Quiet confidence
London trio The xx re-emerge with a new mixture of tough and tender.
The xx makes so much sense in headphones.
Before the English trio’s third full-length effort “I See You” landed in January, The xx’s discography made noise because of just how quiet it was. Songs were so sparse that the words tender and intimate sell them short. Three childhood friends Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith issued a collective shush to busy, overproduced music. Their work is somehow gothic, bleak and loving all at the same time. They emerged in the late aughts and sparked a global following.
A couple dueling voices, a guitar, bass and some well-placed electronic beats found more ears than they could’ve imagined. The xx have sold 2.7 million records the world over. In the last decade, only two other British bands — One Direction and Mumford & Sons — have had a gold debut in the U.S. So maybe that pressure is what took The xx five years to confidently renew a mixture of tough and tender. 2012’s “Coexist” only find them getting quieter.
The road made a big difference, and their sound has grown fuller and warmer. As if they wrapped themselves in a winter jacket big enough for three. Writing sessions in Los Angeles, Iceland and Marfa, Texas, pushed the band outside of their UK-based comfort zone. Croft even collaborated with Tulsa-born producer Ryan Tedder, of OneRepublic, on music that landed outside the strict confinements of The xx.
At the tail end of a brief vacation seeing friends and family, Sim spoke to The Oklahoman on his way to the airport. It was my third attempt at reaching the illustriously busy band on the phone. It was worth the wait.
Here’s a few highlights from my interview with Sim.
Q: I was watching concert footage from
your recent festival tour stop in Berlin. You looked to have a lot more energy than the somber shows you’re known for. Almost like a dance party. Is that the sorta direction you’re wanting to go?
Oliver Sim: We didn’t really plan for it. When we were making the album (“I See You”), I remember I had gone to a lot of Jamie’s DJ sets, and I’d seen him making people dance. I think the feeling I felt was absolute jealousy. It’s