Taking to Instagram earlier last week, the London trio – comprised of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals) and Jamie Smith, AKA Jamie xx (beats, MPC record production) – posted a slideshow of photos, revealing a recording setup amongst instruments, captioning: “Last week, in the studio.” It was first reported the group were working on their fourth album back in January 2024. Jamie xx later commented on the album recording process, in the lead-up to his since-released second solo album ‘In Waves’. “We’ve been in the studio again recently and it just feels like old times,” he mentioned, “It’s early days [but] we’re having a good time.”

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A post shared by The xx (@thexx)

The interview, which took place with MistaJam on Capital Dance’s evening show, also touched upon the influence that the group members’ respective solo projects would have on their new joint sound. “We’re further apart, I guess, and then when we get back into the studio it is a bit more of a challenge and we have bigger pools to draw from,” added Jamie xx. “I think it’s going to be difficult when we get a bit more into it, but ultimately that is going to make the record better.” 

In 2022, the 36-year old beat maker returned with his first new music in two years, releasing ‘LET’S DO IT AGAIN’, followed by his second album, ‘In Waves’, last September. The record featured contributions from both Croft and Sim and was celebrated with a headline performance at London’s Alexandra Palace on September 26. 

Smith’s solo projects is just one-third of the independent ventures of The xx – Romy Madley Croft released her debut album ‘Mid Air’ in 2023, which received widespread acclaim for its euphoric blend of club-ready beats and emotional lyricism. Her singles, including ‘Strong’ and ‘Enjoy Your Life’, have resonated with fans and critics alike. Meanwhile, Oliver Sim has also made a strong impression as a solo artist with his debut record ‘Hideous Bastard’ (2022), a deeply personal and critically acclaimed project that combines dark, cinematic pop with introspective storytelling. 

Forming in 2005, The xx have been the face of British indie electronic for the past two decades. To date, the group have delivered three studio albums: their 2009 debut ‘xx’, which won the Mercury Music Prize, 2012’s ‘Coexist’, and their most recent release, ‘I See You’, which arrived in 2017. 

Whilst the new announcement has, as of yet, no set release date, Jamie xx told Rolling Stone UK in regards to a 2025 album, that “it would be nice but I’m prone to very long stints of recording so we’ll see.” 

Jamie XX introduced the new album on Instagram saying that he’s been “figuring stuff out and then forgetting it all many times over” in the time since the release of his last record. “Life changing events and world changing events. These waves that we have all experienced together and alone.”

He continued saying that he “wanted to make something fun, joyful and introspective all at once. The best moments on a dance floor are usually that for me.” He added “I can’t wait to share it with you.”

The DJ and producers upcoming LP will feature a variety of accompanying artists over its 12 tracks including XX bandmates Romy and Oliver Sim as well as Kelsey Lu, The Avalanches and Oona Doherty.

The Tracklist is:

1. Wanna
2. Treat Each Other Right
3. Waited All Night (ft. Romy & Oliver Sim)
4. Baddy On The Floor (ft. Honey Dijon)
5. Dafodil (ft. Kelsey Lu, John Glacier & Panda Bear)
6. Still Summer
7. Life (ft. Robyn)
8. The Feeling I Get From You
9. Breather
10. All You Children (ft. The Avalanches)
11. Every Single Weekend (Interlude)
12. Falling Together (ft. Oona Doherty)

Jamie followed the announcement of ‘In Waves’ with an announcement of a Headline show at London’s Alexandra palace which goes on sale on June 7 at 10am or get access to the presale if you Pre-order a copy of ‘In Waves’. He will also be headlining the Woodsies stage on Friday night of Glastonbury later this month as well as Pitchfork music festival in July.

This follows a recent residency that he did at Venue MOT last month called The Floor, which lasted from the 16th of May to the 25th where he played the south London venue on 10 different occasions with a different selection of artists accompanying him each night which were only announced on the day of each show.

