rise hasn’t been overnight—it’s been earned, one sweaty venue and stormy lyric at a time.
After closing out 2024 with sold-out shows at London’s The Lexington and New York’s Piano’s, the band is now turning toward their biggest project yet: their debut album. If “Don’t Want To Know” is any indication, it will be a record defined by sharp songwriting, unflinching honesty, and an ever-growing ambition to carve out their place in modern British music.
