The xx

This article is about the English indie pop band. For other uses, see XX (disambiguation).

The xx
The band onstage
The xx performing at Ilosaarirock Festival in Joensuu, Finland, in 2012. From left to right: Romy Madley Croft, Jamie xx, and Oliver Sim.
Background information
OriginWandsworth, London, England
Genres
Years active2005–present
Labels
Members
Past membersBaria Qureshi
Websitethexx.info

The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005.[1] The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production), and formerly Baria Qureshi (keyboard, guitar). They are known for their distinctive minimalist sound blending indie rock, indie electronic, indie pop, dream pop and electro-rock and the dual-vocalist set-up of Madley Croft and Sim. Their music employs soft echoed guitar, prominent bass, light electronic beats and ambient soundscape backgrounds.

The band was formed when Madley Croft and Sim met during their time at Elliott School, with Baria Qureshi joining the same year and Smith in the following year. After posting demos on their Myspace page, they drew the attention of the Beggars Group-owned label Young Turks (now Young). Working with producer Rodaidh McDonald, the band released their debut album, xx, in August 2009. The album was a commercial and critical success, reaching number three on the UK Albums Chart,[2] ranking first for The Guardian's and second for NME's best of the year lists among others,[3][4] and winning the Mercury Prize in 2010. After their debut, Qureshi left the group. Their second album, Coexist, was released on 5 September 2012 to positive reviews, reaching number one in the UK and number five on the Billboard 200.[2][5] After a four-year lapse between releases, including Smith's solo debut in 2015, In Colour, the band released their third album, I See You, on 13 January 2017, which debuted to critical acclaim and reached number one in the UK and number two on the Billboard 200.[2][6]

  1. ^ Cochrane, Greg (12 May 2009). "Introducing...The xx". Newsbeat. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "The xx: full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Albums of 2009, No 1: The xx – xx". The Guardian. 18 December 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  4. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2009". NME. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
  5. ^ "The xx". Thexx.info. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  6. ^ "New Music: Stream the xx's I See You". Spin. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.