INTERVIEW: Jude Lenihan
There’s something unmistakably magnetic about the rise of an artist who builds their sound from the ground up—on busy dancefloors, in loud studios, and through the quiet consistency of doing the work. Jude is one of those artists. Based in South London and deeply rooted in the underground, he’s steadily carved out a space with his DJ sets and productions, drawing attention from both local heads and international selectors. With a new EP landing on HARDLINE and a growing presence across European clubs, Jude’s momentum feels both natural and well-earned. We caught up with him ahead of the release to talk about how he works, where the music is coming from lately, and what’s next on the horizon.
Can you tell us where you are in the world? What do you love about that place? What does your daily life look like over there?
I’m from Croydon, South London area. Monday to Friday I travel to Central London for work, then once I’m home I’m in the studio pretty much daily. On the weekends I’m usually playing at the moment—less time in the studio.
You’re about to release HARDLINE09—your second four-track EP. What was the creative starting point for this project? Was there a specific vibe or energy you wanted to capture?
There wasn’t really a starting point. I was sitting on two euphoric-sounding tracks with more musical elements. I sent them over to Hardline—they decided to sign them and asked for two more tracks to complete the EP. I decided to have the other two tracks represent a darker side of the EP, with fewer musical elements and a more bassline-driven approach. I thought this would help capture the sound I play and like within the release.
Did you face any challenges while you were making the EP? Or is there something you learned while doing it?
I wouldn’t say I faced any major challenges. The tracks seemed to flow quite well at the time. I definitely learned a lot though about having different vibes inside an EP and not having all of the tracks sound similar.
What’s your current studio setup like? Are there any instruments, VSTs, or production techniques you couldn’t live without?
My setup is quite basic, if I’m honest. I like to keep things relatively simple—all inside the box. The creative process is very sample-based, flipping samples I’ve created from tracks I find spread across a wide range of genres. I still use VSTs in all my tracks. My favourites are Korg Triton and Diva.
As someone who’s both producing and DJing, do you find that one influences the other? Does your experience as a DJ shape the way you approach production, or vice versa?
Absolutely. They come hand in hand for me, and the way I play and the records I like have a massive influence on the tracks I make. Also, producing helped me understand a lot more as a DJ—with timing, when to bring in a track, or when to play the right one.
How did your residency with Modern Funktion come about? Did it change how you approach your sets or how you connect with a crowd?
The original connection came through releasing on the label, but now I’ve grown very close to the party so I guess it made sense. The sound I play and make, along with the vibe of the party and their way of doing things, is a perfect fit for me as well. It also helped me learn how to connect better with a crowd by selecting tracks based on reactions on the dancefloor and not just what I want to do.
What advice would you give yourself if you were starting today? Or what advice would you give to a young musician or DJ starting today?
I’d say just stick to the sound you truly like and don’t get too caught up in trends. It might take you longer to find your thing, but it will always happen if you just keep consistent with it.
What was the last track by another artist you were obsessed with? Tell us how you encountered it, when you would listen to it, and why it obsessed you.
In the last few months I’ve been loving a track called “De’ Jah Voo (Vil-N-X Mix)” by Jacqui Gray. It’s a proper house record with some nice chords bouncing off a very catchy vocal. I’d listen to it wherever, to be honest. I liked the track so much I decided to use the vocal on one of my own tracks I recently made. I just stumbled across it on SoundCloud I think, but I remember seeing Shonky play it in a radio show.
What’s next after HARDLINE09? Any upcoming projects, collaborations, or releases we should keep an eye out for?
Yes, I’ve got another four-track EP coming later in the summer with a cool label. It has a remix from one of my favourite producers on there as well. Really excited for that.
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