Hi Jamie, thanks for taking the time to speak with us here at theAUreview

How did the band come together?

It came together four years ago with Oliver and Romy doing covers in their bedroom then two years later I joined, that's when we started working with our record later and in another two years we started working towards our album.

And how did you come up with the band name?

It was pretty much purely aesthetical reasons just because of the way it looks, and the industrial connotations that go with it.

So is it pronounced ‘Ex Ex’?

Yep

Back in November, your keyboardist, Baria, left. Has it been difficult adapting the songs to the three piece you've now been playing as?

It hasn’t really being very difficult, it’s just being fun and we’ve been experimenting a lot more. We wrote the album as a four piece and played it as a four piece, we had to change to a three piece but because of that we can experiment a lot more with the songs and do extended endings. It’s been more fun and interesting for us.

With this one album, you've already accomplished so much, playing Reading festival, tours with Florence and the Machine and Friendly Fires, as well as touring the US with Hot Chip next year, is it sometimes difficult to believe just how far this one record has taken you?

Yeah, for us it’s not just been a fast process, we’ve been together for four years and it’s something you have to tour.

You decided to produce the album yourself, why was that?

We had got some producers before, and afterwards I found myself frustrated because it didn’t sound exactly as I wanted it to sound. So I produced it myself because the producers just added stuff that was unnecessary.

What was the main theme and inspiration behind it?

I guess the main them and inspiration is growing up in London from the age of 16-21

You’ll be here in Australia for the Laneway Festival, what are you looking forward to most?

I’ve never been there before so I’ll be looking forward all the new experiences and also the heat!

Florence and the Machine will be playing as well, are you guys good friends now?

Yeah, we played quite a few shows with her in London and Europe and they’re really nice and really fun to play with them.

What was been your highlight of the year?

I guess for us, having our debut album released and having it so well received.

You guys have covered Aaliyah, is there any other artist that you’d like to cover?

I’m sure there are but right now we’re concentrating on our own new stuff, it’s always fun to do covers. Once we get back into touring next year we’ll try and come up with some more stuff.

Finally, what do you hope to achieve with The XX?

Well everything that’s happened has been a surprise and it’s been beyond our hopes with what has happened so far. We just hope to keep going.

Thank you for your time Jamie and I’ll see you next year.

Thank you, bye