Fime - "Not For Nothing"

We’ve been keeping tabs on Los Angeles’ Fime since they shared their marvelous second EP, Sprawl, back in 2019. The quartet cut their teeth as Jay Som’s backing band, joining her on several tours, but they’re quite the strong outfit in their own right. Their songs blend emo guitar fuzz with the gauzy nature of dream pop and they’re really refining their sound on their most recent singles. Last summer, they shared “Born 2 Love,” a hazy ode to young love, and in May they dropped a heady guitar ripper called “White Collar Gold.” Both songs are worthy of prime spots on your summer playlists.

The band’s latest single, “Not for Nothing,” sees Fime traversing into grunge-pop territory, complete with some bristling hooks and plenty of sweet guitar tricks. The song gradually unravels at first, but it’s punctuated by some very intense, waxing moments. Its steady-moving forward motion gives bassist/vocalist Maxine Garcia free reign to say her piece, as she wrestles with the feelings of disorientation that can accompany the search for identity and meaning. In the chorus she rattles off lines in quick succession, signaling an uptick in instrumental intensity. Sure enough, the song swells to a breaking point, climaxing with an urgent swarm of start-stop guitars and smooth, but forceful drumming before a meandering riff pulls it through to the finish line.

The band also shared a video for the track, which you can watch below.

“Not For Nothing” will appear on Fime’s forthcoming debut full-length, Sweeter Memory, which is out on July 1st via Forged Artifacts. You can pre-order the record via Bandcamp. Fime’s music is available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook.