XAVIA
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom | SELF
Music
Press
XAVIA
WHO: Charlie Lindsay
(vocals), Scott Kirkwood
(synths/vocals), David
Coulter (guitar/vocals),
Craig Flint (drums)
WHERE: Dumfries
FOR FANS OF: Nine Inch
Nails, Pendulum, The
Prodigy
JIM SAYS: Opening the Main Stage at the Wickerman Festival last month,Xavia’s sound is a perfect fit for the bigger stages.The set may have beenhampered by sound problems, but they carried it off magnificently.Fusing metal and electronic sounds may not be new, but they do it with a particular swagger.Charlie, especially, is one of the most focused musicians I’ve come across, and I’m sure he’s working to some sort of masterplan.I’ve always been really impressed with how they
go about things, and they’re always striving for the next level. Surprisingly for a band that seem so serious about their goals, Charlie actually started the band as a hobby in his bedroom.Having just left another band, he set up his own home studio and put together some solo tracks.He told me: “I wasn’t interested in getting into another band again, and after getting fed up of individually emailing the tracks to all my mates who wanted to listen, I put them up on MySpace.” The story could well have ended there, was it not for Radio 1 producer Muslim Alim (one of the unsung heroes of New Music in Scotland). Muslim stumbled upon Charlie’s MySpace, and Xavia debuted on Radio 1
before the band had even formed! Craig convinced Charlie to give the band thing one more go and the rest is history.It’s quite refreshing to
find a band into showmanship. A lot of acts forget that music is part of the entertainment industry.For Xavia, the performance is core to what they do. It might at times come across as slightly contrived, but if you’re invited to their party, that hardly matters.They make no apologies that their ambition is to be Scotland’s answer to Queen — and I think we
probably need a band like that right now. It’s all very well for
bands to reflect the gritty realisms of life, but Xavia provide some most welcomed escapism with their pomp rock electro.
MORE: xavia.co.uk
Q Jim’ll be playing Xavia on In:Demand Uncut — Sunday 7-10pm on Clyde 1, Forth One, Northsound 1, Radio Borders, Tay FM, West FM & West Sound FM — see jimgellatly.com - The Sun
Full review with picture at URL - THINK Glasgow
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD! See link for full article or contact charlie.lindsay@live.co.uk for full transcription - