The last time we saw the xx perform as a three-piece was in November 2014, at the Guggenheim’s Dior-sponsored International Gala. A$AP Rocky and Raf Simons turned up too, which, in hindsight, was a sign of things to come (Rocky and xx members Jamie and Oliver would later star in Dior Homme campaigns). Yet one thing the band actually foretold at the show — its third album — has yet to come to fruition.
This unfinished chapter makes today’s Lollapalooza announcement all the more exciting. Today its organizers revealed that the xx will headline its three South American festivals in 2017. The trio will head to Brazil on March 25 and 26, Argentina on March 31 and April 1, and finally Chile on April 1 and 2. Fellow headliners include Metallica, The Strokes, and The Weeknd.
Related: See more photos from the xx’s last show together
Hopefully, this reunion means that third album is actually somewhere close to completion. Shortly before the Guggenheim show, the band shared more about the record’s creation in a newsletter. “In the spring we spent a few weeks in the incredible and unique town of Marfa in Texas. Then, in summer, we spent some time just outside of Reykjavik in Iceland. This autumn we have been back in London, writing and having some time at home but this week we are heading out to Los Angeles to continue the writing and recording process,” the letter stated. “Although all very different, each of these places have been inspirational environments to create music in, and each will have an influence on the new album. The whole process is a big adventure and we can’t wait for a time when we’ll be able to share the music with you.”
Perhaps the band’s South American stint will close out the already very international record. If you need something to tide you over until then, Jamie xx’s very xxcellent solo record In Colour — on which his bandmates Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft feature — is well worth a few more spins.
Credits
Text Emily Manning
Photography Barbara Anastacio