In the lead up to this announcement of a new album from Jamie XX he has helped his fellow XX members in their own solo work, producing Romy’s single ‘Enjoy Your Life’ with Fred again. He also did production work on Oliver Sim’s debut solo album Hideous Bastard.

As well as contributing to each other’s work separate from the XX Romy has said in an interview with NME recently that they are “meeting up regularly,” and that they have “spent time apart and it’s healthy to miss each other.”

She said they have had time apart to “learn new skills, get new musical ideas and experiences and compare them” and that “it’s cool to learn from each other again.” If this time in the studio comes to an album, as a lot of XX fans will be hoping, it would be their first LP since 2017’s ‘I See You’.

In a recent Facebook post reflecting on the collaboration with Chanel, Jamie xx shared,“IT’S SO GOOD is a piece of music I made to soundtrack this incredibly good-looking game of musical chairs. Thank you CHANEL for having me.”

With the release of ‘It’s So Good,’ Jamie xx makes his solo comeback to the music scene, signifying his first release since 2022. The catchy track builds on the success of his earlier tracks, ‘Let’s Do It Again’ and ‘KILL DEM,’ which garnered widespread acclaim in 2022.

While The xx producer kept a low profile in terms of new releases throughout 2023, he remained active on the live music front, touring North America with LCD Soundsystem and IDLES during the Re:SET Concert Series in North America and gracing a host of other festival stages globally.

Beyond his solo pursuits, Jamie xx has been actively collaborating with his bandmates from The xx on their individual projects. He helped to produce Oliver Sim’s solo debut album, ‘Hideous Bastard,’ in 2022, and worked with Romy on her debut solo dance-pop album, ‘Mid Air,’ released last year.

Romy recently confirmed that The xx are working on an “exciting new album,” marking their fourth following 2017’s ‘I See You.’ Reflecting on the band’s growth to NME, Romy said, “Oliver and Jamie and I have all tried new things and learned a lot from different projects. It’s quite healthy to be like, ‘What have you learned? What should we do now?’ It’s exciting to be starting again, and we’ve started making some music, which I’m really excited about.”

While details about a potential upcoming album from Jamie xx are scarce, his acclaimed debut LP, ‘In Colour,’ released in 2015, stands as his sole full-length solo project to date. As the new year unfolds, the anticipation for the return of both The xx and Jamie xx is palpable. With no tour dates set for 2024, the prospect of more music from Jamie xx becomes a hopeful note for fans. For now, listeners can immerse themselves in Jamie xx’s latest single, ‘It’s So Good,’ available for streaming and download on all platforms.

“Re: This Is Why

9.28 – This Is Why

10.2 – Why Is This?

10.6 – Is This Why?”

pic.twitter.com/W4hVAEzWHY

— paramore (@paramore) September 25, 2023

The Tennessee trio didn’t keep fans waiting long, as they announced a companion album to their 6th LP This Is Why, released earlier this year on February 10th, that will feature remixes, reworked and rewritten tracks, as well as some collaborations and an unreleased demo.

Earlier today, Paramore revealed the track list for their upcoming release, which showed a variety of artists taking on a song from the album and making it their own. Artists featuring on Re: This Is Why include UK acts such as Wet Leg, Foals and The xx singer Romy.

Re: This Is Why. The Tracklist.

1. This Is Why (Re: @foals)
2. The News (Re: @thelindalindas)
3. Running Out Of Time (Re: @pandabear)
4. Running Out Of Time (Re: @zanelowe)
5. C’est Comme Ça (Re: @wetlegband)
6. Big Man, Little Dignity (Re: @DOMiAndJDBECK)
7. You First (Re:… pic.twitter.com/flTS59qSH6

— paramore (@paramore) October 4, 2023

The band took to Twitter to share “We’ve long wanted to recognize the connection we have with some of the artists who’ve influenced us as a band and/or who have cited our band as an influence. Re: This Is Why is almost a remix album. Some of the songs have been remixed sort of classically, while others were reworked or rewritten. It’s incredible to hear all our worlds colliding. Out 10/6.”

