The xx

Fresh from playing to a packed amphitheatre as Splendour In The Grass headliners, Frontier Touring, Handsome Tours and triple j are thrilled to announce that British indie trio The xx will return to Australia in 2018 for an East Coast headline tour.

The xx will treat audiences to their unique dreamy sound in stunning outdoor venues in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney next January, joined at all shows by special guests Kelela and Earl Sweatshirt.

 ‘You're actually getting two shows for the price of one: a beautifully understated indie trio and one of the world's most powerfully creative producers, all working in synergy.’ – triple j

 ‘Minimal plucked guitars, the sparse drums, splashing cymbals and thrumming bass build to an intense crescendo as the band finally join together for a full-throated wall of sound, rhythm and vocals.’ – Huffington Post 

 ‘The xx are truly magical beings.’ – Reverb

The xx are Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass, vocals) and Jamie Smith (beats, MPC, production), also known as Jamie xx. Their latest Mecury prize nominated release I See You (out now through Young Turks) incorporates all three members’ talents into a new version of their sound, one true to their roots but richer and more varied. ‘Performance’ and ‘Brave For You’ echo the classic The xx sound with ‘Dangerous’, ‘Say Something Loving’ and ‘On Hold’ allowing producer and DJ Smith (AKA Jamie xx) take more control of proceedings than previously. Icy synthesisers meld with distorted guitars, creating an advanced electro-pop experiment mixed with indie rock and R&B.

‘It’s the sound of The xx moving out of their natural habitat – the shadows – and towards the more experimental, wide-ranging palette that producer Jamie ‘xx’ Smith painted… The future  looks bright’ – Rolling Stone ★★★★

‘Where The xx shows were once all stark, black-and-white and moody shadows, now they come in full glorious colour, with a tropical stage setting and even more self-confidence.’ – Consequence of Sound

‘The xx come at us with a fresh new sound but, more than ever, their music has less to do with chromosomes and delivers two gentle kisses onto the listeners cheeks.’ – The Music

‘I See You pulls off the feat of managing to sound both exactly like The xx and unlike anything they have done before.’ – The Guardian ★★★★

Praise and accolades for the new album add to the momentum already created by their earlier work. Their 2009 debut xx was met with critical and commercial acclaim, appearing on countless critics’ lists of the year’s best albums, including NME, Uncut, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. Featuring crowd favourites ‘Intro’, ‘Crystalised’ and ‘Shelter’, xx won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize in 2010 and was certified platinum in the UK and Gold in Australia.

Sophomore LP Coexist (2012) saw The xx strip their already-naked sound, with so few elements to each song that manage to deepen without intruding. Masters of restraint, songs like ‘Chained’, ‘Missing’ and ‘Tides’ build from simple chord progressions, delicate guitar and keyboard ostinatos with the gentle brush of Madley Croft and Sim’s twin vocal sentiments; longing and crumbled romance. Smith’s minimalistic house influence draws a veil around the hushed confessionals and reveals many treasures beneath layers of shimmering sadness.

Supporting The xx at all shows as a very special guest will be American singer-songwriter Kelela. Her 2013 debut mixtape Cut 4 Me is one of the most distinctive sounds in dance music, a mutable hybrid of house, electro, R&B and hip hop. Kelela continued to produce hits ‘Rewind’ and ‘All The Way Down’ on follow-up EP Hallucinogen. The electro-influenced soul-singer’s highly-anticipated debut studio album Take Me Apart is set for release this October (through Warp), listen to first single ‘LMK’ here.

Also joining The xx as special guest will be LA DJ and rapper Earl Sweatshirt. Starting out in Tyler, The Creator’s hip hop collective Odd Future, Sweatshirt released his debut studio album Doris in 2013, delivering a varied palette of emotions in tracks ‘Chum’, ‘Hive’ and ‘Sunday’. 2015’s follow-up I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside sees Sweatshirt remain confident, carefully whittling away at the proclivities he’s always had in songs ‘Grief’, ‘Huey’ and ‘Off Top’.

The xx have partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket purchased will go towards local LGBT+ programs in each city of the tour. Visit plus1.org for more information on the organisation.

These are The xx’s first Australian headline shows since they embarked on their 2013 tour, which saw them sell out multiple nights in advance at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion and Melbourne’s Festival Hall. Fans are encouraged to act quickly to secure their tickets to witness The xx, one of pop’s brooding perfectionists. Tickets go on sale Friday 25 August, don’t miss out!