A new Collin Clay Chace and JUHA single timed for release during LGBT History Month, “Steppin’ Out” is a cover of Joe Jackson’s New Wave classic – with a music video that pays tribute to the 1988 art film Beautiful People by the late great artist and AIDS activist David Wojnarowicz.
In defining the impetus for the song, Collin told QX,
“At this moment, the term ‘Steppin’ Out’ has a couple different meanings to me. It can refer to queers boldly ‘steppin’ out’ of the closet… or any of us timidly ‘steppin’ out’ into the open air in a Covid-19 world after lockdown.
As far as inspiration for the video goes: there’s been an epidemic of LGBTQ suicides across the globe and in my personal life recently, and I’m surrounded by suicidal people. These are the most Loving people in the world, and they are all working so hard to stay alive. So I wanted to pay tribute to David Wojnarowicz and the ACT UP era, but where the original film closes with hints of suicide-by-drowning… for ‘Steppin’ Out,’ I wanted my character’s walk into the water to conclude with them becoming a mermaid instead of drowning… to swim in new magic rather than be pulled under. And sprouting the fish tail is also a nod to the UK charity Mermaids, which was set up to empower transgender youth.”
There are also nods to the original Joe Jackson video and his classic I’m The Man album cover. The video closes with a quote from Larry Mitchell’s The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions: “There’s more to be learned by wearing a dress for a day than there is wearing a suit for a lifetime.”
“Steppin’ Out” is the latest single from the upcoming Collin Clay Chace/JUHA album, The Borders Of The Mind. Previous singles have included “Lucifer In Love” (featured on Marc Almond’s Marc Life tv program), the Queer Islam tribute “Love Is On Our Side (the Ballad of Rumi & Shams),” and “The Carcass On Your Plate” – all of which have hit the upper reaches of the Alt Q Radio (Alternative Queer Radio) chart. Collin is also one half of Music In Our Underpants, which began as a lockdown project with his husband, Kieran of Plunkett of hardcore punk band the Restarts.
