The xx will treat audiences to their unique dreamy sound in stunning outdoor venues in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney next January, joined at all shows by special guests Kelela and Earl Sweatshirt.

The xx are Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass, vocals) and Jamie Smith (beats, MPC, production), also known as Jamie xx. Their latest Mecury prize nominated release ‘I See You’incorporates all three members’ talents into a new version of their sound, one true to their roots but richer and more varied.

“I See You pulls off the feat of managing to sound both exactly like The xx and unlike anything they have done before.”
– The Guardian ★★★★

Supporting The xx at all shows will be Kelela (USA) with her mutable hybrid of house, electro, R&B and hip hop, as well as LA rapper Earl Sweatshirt (USA) following his acclaimed 2015 album, ‘I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside’.

The xx have partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket purchased will go towards local LGBT+ programs in each city of the tour. Visit plus1.org for more information on the organisation.

These are The xx’s first Australian headline shows since they embarked on their 2013 tour, which saw them sell out multiple nights in advance at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion and Melbourne’s Festival Hall. Fans are encouraged to act quickly to secure their tickets to witness The xx, one of pop’s brooding perfectionists.

The xx – I See You – Australian 2018 Tour
Melbourne – Saturday 13th January – Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Brisbane – Wednesday 17th January – Riverstage
Sydney – Saturday 20th January – The Domain
www.thexx.info

At the age of just 16, Lorde released her first album Pure Heroine (Universal), breaking into the international market and later going on to win two Grammy Awards including the coveted Album of the Year. The album peaked at #1 in over 20 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and America and featuring chart topping tracks ‘Royals’, ‘Tennis Court’ and ‘Team’.

Now 20, Lorde has truly grown in her formidable talent. Her forthcoming second studio album Melodrama (out 16 June through Universal Music) is one of the most anticipated records of the year. Produced by Lorde, the esteemed Jack Antonoff and Frank Dukes, the album was recorded between Jack’s flat and Electric Lady Studios.

Fronted by the release of three stunning songs – current single ‘Perfect Places’, ‘Green Light’ and ‘Liability’ as well as today’s surprise release ‘Sober’ – Melodrama’s tasters are critically acclaimed in the recorded and live arena. Lorde’s stunning debut performance of ‘Green Light’ on Saturday Night Live made international waves, reminding us all of her compelling vocals and stage presence.

Lorde – Melodrama World Tour
Sat 18 Nov – Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth (18+^)
Tue 21 Nov – Opera House Forecourt, Sydney (All Ages)
Wed 22 Nov – Opera House Forecourt, Sydney (All Ages)
Thu 23 Nov – Riverstage, Brisbane (All Ages)
Sat 25 Nov – Spilt Milk Festival, Canberra (18+)
Sun 26 Nov – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne (All Ages)
www.lorde.co.nz

Titled ‘An Evening with Sigur Rós’, the shows will be the first-time they’ve toured Australia without a support band, audiences will be treated to a career-spanning set separated by an interval.

The live production will be as characteristically stunning, intense and cinematic as ever, designed by the same team behind their previous Knights of Illumination award-winning tour. Prepare to enter a transcendental state alongside a couple thousand of your closest Sigur Ros fans in Sydney and Melbourne.

“Sigur Rós’ performance was complete and utter perfection.” Grimy Goods
 
“Sigur Rós is more than a band, it is a memory palace.” Mountain Express
 
“This is must-see stuff. A stunningly musical and visual journey.” Mxdwn

An Evening With Sigur Rós
25 July 2017 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
27 July 2017 – Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
www.sigur-ros.co.uk

The up-tempo single is simultaneously glamorous and minimalist in its approach, revolving around a basic formula of clapping drums, a strutting bassline, bright guitar notes and cooing layers of falsetto vocals that all stand out on their own while perfectly combining in a mix that straddles the line between tender indie rock and a neo-disco jam.

LISTEN TO ‘BACK FOR ME’ HERE:

‘Back For Me’ is a side-step to ‘Dear To Me’, the duo’s synth-driven first single from Plural. Released late last year, the no less infectious single feautured a cameo from Haim on backing vocals, and was Electric Guest’s first official release since their 2012 breakout debut album, Mondo. Premiering on Stereogum, it announced their return with soulful style and a terminally chill flow that seamlessly suited the rise of Australian summer.

Recorded in their hometown of LA and, Plural is a record that finds Electric Guest’s Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton at the absolute top of their game, infusing their version of electronic r’n’b with an even more confident, adventurous spirit than even Mondo displayed. Co-produced by the duo, along with the likes of John Hill (Rihanna, Santigold, M.I.A.), Cole MGN (Nite Jewel, Ariel Punk’s Haunted Graffiti) and Lars Stalfors (HEALTH, Coldwar Kids), the album is much more than the sum of its parts – using spare instrumentation and recording techniques to produce vibrant and joyful pop music that focuses purely on the power of the band’s songwriting and performing abilites.

When it came to record Plural, Taccone admits that he forced himself to simplify and look for that joy in writing and recording that had originally inspired the band’s debut album and won them so much success.

“I just realized that working quickly and intuitively is part of the magic of making music,” says Taccone. “I think a lot of music suffers when people get into a studio and feel like the process has to be this heady thing. When you go in with expectations, it wears down the levity and the fluidity that the natural process should have. And that’s not to say there weren’t songs on this record that were puzzles we had to figure out, but making music is supposed to be fun, and it was important for us to get back to that.”

That freewheeling sense of looseness Taccone rediscovered also opened the doors to several off-the-cuff collaborations, including an impromptu collaboration with baroque pop star Joanna Newsom and the aforementioned Haim sisters. It also led to a new level of comfort both at the mixing board and behind the microphone. That relaxed, go with the flow approach permeates Plural, encouraging the listener to shed all their preoccupations, and sing or dance along with its 12 glorious tracks.

‘Back For Me’ is just a tantalising taste of what we can expect once Plural finally drops February 17.
www.facebook.com/electricguest

The song is the first taste of new music from their yet-to-be-announced forthcoming second LP to be released in 2017 via Dew Process / UMA.

The band have also revealed the details for their one and only Australian headline show to take place at Paddington Town Hall, Sydney on Thursday, January 5 – Ballot is now closed and entrants will be sent an invitation for the ticket link shortly.
www.londongrammar.com