The xx On World Cafe

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Alexandra Waespi/Courtesy of the artist

The xx.

Alexandra Waespi/Courtesy of the artist

Romy Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith are The xx, an indie-pop band formed in the London borough of Wandsworth. Layering spare arrangements with synths, pulsing bass and haunting vocals, The xx's minimalist approach helped win the trio's debut, xx, the Mercury Prize for Best Album in 2010.

For its second full-length record, Coexist, the band drew on electronic music its members discovered while on tour. On this installment of World Café, The xx plays a few songs from Coexist and talks with host David Dye about creating its sound and dealing with success.

This episode was re-aired on July 7, 2014.