The FMs

ty has always been front and center, showcased as much in the band's music as their evocative, seductive videos and stage performances. For the last few years they threw a live concert series on an old ferry boat in Bushwick, which doubled as a kink party with fire performers, burlesque, and hook suspensions. Their debut album Machinacene Epoch takes cues from glam, synth-pop, industrial, stoner rock, dance music, and beyond, while its lyrics discussed socio-political topics like gun violence, toxic masculinity, selfie culture, and artificial intelligence. Unsurprisingly, The FMs' lyrical content is as forward-thinking and galvanizing as their music. "I'm drawn to music's ability to mobilize social and cultural change," Matte shares. "It can tap into masses of people at once and maybe alter the course of history in an instant." No doubt, their music illustrates how The FMs firmly believe the personal is political, doing so with zestful songwriting, irrepressible hooks and fierce intent. It's the kind of vital combination that's surprisingly rare and needed in the world now more than ever. "It’s the perfect time to release music with a positive social message. Showing ourselves to the world in our truest colors (being q***r, non-binary/trans, kink-positive) is a positive message in and of itself," Matte points out. "We're in a time of massive social upheaval, caught in a wild story that none of us know how it will end. Will the dark forces who propagate in fear, selfishness, machismo, and narcissism beat out the side of reason, love, and compassion? I sure hope not, but we’ll be doing our part to steer the storyline."