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Love and monsters: Oliver Sim of The xx sheds his fear and shame in solo debut
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Shedding his fear and shame: In his debut solo album, The xx's Oliver Sim sings about the struggles and joy in love and life. (Courtesy of Laura Jane Coulson) (Courtesy of Laura Jane Coulson/Courtesy of Laura Jane Coulson)
F
rom croons of loneliness to the reveal of his HIV status, The xx’s Oliver Sim opens the drapes to his soul in a “joyful” solo debut album.
When the Zoom call started, Oliver’s face and his blue-striped shirt were surrounded by the morning light. He said he was well.
“It's a really beautiful sunny day here in London, so I'm happy,” he said with a smile to The Jakarta Post on Aug. 4.
His radiant aura during the interview perhaps seems like the polar opposite of the cover of his upcoming solo album—out on Sept. 9—titled Hideous Bastard, which shows Oliver’s slitted and bloody face.
“I've loved horror since I was a kid, and that's not a shared interest in [our band] The xx,” said Oliver, vocalist and bassist of England’s beloved minimalist indie pop outfit. After bandmates Jamie xx and Romy made their names as solo acts several years prior, this time Oliver was ready for it.
“I've never really been able to show that [love for horror], so this was my opportunity.”
And Oliver went all in. Along with the thematic album, he also played the lead monster in a short film he made with director Yann Gonzalez based on his song “Hideous”, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received a standing ovation.
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