We’ve long wanted to recognize the connection we have with some of the artists who’ve influenced us as a band and/or who have cited our band as an influence.

Re: This Is Why is almost a remix album. Some of the songs have been remixed sort of classically, while others were… pic.twitter.com/X3BpsFhD7s

— paramore (@paramore) October 2, 2023

Oxford based band Foals, who joined Paramore on their North American tour earlier this year, are taking on the album’s title track. Back in 2022, Paramore front-woman Hayley Williams praised the English band on an episode of her podcast Everything Is Emo, and spoke of their evolution.

Williams stated “I really respect this band’s journey and how they continue to evolve. I think it takes a lot of guts too. I think of every time we’ve gone home to write a new album, or we have an album in the can but haven’t presented it to the world, it’s a really scary feeling. It can be nerve-wracking to present yourself in a new way and essentially, grow in front of the world. Any time a band re-emerges with a new picture, a new frame of mind, I think it’s courageous and cool and I’m really enjoying their evolution.”

Re: This Is Why will be released this Friday (October 6th).

There was a period of time around the late 2000’s / early 2010’s where indie-art-pop was pretty much the best of what everywhere had to offer. For a short while, art pop was well and truly in the zeitgeist. Alt-J’s fabulous debut An Awesome Wave, Phoenix took off in France with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, you could even go so far as to call Arcade Fire’s, now legendary, Funeral a soiree into art-pop with heavy folk leanings. But, for me, The xx nailed that formula. xx was an accidental masterpiece in every sense, and now Oliver Sim, 1/3 of the magic formula, has once again joined forces with fellow xx bandmate Jamie xx (there’s 2/3 of the formula) to bring us Hideous Bastard.

In a note commenting on the album’s announcement, Sim also dropped the news that he has also been living with HIV since the age of 17. He then goes on to explain how this has impacted his life, as well as his music.

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A post shared by Oliver Sim (@hideousbastard)

“Early on in the making of my record, ‘Hideous Bastard’, I realised that I was writing a lot about fear and shame,” Sim explains. “I imagine that might paint a picture of a dark, ‘woe is me’-sounding album, but in recent years I’ve become a firm believer that the best antidote to these feelings can be bringing them to the surface and shedding some light on them.”  After the realization occurred, he went on to clarify, “I haven’t written the record to dwell, but rather to free myself of some of the shame and fear that I’ve felt for a long time. So, I hear a lot of the music as joyous, because the experience of writing and recording it has been the complete opposite of what fear and shame have been for me.”  The new LP will also appear alongside a feature film written and directed by Yann Gonzalez, in which Sim will star. We don’t know at the moment if the film and album will be linked in any way, but the film premiered last month so if you want some homework… this is it.

Oliver’s film HIDEOUS, written and directed by Yann Gonzalez is premiering at Semaine de La Critique at Cannes pic.twitter.com/pBPPbJajvv

— The xx (@The_xx) April 20, 2022

On the bright side, despite all this work apart from each other, it doesn’t appear that there’s a rift growing between The xx’s. Sim made sure to mention that he was “still very much in a loving and happy relationship/band with Romy and Jamie”, noting that bandmate Jamie xx actually helped produce the singles. It obviously sparked Jamie’s own solo aspirations with him, in turn, announcing the release of a new single for tomorrow.

Jamie’s new song is reportedly titled “Let’s Do It Again“, and he let his followers know on Instagram that “I had a lot of fun trying this one out at festivals last year. You might recognise it…“.

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A post shared by Jamie xx (@jamie___xx)

The band have been content leaving fans wanting for more ever since their acclaimed 2017 album “I See You“, which reached no. 1 on the UK Official Albums Chart. It’s is still their most recent studio album, but there’s hope for more soon. A few clues are in the air, such as a post on their social media last December showing the group working together.

Also, it doesn’t even have to be music that they do together. They’ve already started a new radio show on Apple Music, with instalments once a month. Each episode supposedly has a different member of The xx talking about their inspirations and speaking to guests.

