Xiu Xiu: Eternally Experimental
Dark, inspiring, and experimental, Xiu Xiu have been at the forefront of the alternative for nearly two decades. As the only constant member, Jamie Stewart has consistently repelled defining his musicality, preferring to surprise listeners through the ever-changing soundscapes he, and his multiple band members, have created since the outfit’s inception. His long-term collaborator, Anglea Seo, has been a mainstay since 2009, and together they’ve crafted a sonically dark but emotionally raw release with ‘OH NO’, the 12th studio album under the Xiu Xiu guise, their sixth together, and arguably the most ambitious yet; an LP of duets with the likes of Liz Harris, Drab Majesty’s Deb Demure, and Sharon Van Etten. We sat down with Jamie Stewart to talk ‘OH NO’, past, present, and future…
Your 12th full-length album ‘OH NO’ was released in March, I’d be interested to know what has changed for you during that time since your first record, both musically and personally?
This is a fair question but it is hard for me to say. I don’t really take breaks between records. The day after one is done we start the next one. Partly to keep the momentum going, partly out of just loving to make records, and partly out of fear of cessation will let awaken the banshees. I am 10000000% certain things have changed musically but I don’t want to think about how. Analysis, for me, is an enemy of music. Personally, however, my life is infinitely less fucked up than when we started thankfully. I don’t live in a garbage house with a basement that floods with feces regularly, I am not doing things like cutting myself or giving myself black eyes, I have a very good best friend (Angela from Xiu Xiu), my family is much more stable and healing, my mental health is better, I don’t have a soul-crushing teaching job anymore and I’ve learned enough to know that because I sweat a lot, I should only wear black t-shirts. The world is in worse shape than ever, however...
““The idea [and] process to sing with another person is a symbol of trying to reunite with humanity and say thank you” ”
Image: Julia Brokaw
You said that OH NO was “born from betrayal, but now exists thanks to the rediscovery of community and friendship”. What inspired this quote, and how much of an impact does it have on the overall record?
The ‘concept’ (sorry) of doing it as duets came out of an attempt to acknowledge and show appreciation for how kind people were to me when I had a nervous breakdown at the end of 2019. I generally do not like people and being treated so disrespectfully, thoughtless, and being lied to by people I had counted on as friends and colleagues spiralled that dislike into a pit of palpable hate. The converse of the tenderness of so many more other people in response to my brain crumbling reminded me that in fact, most people are wonderful, I just got stuck with a bad batch for a bit. I needed that desperately. The songs are not about this at all but the idea/process to sing with another person is a symbol of trying to reunite with humanity and say thank you.
I’d also be interested in how you chose the collaborators for the record, was it a case of matching song-to-person, or was it more of an organic endeavour?
It was a little of both. About a third of the songs are with very close friends, a third with people who are more friendly professional friends, and a third people I had in some cases never met or met once but that I have always admired so I felt like I was friends with their music. For the people I was close friends with, I wrote songs with them specifically in mind, with both the lyrics, how they sing, and music in mind. For the people I did not know as well I usually sent a couple to see which they felt connected to. In each case, the idea was to present the lyrics and melody and say, “take them or leave them, please be yourself and don’t feel beholden to anything but that.” Everyone is a singular voice so to try and steer or control that would be a futile waste. I was ecstatic with how much heart and dedication each person presented. Truly impressed and touched by each vocal.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the visual elements of Xiu Xiu seem as important as your sonic output. Where does this creativity and penchant for noir, surrealist video-making come from?
The videos are all from my bandmate Angela Seo. She is a deep film fanatic and takes the elements from art films, snack commercials, childhood Korean television, the weirdness and variety of Los Angeles neighbourhoods, fashion, plants, and mystic spirituality. Her ability to move within all these worlds always blows my little brains out.
““As far as writing and recording it has not been that different. I am not a social person so being holed up in our little studio is my favourite place to be anyway” ”
Anglea said that the video for ‘A Bottle Of Rum’ is very in keeping with the times. How have you adjusted during the pandemic? Has it affected you adversely or given you space to create?
That is nice of you, thank you! The relation to the pandemic and that video was to keep the “cast” distant and small. Usually, she likes to have like 20 people on the set. We share a house and during videos, it is taken over by the crew and models. As far as writing and recording it has not been that different. I am not a social person so being holed up in our little studio is my favourite place to be anyway. It has been a challenge to find new ways to be stimulated through, travel, movies, museums, and being in nature, we have relied on to keep the motor humming. Refocusing that in more pointed and truncated ways has been curious. Learning to get more out of less has sucked, but I sure am a barfy character builder. What a dumb thing to say!
Image: Julia Brokaw
You teamed up with the amazing Liz Harris for ‘A Bottle of Rum’, I know she’s a long-time friend and collaborator of yours, so I was wondering what makes you guys tick and the working relationship so special that you keep going back?
We did a collaboration EP in 2005 called ‘Creep Show’ and have played several shows together. To me, Liz has the ability to take something incredibly simple and give it tremendous beauty and depth. To me, she is very direct and very patient, and very certain, where I am the opposite, frantic, loud, confused, and overly intuitive. Having her energy that feels like it is from another world is a delightful inspiration. Also, hands down she has an incredible voice so that is easy.
Xiu Xiu’s 12th studio album ‘OH NO’ is out now via Polyvinyl. Listen below!
This feature was originally released as part of Yuck Magazine Volume Four, available to buy here!
