There was a brief moment between The xx’s second LP and the recording of their new third LP, when – for the first time since they were kids – the three best friends in the band didn’t see each other. It drove them crazy. But it also made them realise how much they need each other, how much they are each other. Dorian Lynskey delves deep into The xx Files.
WARSAW, POLAND.
Outside, the snow is slowly painting the city white. Inside The xx’s dressing room in the Nowy Teatr, it’s 30 minutes until showtime and all is calm. A miniature sound system plays house music, Antony & The Johnsons and The Walker Brothers. Singer and guitarist Romy Madley Croft is checking her make-up in the mirror. Producer Jamie Smith, better known as Jamie xx, is plugged into his laptop, preparing a new intro for the fourth show of the band’s Eastern European warm-up tour. Oliver Sim, who plays bass and sings, is examining the latest gift from Poland’s number one xx fan: a glossy black box containing two wine glasses and a Polish flag, each decorated with a black X. Also, chocolates.
The xx’s hardcore fans are a creative bunch. They give the band beautiful creations like paintings and Russian dolls. “In the nicest way they don’t seem very interested in us as people,” Sim says. “They’ll talk about songs and shows and themselves. Maybe what a song means to them as opposed to, ‘What does this song mean?’ Which suits us.”
Despite selling over a million records, The xx are much less well-known than their music. Sim says that they are hardly ever recognised unless all three of them are together. When taxi drivers ask him what he does, he finds that they often know The xx’s songs but are surprised to learn that he sang on them. They are simultaneously famous and unknown.
Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Q Magazine UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Q Magazine UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Fight the Power
After organising last month’s anti-inaugural ball in los angeles, rage against the machine’s Tom Morello says the music world’s battle against the trump presidency has only just begun…
Do You Remember the First Time?
So, what are the greatest debut albums of all time…
The Kick Inside
She may have been a teenager, but Kate Bush's amazing 1978 debut was years in the dreaming.
Urban Renewal
Guitarist Nick Mccabe And Photographer Chris Floyd Revisit The Verve’s 1997 Masterpiece.
Girl Ray
Teenage Love Can Be an Awkward Affair. Prepare to Fall for the Trio Who Spin It Into Wry, Indie-pop Gold.
New To Q Mary Epworth
Join the Nature-loving Cosmonaut on a Trip to the Weird Side…
George Michael
George Michael died at home on Christmas morning and the world gasped. Everyone has a favourite song written by him, either with Wham! or as an all-conquering solo artist. Adrian Deevoy remembers the highly intelligent, emotionally deep and hilarious man he interviewed several times in his pomp.
Happy Together
There was a brief moment between The xx’s second LP and the recording of their new third LP, when – for the first time since they were kids – the three best friends in the band didn’t see each other. It drove them crazy. But it also made them realise how much they need each other, how much they are each other. Dorian Lynskey delves deep into The xx Files.
Where Are You Right Now? Jehnny Beth
The Savages Singer Isn’t A Fan Of Wobbly Puddings Or Northampton, But She Is Really Good At Doing The Washing.
Liam Gallagher: The Big Payback
As His Solo LP Reaches Completion, The Time for Talking Is Nearly Done. Nearly...