Events

Formed in 2005, The xx are an alternative trio formed in London, England, featuring the dual lead vocals of Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim (who also play lead guitar and bass guitar respectively), and Jamie Smith (beats, MPC sampler). Rounding out the group was keyboardist Baria Qureshi.

Bonding over a shared love of dark, emotive 80s guitar sounds and the high-end sheen of American R&B, The xx’s unique sound befits a band whose wide range of influences combine via beautiful, hushed vocal duets and a brilliantly inventive use of samples and low-end frequencies to produce stark, sweet melancholic pop.

The band released its debut album, xx, on August 2009. The album has won critical acclaim and has been generally well received, scoring an average of 84 based on 20 professional reviews. The album has spawned three singles, the first two; Crystalised and Basic Space both have music videos featuring the band, the third single from the album, Islands, was released in October 2009.

On November 11 2009, it was confirmed that keyboardist Baria Qureshi left the band after missing several scheduled shows, citing exhaustion. The band stated that she will not be replaced, and that they will continue as a three-piece.