Band: CHEMSEXX
From: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Their formation story:
“CHEMSEXX came together after the loss of our dear friend, loved one, and scene photographer Piper Forsen. Wren (vocals, bass) and Maxine (drums) had been kicking around the idea of starting a hardcore band, and when we met Lilith (guitar/bass) in the aftermath of that tragedy she offered to let us use her mom’s basement as a practice space.
"After our original guitarist fell through, Lily joined us as our guitarist and we got booked for our first show at Doll Brawl 3 (a semi-regular trans fem hardcore show series put on at our local Seward Cafe as benefits for various mutual aid groups.)”
Their sound in their own words:
“CHEMSEXX is Twin Cities harm redux hardcore. We make she-beat, crusty anarcho-hardcore, and beatdown for dogs, dolls, druggies, butches, dykes, and bitches who know how to two-step in platforms. Music for the girls to get rowdy to, with a focus on trans liberation, harm reduction, and police abolition.”
Latest release info:
“Last month we put out two tracks - 'Brick Christ' and 'Fuck Safe // Shoot Clean' which do a pretty good job of encapsulating our sound and what we’re about. 'Brick Christ' alternates between dbeats and great big dirge-y walls of sludge, and was written for trans women who look like trans women: using terms that started as intra-community slurs in an effort towards reclamation, and disregarding essentialist norms and assimilationist ideals to shine a divine light on the beauty of blatant transsexuality.
"'Fuck Safe // Shoot Clean' borrows a slogan from early harm reduction projects like the Santa Cruz Needle Exchange, and advocates for the liberating, life-granting potentials of safer drug use and sex, as well as harm reduction in general. We keep ourselves and each other alive through measures like education, masking against COVID, drug testing, STI testing, and sharing supplies for safe use and safe sex.”
Future plans:
“Big things are coming soon!! We have new songs in the works and a few local shows planned with some sick bands like Texture Freq and Bussy Kween Power Trip. We’re also hoping to have an EP out by the end of the year, and are in the early stages of planning a tour for Summer 2026”
What other bands from their region or scene should we check out?
“S.L.O.G., Slut Intent, Texture Freq, x1ztyr, iowethislandabody, Padloc, lovergirl, TOWER, Frotted”
CHEMSEXX on social media: Instagram
Tagged: chemsexx
