Within the first few moments of playing ‘Strange Forever‘ from emerging Manchester-based project Fox Evades, we’re struck by a strong pull of nostalgia towards those jangling guitars, heavily loaded with reverb. It’s a sound that the musician behind the project, Jordan Mae, will know all too well, since she cites New Romantics flair The Smiths and The Cure as two of her influences. These inspirations also blend into Mae‘s vocal melodies, which lilt with that softly melancholic, yet hopeful tone so distinctive of the genre, especially in the song’s central line “it’s hard to be alone.”
That leads us nicely onto what the song is actually about… Fox Evades explains that ‘Strange Forever’ captures the unbelievable instant when you connect with a romantic other on a far deeper level:
“Strange Forever is about when you finally find that person who you connect with immediately, who is strange just like you and loves you for who you are. A person you feel comfortable being yourself around and that’s so hard to find. It’s a really personal song for me and I feel really nostalgic when I listen to it. It reminds me of a very important time in my life when I was discovering who I really am.”
Speaking about the song, Mae continues to share her frustration towards narratives (and by extension songs) about love that all too easily lean on binary assumptions, but as a queer woman who presents androgynously, she wanted to make a song about relationships for the LGBTQ+ community.
“As a queer woman, it often irritates me when people ask me “who is the man in the relationship?” and the middle 8 is about having both female and masculine traits. I think it really speaks to people who are androgynous, in particular, or are deemed as strange in society due to their gender identity and sexuality. I really hope it speaks to people not only in the LGBTQ community but also anyone who feels uncomfortable being themselves. This shouldn’t be a problem for anyone in this day and age and it shouldn’t be something that people should worry about but sadly it is. It isn’t your problem that you’re different. It’s society’s problem and this needs to change.”
‘Strange Forever’ is the kind of song you’ll want to play while walking in nature, reflecting on life, or while at home where you can wildly dance around to the kinetic sounds of this artful new wave creation.
Listen to ‘Strange Forever’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
Where to find Fox Evades:
UNRECORDED 