The xx are officially back in the studio

The xx have entered the studio to begin work on their third full-length.

The band confirmed the news via a Facebook post (below) which claimed they were entering “Winter studio hibernation.” It also formed the debut of a snazzy new bleached hair-do for singer/bassist Oliver Sim, which is nice. He looks a bit like Draco Malfoy.

It’s the first confirmation we’ve had in a while of work continuing on their third LP - they supposedly started writing it in April 2013, before jetting off for sessions in Texas, Reykjavik and London over summer 2014. At the end of that year, they then headed off to Los Angeles for further studio time, before falling ‘a bit quiet’.

While the trio have been relatively quiet as a collective since touring wound down for 2012’s ‘Coexist’, the band’s production-slash-percussion maestro Jamie xx has had a busy year, releasing his debut solo album ‘In Colour’, which featured Oliver and singer/guitarist Romy Madley-Croft amongst the featured artists - he even linked up with them for a few TV performances. As part of DIY’s cover feature with Jamie xx earlier this year, he admitted that the upcoming third The xx record was “a lot more fun.”

“There’s less rules and we’re being a lot more open about it,” he continued, “We’re playing it to everyone. We’re happier, too. We know ourselves a lot more. And also musically, our tastes have broadened so much. Most of the music I listen to now is super cheesy disco. Whereas before I was a moody teenager.”