Dame

PHIL ROBBINS
JUNE 16, 2020

Florida Dame, formerly known as Sidney Chase, has has already accomplished a good deal in the winding road of her career. She first broke into public consciousness with a phenomenal cover of the Bee Gees’ “I Started A Joke” which was used in the original trailer for Suicide Squad, back when people were still optimistic that Suicide Squad could actually be a good movie. Transgender discourse back in 2015 was hardly what it is in 2020, making it even more remarkable that Florida, as a transwoman, was able to perform at The White House. Apart from that, she also brought a fresh perspective to publications like HuffPost, Cosmopolitan, and Thought Catalog. In recent years however she had returned to central Florida to begin working on films while also getting back into releasing music.

Her newest project, Lucky Me, which just dropped on Spotify and Youtube serves at introspective look at her own work and faults. The cover of the album has the singer-songwriter staring down the camera as a light shines on her face, grotesquely pained with a fat lip and two black eyes, which sets the tone for an album that is both melancholic and cathartic. The album opens with a voicemail message, and while it’s unclear if Dame is the one leaving it or is voicing a character who’s the message, the one quote that sticks out the most from the recording is, “You haven’t been yourself.” From there, the album establishes an enduring theme of being grandiose, bombastic, and yes, fun, in tracks like “Jay Gatsby”, “Little Miss Danger”, and “Honey Babe”, which all focus on Dame embracing a pseudo-alternative persona to either hide or heel her flaws. At times she even channels the aesthetics of other singers. Little Miss Danger has the intense fighting energy of a song that would make a killer entrance for a wrestler in a Japanese Joshi wrestling federation; it sounds like something Grimes would make in the vain of “Kill V. Maim”. Meanwhile, “Honey Babe” sounds inspired by Ciara’s “Body Party”, right down to the instrumental.

The high energy bops are counterbalanced with moodier songs like “Paper Heart”, “Nobody Move”, and “Oceans”. Each of these three tracks has Dame speaking honestly, unable to keep up the facade of the characters she wants herself to embody. They are apocalyptic, resigned and depressed. “Made Me Like” even hints at some sort of abuse or at the very least Stockholm Syndrome, as Dame continues repeating “you made me like this,” over and over and over. The word “like” in this case, not being used as a simile, but instead to indicate that she’s been forced to enjoy the act of putting on other facades where she can’t express her true self. Dame is a warrior however, and in the end the story the album tells ultimately reaches a place of comfort and confidence. “Bruises” shows a will to move on in spite of faults, emotional or otherwise, and “Disappear” builds lyrically and instrumental into a bold and motivated outro. Dame made her point strongest on “Stories”, in which she comes to the conclusion that past traumas can’t simply be compartmentalized and packed away. We cannot fit own own stories into boxes neat and tidy and think that will be the last of them, they need to be recognized and dealt with. For her to live this message in real time by dealing with her traumas on wax only makes this track all the more powerful.

Dame shows a great deal of range through the entire project, both emotionally and sonically. She flexes everything from Adele style vocals like on “Nobody Move” all the way into making some “lo-fi hip-hop beats to study and relax to” with tracks like “Strange Planet”. With this album Florida Dame showed that in the time since she was first popping she has not missed a step, and if anything is getting better everyday.

Check out Florida Dame on insta, Spotify, and YouTube! - Grandma Sophia's Cookies

GLENN GARNER
FEBRUARY 16 2017 4:14 PM EST

In Sidney Chase's latest album Pajamas, she equally emulates vulnerability and a fearless attitude. The trans musician captures an ethereal sound like that of Lana Del Rey, but with an authentic spirit that speaks to her own life experience. It's a talent seen in few artists, and one that beautifully expresses a generation's lost voice.

Inspired by the strength of marginalized communities during times of political and social uncertainty, Chase's album seeks to appeal to the struggles of all people. "Queen Savage" touches on the disconnect between generations as we fight for a better future; "One Hundred" preaches resistance through the lyrics, "It's in the air of every room I'm in, a binary code I don't represent, bitch you better know that i'm not having it, fuck your respectability politics."


Born and raised in oppressive Oklahoma, Chase recently relocated to Portland where she's found and fostered a progressive community that feeds her creative spirit. But with Trump now in office, making her message heard globally is more important than ever, so we sat down with the artist to learn more.

OUT: You recently released a new album, Pajamas. What were some of the inspirations behind these songs?

Sidney Chase: So Pajamas is a record for LGBTQ people working on their grind. It was most certainly designed to encourage trans and queer people to navigate the world. It's not often we get our own soundtracks. While it explicitly approaches a marginalized experience in the world, I wanted to emphasize the challenges that we all face day in and day out. I was so much inspired by the brave, unapologetic nature displayed by my community through this politically charged climate and for those whose experiences have been excluded from art.

You have such a soulful sound. What other artists have influenced you?

I grew up listening to lots of Motown and R&B. I was inspired by a lot of different styles though. I love Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse, Fleetwood Mac. I love bad '90s pop like Hoku and Sixpence None the Richer. Lately, I've been really into Kehlani, Anna Wise, This Wild Life, Rihanna. I'm all over the place. (laughs)

As a queer artist, what was it like living in Oklahoma?

I grew up in Oklahoma, lived there for the past four years. It can be a difficult climate to navigate but it also taught me to fight for my values. I fought against the bathroom bills and went to the capitol with many other trans people in attempts to humanize our experiences in the eyes of the law. It can be exhausting to be a queer person there but I will always have a special place in my heart for it.

And you now live in Portland?

Yes, I recently moved to Portland this past December to start producing music with a good friend of mine and I love it. This is like the place I was born to live. The dream of the '90s is definitely alive in Portland. LGBTQ protections also help.


You performed at the White House not long ago. What was that like?

Performing at the White House was one of the most surreal and earth shattering experiences of my life. My jaw was on the floor from the moment I received the invite until I finished my last drink and staggered through the security exit. The turnout was beautiful and so diverse, and trans people slayed the white house, slayed. I felt so blessed to be there representing the Trans Women of Color Collective and working alongside their fearless leader, Lourdes Ashley Hunter who says, "Every breath a trans person of color takes is an act of revolution." That quote represents the heartbeat of my experience at The White House.

As a trans woman of color, how do you plan to use your platform now that Trump is in office?

I feel that my most impactful work takes place through my music. Trans women of color are so rarely represented in entertainment as it is, let alone the music industry. So I feel what I contribute is important, even if it's one person or a million people. If one person was positively affected by my work, then I consider that a valuable success. However, I'd like to also continue to use any platforms I have to continue to draw attention to the systematic issues trans and gender nonconforming youth are facing today. According to recent reports, over 24 trans folks were killed just last year, with most of them being trans people of color. We need to talk about that and why. We need to address the disparagement in the media of those we've lost. It's easy for us to be distracted by the election, but it's time to change the narrative and pass the mic. Trump does not and will not control our narrative. That's what 2017 looks like for me.


Sidney Chase's album, Pajamas, is now available on iTunes. Watch the video for the title track, below. - Out Magazine

JAMES NICHOLS
JANUARY 5, 2015, 01:55 PM EST

Are you ready for this ground-breaking queer female music duo?

Siamese Spots hit the scene earlier this month with their debut track "Banter" -- and we're big fans.

The twosome is comprised of openly transgender artist Chase Marie, who has previously been featured on HuffPost Gay Voices, and Tahlia. The pair hails from the trenches of Oklahoma and cites bands such as Nine Inch Nails and Sleater Kinney and Garbage as influences.

The band is currently writing their debut record, which will be out sometime in 2015.

Check out the video for "Banter" above and visit Siamese Spots' bandcamp page here. - The Huffington Post