Jamie xx's solo debut In Colour, which featured contributions from Sim and Croft, arrived in 2015.Late in 2016, the single "On Hold" introduced the more energetic, eclectic direction of I See You, which was released in January 2017.Atmospheric English indie pop group the xx formed in London around the talents of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, Baria Qureshi, and Jamie Smith, when the bandmembers were still in high school.Captivating and cool, the group cites influences that run the gamut from R&B (Aaliyah and Rihanna) to classic alternative rock (the Cure and the Pixies). Late that year, Qureshi was no longer part of the group; the rest of the xx released a statement via NME saying this was due to "personal differences." During 2010, the live dates continued, including spots at several high-profile summer festivals, and in September, their album won Britain's coveted Mercury Prize.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 peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200.The group has however downplayed the influence of the school on its career: "A teacher from Elliott who had never even taught us said how great we were. We were left alone, more than anything – although I'm sure that helped us in its own way." Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft started the band as a duo when they were 15.Oliver and Romy have been friends since they met at nursery school at the age of three, and know each other so well that their voices curl around each other like wisps of smoke.But it's not a romantic or eroticised sound: both Oliver and Romy are gay.
Let’s be real here: I knew Romy Madley Croft played for our team when I first saw her.Built around the duel vocals of Croft and Sim, the group's signature brand of moody, soulful indie rock first appeared on the public radar in early 2009 with the single "Crystalised," which created a huge buzz among critics and fans alike. Meanwhile, Smith worked with Gil Scott-Heron on the remix album We're New Here (in turn spawning the Drake song "Take Care," which sampled the pair's "I'll Take Care of U").The xx released their self-titled debut LP in July of that year in the U. In mid-2012, a pair of singles, "Angels" and "Chained," heralded the release of the group's second album, Coexist, that September.I feel like we never explain our songs directly — what they’re about or who they’re about.But I never want to be so secretive that it’s like denying it.