Called Interludes Radio, it began last month with Sim hosting. The band’s official statement advertises it as “An hour of music, guests and sneak peeks of what we’re all up to on our own and together”.

If you want to see any of them live, Jamie xx has some gigs coming up on September 3^rd, playing at Forwards Bristol in Clifton Downs. You can get tickets here. Sims also has some solo tour dates coming up in May, including one in London’s Shoreditch Town Hall on the 10th. Otherwise, he’ll also be seen around Europe and America, visiting the likes of Berlin, Paris, Los Angeles and  New York. You can get tickets for these dates here from Wednesday 10 am. If you want to access the tour’s pre-sale tomorrow at 10 am, best sign-up before 6 pm tonight using the previous link.

Our new monthly @AppleMusic show ‘Interludes Radio’ starts this week. We’ll be taking turns to host each episode and get in to the things that inspire us individually. An hour of music, guests and sneak peeks of what we’re all up to on our own and together. pic.twitter.com/44TZnlryoV

— The xx (@The_xx) March 8, 2022

The forthcoming show, according to a recent press release, will feature: “an eclectic mix of music, special messages from notable friends in music and culture, fan interactions, exclusive new music, and insights into the group’s creative process.” Each episode will be hosted by a different member of The xx, and the maiden episode will feature guest appearances from the likes of Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine, beloved British singer-songwriter Elton John, South London singer-songwriter Sampha, Scottish singer Jimmy Sommerville, Sim’s bandmates Romy and Jamie xx, and French director Yann Gonzalez, who will be calling in to the show to discuss their favourite horror movies.

That’s not all though, the debut episode will also feature musical selections from Thom Yorke, Perfume Genius, Yves Tumor, Hercules, Love Affair and even more.

To tune into the live broadcast for free, you can check out this link here. An Apple Music subscription is required to listen on demand.

Apple Music Radio is an award-winning service that plays host to a wide roster of shows from the world’s hottest music hosts and artists over three global stations; Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country. On these shows you can find just about anything, including a great deal of exclusive content such as artist interviews, premieres and completely unique programming. You can check out more details of the platform here.

In other news regarding The xx, bassist and vocalist Oliver Sim has been teasing new solo music. Sim shared a preview of a song entitled “Romance with a Memory” to his Instagram on March 3^rd, and as of today (March 9^th), it has been officially announced that Sim will be releasing his new single tomorrow. The announcement was made via the group’s Twitter, where they also supplied a link to a music video premiere, which will go live at 3pm GMT. To keep tabs on the impending YouTube premiere, you can check out this link here.

Arlo took to her social media accounts to share the series saying; “imma start covering some tunes that are saving me during lockdown -@The_xx’s first album has this specific sense of sweetness and simple romance – VCR is one of my favourite songs atm it makes me feel free some how – check out the full version on Youtube!”

imma start covering some tunes that are saving me during lockdown – @The_xx’s first album has this specific sense of sweetness and simple romance – VCR is one of my favourite songs atm it makes me feel free some how – check out the full version on Youtube!https://t.co/E6hdHigtzX pic.twitter.com/wjCFF6l4IV

— Arlo Parks (@arloparks) January 17, 2021

The XX bandmember, Romy Madley Croft commented on Arlo’s Instagram post saying; “Beautiful! Thank you for choosing this song to cover, I love it!” She also shared it on her Instagram story saying; “Beautiful cover of VCR. Thank you @arlo.parks”

Arlo started the Lo-Fi Series in July of 2020, where she covered some amazing artists such as Pheobe Bridgers, Clario and Frank Ocean, all from her own home. At the moment, the full playlist is only available on her YouTube channel but a CD full of the best covers will be available exclusively alongside merch bundles for her upcoming debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams.

Collapsed In Sunbeams is set to be released on the 29th of January. The album will include Arlo’s previously released singles such as Caroline, Black Dog, Hurt, Eugene and Green Eyes. Speaking about the album, Arlo said; “My album is a series of vignettes and intimate portraits surrounding my adolescence and the people that shaped it. It is rooted in storytelling and nostalgia – I want it to feel both universal and hyper specific.”

