song premiere: "Xiu Xiu Fever Dream" - FEAR NOT OURSELVES ALONE

As the song name would suggest, "Xiu Xiu Fever Dream" does in fact feel akin to a fever dream. It's a whirring mash of instrumentals, vocals, and fragments of ideas that move just quick enough for you to grab onto. The single comes from FEAR NOT OURSELVES ALONE's new album GAY SHAME/WHITE FEELINGS out October 12, and it's a perfect precursor to what awaits you throughout the rest of this adventure. Although the single lends itself to calamity and beautiful, reckless noise, there's a message here that's tender and important.

The track feels nearly indescribable; flashing through dreamy guitar and warbled vocals to a conclusion of brisk guitar and pummeling pounds of percussion. It feels like a dream sequence at its finish, as if you're moving slowly on, trying to keep pace with the rapidly moving world around you.

As Jorge of FNOA explained about the track to TGE, “‘XIU XIU FEVER DREAM’ is about wanting to go on hormones to alleviate gender dysphoria and the anxiety over the consequences which come with making that decision. The song is lost in the outlandish and unabashed honesty of Xiu Xiu songs; places where forbidden thoughts are regarded as accepted truths. I use both my names, Ivan and Ivy, to explore the struggles in loving myself and accepting love from others because of the reflection I see in the mirror. In writing this song, and by extension the whole record, I learned you will be loved because you deserve to be, and I think all of us, but most specifically queer and trans youth of color need to be reaffirmed in that belief.”

All proceeds from the band’s Bandcamp sales will go towards the Sylvia Rivera Law Project.