The XX : Interview

Having first shot to acclaim for their unique covers of Womack and Womacks ‘Teardrops’ and Aaliyah’s ‘Hot Like Fire’, the XX have been causing a massive stir around the music press lately and it’s easy to see why. The London quartets self titled long awaited debut album is a shining example of how to produce a simple yet groundbreaking piece of indie genius. Effortlessly mixing the sheen of American R’n’B with the melodramatic sound of 1980’s guitar sounds to create a beautifully subdued sound that at the same time still manages to retain a unique intensity. 

The band have recently completed their first headline tour that saw many of the dates sell-out, and having just announced their biggest date yet at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire in March 2010 the band can surely only be set for bigger and better things. We were lucky enough to grab some time with Oliver from the band to discuss how they started out, their influences and what the future holds for the band.

4or The Record: How did the band start out?

Oliver: I met Romy at nursery so have known her since we were both 3 years old. We then met Jamie and Baria at secondary school when they were 11. Although we all grew up together we didn't start making music together until we were 15. It started off with me and Romy doing covers at home which that then evolved into writing our own songs. When we started playing live, Baria joined to help recreate the recordings and after 2 years as a 3 piece, Jamie joined and replaced the need for backing tracks, so there is a lot of history behind the band.

4TR: What is each member’s role in the band?

Oliver: I play bass and sing, Romy plays guitar and sings, Baria plays guitar and keys and Jamie plays MPC samples.  

4TR: What made you guys think a career in music was for you?

Oliver: We never did really, when we started we never thought it would turn out to be a career, it was just a hobby that has gradually developed into one.

4TR: How would you describe your sound?

Oliver: This is a hard question. We guess we can only hope it's something a bit different. It's a bit of a middle ground between all of our very different tastes. 

4TR: Who has influenced you musically?

Oliver: If we had to pick one person that has really influenced all of us it would have to be Coco Roise.

4TR: What kinds of things influence your song writing and do you have any particular process for writing them?

Oliver: What Romy sings, she writes and what I write I sing. The process is usually quite separate, both in our own bedrooms. A lot of the earlier songs were written from observation as some of us hadn't had too much experience in love at such an early age, so a lot of them were written about friends and the people around us whereas now we write more from personal experience. 

4TR: Who are you listening to at the moment and what do you think of the British music scene at the moment?

Oliver: We are very excited about the British music scene at the moment, a lot of the stuff we’re listening to is very current and coming out of Britain. People like the Trailer, The Big Pink, Mount Kimbie, Pariah and Sampha to name just a few.  

4TR: You have played a fair few festivals over the summer, how have you been received at them and have you had a favourite?

Oliver: Field day in London was one of our favourites, it was our first time back playing in London for a while and there was just a really nice atmosphere.  

4TR: Your album sounds like a complete labour of love, it really is a masterpiece, and amazingly produced. Have you made the album you set out to make and how long did it take?

Oliver: The main chunk of recording was done within an intense 2 months in the studio and then about 3 months of Jamie producing and tweaking it until it was what we wanted.  

4TR: What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

Oliver: Holding the final packaged copy of our album was definitely and awakening moment. 

4TR: Any aspirations with where you want to go in terms of success?

Oliver: We would love to see more of the world, and we really hope our record is well received

4TR: What can we expect from The XX in the future?

Oliver: Lots of touring and absolutely no orange clothing.

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