The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), and Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production). 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 in 2005 whilst Madley Croft and Sim were students at Elliott School, with Baria Qureshi (keyboard, guitar) and Smith joining in 2006. Whilst there has been much speculation over the meaning of the band's name, the band have said they just liked the way "the xx" looked written down.
After posting demos on their Myspace page, the band 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, ranking first for The Guardian's and second for NME's best of the year lists among others, 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. 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.