You can watch Arlo Park’s cover of VCR down below. The tracklist for Collapsed In Sunbeams is also down below.

1. Collapsed In Sunbeams
2. Hurt
3. Too Good
4. Hope
5. Caroline
6. Black Dog
7. Green Eyes
8. Just Go
9. For Violet
10. Eugene
11. Bluish
12. Portra 400

Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait a little longer to truly appreciate Romy’s banger, because it’s practically begging to be played in a club. This total burst of energy is certainly reminiscent of some of the major 90s dance-floor fillers – and also, I would point out, an eighties synth vibe of the Tears For Fears variety. To me it also has just a twinkle of ‘Life In A Northern Town’ about it. What I’m saying is, if ‘Lifetime’ had come on at the eighties night at university, it would hardly have been out of place.

Romy wants us to understand that dance hits are important to her, from the eighties to the Ibiza scene; she wrote on social media, “I’ve always loved club classics that unite a room, big emotional dance songs, that you can sing along to as well. I’m excited to have the opportunity to show my love for dance music with ‘Lifetime’.

She added with a bittersweet note, “I loved working with a very talented and inspiring group of people on this song, thank you so much Fred again, Marta Salogni, Joy Anonymous and Jamie xx. I had dreamt that we could be dancing in a room together to this song by now, but until then I hope you can dance to it wherever you are!”

Afterwards I’ll be premiering the lyric video on YouTube at 6:45pm BSThttps://t.co/bdGeQDzGpu

— Romy (@romyromyromy) September 28, 2020

Beneath its catchy, neon, dance surface, ‘Lifetime’ is wrestling with greater concepts of time and making the most of everything. “Once in a lifetime / something matters,” Romy declares as the music falls away and we are suspended in the moment, thinking about how special everything is. She has spoken about the song wanting “to appreciate the moment before its gone”.

We’re all familiar with this urge these days, and Romy is clear that the moment could be anything, from a huge night out to a quiet moment with your loved ones – “simple moments of togetherness, meant the most to me,” she began to realise during the pandemic. But it also feels like the perfect sentiment for those few minutes on the dance floor where you’re having the time of your life and its all lights and colours and you don’t know what the time is or how long you’ve been there. Inevitably, clubbing can’t sustain that perfect haze for very long, but the stars might just align for three minutes when you hear ‘Lifetime’ on the dancefloor for the first time.

Last night, followers of her page were treated to an intimate live session, with Croft debuting her new song called “Weightless“ from the comfort of her living room. Croft also performed acoustic renditions The xx cuts “Angels“ and “Brave For You“, alongside covers of Rui Da Silva’s “Touch Me“ and Dua Lipa’s “Electricity“ (the latter of which Croft has partial writing credits).

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Hello! Hope you’re ok! Tomorrow I’m gonna be doing a live stream from my house, I’ve got some news, singing some new songs and answering some questions, if you have anything you wanna know message me and I’ll try to answer live. See you tomorrowwww 6pm BST 1pm EDT 10am PDT

A post shared by Romy (@romythexx) on Apr 18, 2020 at 8:12am PDT

Before playing new track “Weightless“, Croft confirmed that The xx were releasing new material in 2020 (something teased by the band at the start of this year) as well as announcing that she herself had plans to put out her first solo album. Croft said: “for the past couple of years I’ve been writing a lot of songs for other people, writing a lot of songs for myself, and I ended up with all these songs. So I’m going to release a solo album, under my own name, Romy, hopefully releasing it soon”.

According to Croft, her solo debut will be “a lot more upbeat” than her previous work, taking inspiration from “club classics, Ibiza House, [and] trance”. While the project has been given neither an official title nor release date, between this, bandmate Jamie’s new single, and the prospect of a follow-up to 2017’s I See You, there’s never been a better time to be a fan of The xx. You know, aside from the global pandemic.

Watch the full livestream below: