Interview: The XX

An album "head and shoulders above its contemporaries", The XX's self-titled debut cames out today on the back of very much warrented positive press. The Londoners' co-vocalist Oliver Sim tells Ragged Words about creeping up on the outside in the great New Band Of 2009 race and recommends a few modern r 'n' b albums to help us forget about some Trevor Nelson approved horrors.

The album’s out today and the reviews have been overwhelmingly good – must feel pretty rewarding?

“It feels really amazing to get it out there now. We finished it four months ago so the only people to hear it were my mum and dad and you always know what your mum is going to say, she’s always going to be proud of you so it’s nice to get someone a bit more removed.”

I know you’re speaking to us from the XL offices (the parent label of the band’s Young Turks home) which is where you recorded the record as the first band to use the new in-house studio. How was the new space?

“We were in there rehearsing before they turned it into a proper studio; it was kind of like a garage with a leaky ceiling and mattresses on the wall. It was pretty atmospheric but not too great to be in for long periods of time. When they renovated, we were the first band to be in there to record. But XL’s always a pretty amazing place to be anyway, there’s always exciting new music playing and it’s a really inspiring place to be even outside the studio."

I know from speaking to the guys at the label and from the lack of ’09 gigs until quite recently that you really buried yourselves in the process Was it an intense couple of months?

"Yeah it was pretty intense. We did a massive chunk of the recording in the space of two months and then went away to gave it a last push and did some more writing but it was quite a small space for six people - we had our sound engineer and Caius (Pawson, Young Turks boss) was quite involved in the recording. A small space for a few months does take your friendship to a new level. It got a bit too cozy at times but intense is definitely a good word for it."

The record feels and sounds like a one made for the small hours – to listen to when the streets are cleared and skies are dark. Was it recorded and/or written in the nighttime or with that in mind?

"Speaking for Romy and myself, we write quite separately at home but a lot of it is done at night, just sitting in our bedrooms when everyone’s gone asleep and nobody’s trying to eavesdrop. Jamie’s production was also done when the studio was empty and everyone in the offices had gone home. He was working from 10 in the evening til 10 in the morning. I don’t know how he managed to do that – he was a bit of a vampire and when you did see him, he was looking like a bit of a mad scientist. So there was a definite nighttime feel to it."

How do you and Romy write?

"Most of our writing is really quite separate. What Romy sings, she’s written and what I sing, I’ve written except for choruses and stuff. A lot of it is done over i-chat, her sending over lyrics or a recording she’s done and asking for my input or vice versa. In that last writing period after we’d done some recording, that was the first time we sat in a rehearsal room and tried writing together, which worked out well but it was a bit strange for both of us. A lot of it is done separately but it’s strange though because a lot of times she’ll send me stuff and when I look back at stuff I’d already written, it would just fit."

There’s quite a mix on the records but one things that stand out is your r ‘n’ influences – Timbaaland, Aaliyah etc. For someone for who mid nineties r ‘n’ b music was ruined by the rubbish Trevor Nelson was showing on MTV’s The Lick, where should I jump back in!?

"I got my love for r ‘n’ b from my sister. All I did growing up was steal her cd’s and she was listening to Aaliyah and I’d recommend any of her albums really. There’s one called One In A Million which is beautiful. A lot of people like En Vogue, Genuine, TLC. I think it’s definitely more 90’s r ‘n’ b that you’re looking for."

It all goes towards you guys having a definite uniqueness of sound – there are not too many bands who you immediately sound like. Are you as aware or more aware of this?

"I don’t think we started writing anyone in mind; it was all about making the sounds that we wanted to make. It didn’t really come from wanting to sound like someone and I could only hope that that helps create something a bit new and different."

Having heard the demos on your MySpace late last year, we were struck by the fact that they were amazingly full-formed and fully-sounding. You seem to have stayed quite true to them on the whole.

"We knew we wanted to stay true to the demos but make them a bit more polished. We didn’t want grand production and lots of doubling of vocals - we wanted to be able to play it all live, and recreate the album as you hear it. When Jamie did join the band (around two years ago), he brought quite a lot of freedom because we were able to make a bigger sound and things felt a lot more natural. In the studio it was tempting to add an extra three guitars but it got to a point where it became a conscious effort to hold back a bit."

You’ve been together for quite a while (since 2005, sickingly aged 16) but also all went to school together. Quite a lot has been made of the fact that it’s the same school that produced Burial, Hot Chip and Four Tet – is it pure coincidence or were they particularly encouraging?

"I never know how much credit to give to school. I don’t know if we were given a lot of freedom to do our own thing or whether they were neglecting us. There was quite a lot of space, no strict uniform and there was a lot of time to work on your own. Especially in music where you were allowed spend time in the rehearsal rooms and play about with instruments and the multi-tracker. But then I don’t know if it was them making a conscious effort to encourage their students to try stuff out on their own or they were being forgetful. Who knows."

You’ve played with the likes of Micachu and The Big Pink - not bands you’d immediately put The XX beside you but one’s similarly minded. Does it strike you that there are more bands around the UK at the moment making really interesting music.

“I find it ridiculously exciting. It hasn’t been the case in past years that a lot the music I’m listening to at the moment is new and it’s coming from the UK. It’s amazingly exciting. To have the chance to go on tour with those guys, people we genuinely like and are inspired by, is really exciting.”

Any other local bands you’re listening to in that case?

"Other than Micachu and The Big Pink, there’s a band called Trailer Trash Tracy's who make beautiful music. I’ve only heard two songs of theirs and from that I’m pretty much in love. There’s another band called Mount Kimbie – they’re a duo. I don’t know how to classify them but it’s kind of dub stop inspired and they’re going to be supporting us later in the year. They’ve just got a vocalist involved called James Blake who has the most beautiful voice."

You’re off on tour with Florence & The Machine shortly – I’d imagine giving her status that could potentially open up a huge audience of receptive fans?

"We supported her on her last tour last year so it’ll be a bit of a jump. Last year, there was a really great atmosphere but just 300-odd capacities and now she’s playing massive academies. I only recently got her album and yeah it’s produced but it’s an amazing album and she has an amazing voice. She’s delivered the goods."

And finally until the last couple of weeks at least, you’ve crept up as one of the “best new bands of 2009”. Was that the way you would have wanted it – to avoid the worst of the hype machine.

“I don’t know. The way things have happened, everything has been really gradual. We’ve been working with Young Turks for two years – the first year was just playing shows, giving us space to rehearse and work with other people and it’s only the last year that we’ve been working towards this album. Things started moving slowly and taking more of a gradual pace than being an overnight thing so it hasn’t been too much of a shock. I think it’s just a case of not trying to follow it too much. Don’t google yourself too much!”