Oliver Sim loves the thrill of the chase on debut single ‘Romance With A Memory’

The xx’s Oliver Sim has released his debut solo single – watch the lyric video for ‘Romance With A Memory’ below.

After teasing a snippet of the song earlier this week, Sim has now shared it in full alongside the launch of The xx’s Apple Music 1 show ‘Interludes Radio’.

“I’m thrilled, excited, ecstatic, over caffeinated & overjoyed to be sharing Romance with a Memory with you all. Terrifyingly, this is the first song I’ve ever released under my own name, I really hope you all enjoy it,” Sim wrote in a caption beneath the music video on YouTube.

In the clip Sim shows off “some of my favourite monsters, killers and queers getting down to ‘Romance With A Memory’,” as he explained via Instagram earlier this week. “I cannot tell you how much joy it brings me to watch a ghoul having a good time.”

Lyrics to the chorus read: “The lack of a kiss did more than a thousand/ It’s less about you than the romance of a memory/ Maybe it’s best that we never meet again/ So I’m let down by reality.”

Sim’s bandmate Jamie xx produced his debut single. Jamie, meanwhile, has pursued solo work as a DJ and producer over the past decade. His debut album ‘In Colour’ was released in 2015 and his latest single was 2020’s ‘Idontknow’.

‘Interludes Radio’, meanwhile, will hear Sim, Jamie and fellow The xx bandmember Romy Madley-Croft present their own instalments in the Apple series.

Sim kickstarts the series with a horror-themed episode where he’s joined by his bandmates and other musicians including Florence Welch, Elton John, Sampha, Jimmy Somerville, and film director Yann Gonzalez.

“We’ll be taking turns to host each episode and get into the things that inspire us individually,” The xx said in a statement. “An hour of music, guests and sneak peeks of what we’re all up to on our own and together.”

Elsewhere, Romy released her first solo track ‘Lifetime’ in September 2020. In January she dropped ‘Lights Out’ with Fred again.. and HAAi. The singer is also working on a debut solo album which will explore and celebrate formative queer experiences.

Last November The xx released a new documentary that weaves in footage from experimental shows that the band performed in 2014, alongside the launch of a new digital archive.

The band, who have been on a hiatus, last released an album in 2017 with ‘I See You’. Last month they shared footage of themselves playing together, which sparked hopes of a new record.