Why did Oliver Sim cancel his fall tour? Singer issues statement after calling off North American, European, and UK dates

British singer and member of The xx band Oliver Sim has canceled his upcoming North American, European, and UK tour, citing complications with "timing." Oliver Sim was scheduled to kick off the tour on September 29 in Seattle and wrap it up in London on October 30.

Taking to Instagram, Oliver Sim wrote,

“Part of the reason Hideous Bastard came to be was imagining playing the songs live. But timing is everything and sometimes things don’t quite come together the way we’d hoped. The shows booked for September and October are sadly not able to happen so we’ll have to wait a little longer to hear these songs in a room together.”

He further added:

“I’m sorry for any inconvenience caused but I look forward to putting on a truly hideous show for you very soon.”

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Oliver Sim to release Hideous Bastard on September 9

Oliver Sim will release his upcoming album Hideous Bastard on September 9, 2022. Produced by bandmate Jamie xx, this will be the artist's first solo album.

Hideous Bastard required two years of writing and recording. The album is inspired by Sim's love for horror movies and his life experiences. It highlights themes of shame, fear, and masculinity.

Earlier in May, the artist released a new single from the album titled Hideous, which explored his experience of living with HIV. The song featured Bronski Beat and Jimmy Somerville from The Communards', with Yann Gonzalez as the director of the video.

In a statement, the artist shared his insight about the album. He said:

“Early on in the making of my record, ‘Hideous Bastard’, I realised that I was writing a lot about fear and shame. I imagine that might paint a picture of a dark, ‘woe is me’-sounding album, but in recent years I’ve become a firm believer that the best antidote to these feelings can be bringing them to the surface and shedding some light on them.”

He added:

“I haven’t written the record to dwell, but rather to free myself of some of the shame and fear that I’ve felt for a long time. So, I hear a lot of the music as joyous, because the experience of writing and recording it has been the complete opposite of what fear and shame have been for me.”

The singer also previewed three other singles from his album, including Romance With a Memory, GMT, and Fruit.

The artist has also unveiled his merch collection made in collaboration with BEAMS. The collection was launched in conjunction with special events such as a Q&A and debut of the accompanying glam-horror-musical short film at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, a limited edition toy and another screening, Q&A, and small performance at the Rio Cinema in Dalston, London.

The merchandise references visuals from the album and the short film to create a six-piece capsule comprising a coach jacket, hoody, T-shirt, long T, cap, and socks. The Oliver Sim merchandise will be available online from September 9, 2022.