Lock the doomscroll and jack into the party bunker—Virginia’s brilliantly off-kilter duo, Higher Selves Playdate, just weaponized joy with “Good Dreams.” Dropping June 25th as the fiery preamble to their full-length The New Apocalyptic (July 30th), this gets adrenaline shot straight to the dancing nerve. Jessica and Steve are not here to mourn the end times—they’re here to soundtrack the revolution with hooks, heat, and holy-shit energy.
This pair ain’t your average rockers. They met deep in grad school poetry trenches – Jessica now commands an art classroom, while Steve battles the good fight in non-profit land and shreds in the band Folklore. Their shared language is a relentless daily torrent of art, philosophy, and sonic obsession. Picture Jessica crafting fever-dream collages at 5 AM while Steve scribbles riffs during Zoom purgatory. You’ll find ’em sobbing to The Smiths at D.C.’s Cryfest or diving into Memphis punk pits, finding beauty where “crashed spaceships burn on manicured lawns.” Authenticity? They bleed it. Real ones.
“Good Dreams” sonically embodies their policy. Synths twist like neon serpents around fuzzy, melodic guitars. Vocals are hook-laden and urgent. But the real magic? The WHY. Their name says it all: life’s a playdate orchestrated by their higher selves—a wild, messy experiment in learning and ecstasy. In an era drowning in war, fascism, and malice, they plant their flag: JOY. PLAY. TOGETHERNESS. LOVE. This isn’t only music—it’s pro-joy, anti-fascist artillery. Period.
They “love Baudrillard,” “love bell hooks and Guy Debord,” and crucially, “love to dance.” “Good Dreams” isn’t escapism; it’s active resistance. If we’re stuck in the “age of the simulacrum,” Higher Selves Playdate are hellbent on building the coolest, most vibrant, most joyful fake reality possible. Art is political. Play is political. Love is political. And this track? It’s a goddamn riot of all three. June 25th. Mark it.
Higher Selves Playdate Socials: Bandcamp