Oliver Sim (The xx) Shares Debut Solo Album 'Hideous Bastard'

Oliver Sim's baritone croon drinks from a deep well of "fear and shame inspired by the queer horror films he loves" on The xx bassist and vocalist's debut album Hideous Bastard. Produced by Jamie xx and joined on the record by personal hero Jimmy Somerville (Bronski Beat / Communards), Sim unflinchingly embraces the monster within with brutal honesty on the UK artist's ten track opus — within which he publicly discloses for the first time he's "been living with HIV since the age of seventeen" in the title ballad. A beat-driven journey through synthetic soul-pop nite grooves, Hideous Bastard is the product of two years of writing and recording, out today via Young. You can grab vinyl and compact disc editions over on Sim's Bandcamp page HERE, and check out filmmaker Yann Gonzalez's stylish video for the title track plus the brand new lyric vid for 'Run The Credits' below...

"Early on in the making of my record it had become clear I was writing a lot about fear and shame. I can imagine that might paint a picture of a dark, “woe is me” sounding album. But I’ve become a firm believer in recent years that the best antidote to these feelings can be bringing them to the surface and shedding some light on them. Pride and celebration have also been invaluable tools for me, but they haven’t always worked on their own. I haven’t written to dwell but rather free myself of some of this shame and fear that I’ve felt, so I hear a lot of the music as joyous. Despite some of the themes, there’s humour & celebration, because writing about it has been the complete opposite of what shame has looked like for me." — Oliver Sim

'Hideous Bastard' is out today via Young.