Misunderstanding Jamie Stewart

A short piece I hope to expand on

Creating music since 2002, the band Xiu Xiu (pronounced shoo-shoo), is one which can never be pigeonholed even by the most critical of music listeners. Created by singer/songwriter Jamie Stewart, the band has covered a wide array of sensitive subjects such as domestic violence, suicide, self harm, queerness, politics, loneliness, sex, and love. This highly experimental band started off as largely acoustic with their first full length album Knife Play, but as their discography grew, so did their instrumental mastery. Utilizing obscure items such as gongs, singing bowls, vibrators, breaking glass, burning cigarettes, string instruments, and plenty of synth percussion, each song is made unique by how Stewart mixes the sounds into something comprehensive and profound. 

The soulful depths Stewart explores in his music is not for the faint of heart. The intense sadness he fills each album with has made Xiu Xiu an incredibly difficult band to listen to, and they are often described as unapproachable to unbearable. This, I think, is the band's greatest weakness. Not because their sound needs to be changed, but because the harsh noise often deters new listeners who are less than committed to exploring Xiu Xiu’s discography. And even those who do find the grating instrumentals tolerable, Stewarts iconic whining voice presents an additional challenge when consuming the media. I think modern listeners' inability to hear past the harshness does Xiu Xiu a massive disservice and prevents more listeners from discovering the beautifully painful lyricism and tonality. In this way, I blame society's need for instantaneous satisfaction as for why Xiu Xiu remains so underground. Their creativity is not just ahead of its time, but in an entirely new time zone. 

But for those who do spend time suffering with Stewart, they will find the radical kindness, forgiveness, and joy that is still found within that lonely feeling. In another album, Fabulous Muscles, Stewart explores an idea of internal despair, and feeling lonely despite being in a crowd. This common experience could be related too by many, and I appreciate the sense of secrecy that can be found within the work. Having run the proverbial gauntlet, I enjoy how much Xiu Xiu has grown on me. I saw them as an opener in 2021, and I’ll admit, I wasn’t a fan. And yet, something about them struck me in a part of my soul I wasn’t familiar with. It took years for me to begin to love them, and learn to sit through the discomfort. And I appreciate that. I hope they continue to release new music, and for more and more people to learn how to sit with that same hurt. Xiu Xiu captures a weak, tender part of the human experience that deserves to be heard, harshness be damned.