Burning Neighbours, the debut album of rising Rotterdam noise rockers Neighbours Burning Neighbours, will be released next Friday (13 September). The quartet of Alicia Breton Ferrer, Daanie van den IJssel, Kat Kalkman and Aram Scheeve have one more track to share, the pouncing “Trans Youth”.
“This song captures the essence of our evolving identities,” the band comments on the song, “Especially as members have embraced different forms of gender identity over time. In a world where safe spaces are increasingly rare, ‘Trans Youth’ is an anthem for those who seek to explore and express their true selves, both on stage and in life.”
“Trans Youth” sits on the knife’s edge of Neighbours Burning Neighbours’ mission statement as a band Though intrepidly clamorous, their music ultimately revolves around celebrating one’s true self, encouraging each other to jump into the deepest of ends. Those sentiments translate sonically as well, as Neighbours Burning Neighbours have a tendency to shed their skin in breakneck fashion. There’s an unspoken, urgent joy that counterbalances the anxiety and dread, surging with spirit and gusto.
“Trans Youth” captures the essence of these skirmishing emotions, with themes of self-protection, and the realisation that not all spaces are safe for everyone. The song is “an ode to those rare and cherished environments, like practice rooms and performance spaces, where authenticity is encouraged and celebrated—a sentiment that feels especially urgent in the current political climate, where trans rights and protections are increasingly under attack. In a world where safer spaces are becoming scarce, the importance of creating and defending environments where trans people can be themselves is more important than ever.”
The song’s lyrics poignantly express the tension between wanting to be yourself and the fear of being met with resistance. Alicia’s line, ‘I’m not raising my voice, in this house,’ highlights the struggle of suppressing yourself in spaces that don’t feel safe. Later in the song, Daanie’s vulnerable but encouraging voice breaks through, saying, ‘You can be yourself, Don’t keep it… In this house’, a line which embodies the courage it takes to embrace your identity, despite the challenges and risks that come with it.
“Created almost entirely spontaneously, this music video visually explores the complex, multi-dimensional experience of gender,” the group say of the music video, created by bassist Kat Kalkman. “It’s a glimpse into how we perceive gender—layered, simultaneous, overlapping—like a wormhole to a new, beautiful world where authenticity can flourish.”
Watch and listen below, and find “Trans Youth” on streaming outlets.
Preorder Burning Neighbours (Subroutine Records) here. Follow Neighbours Burning Neighbours on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
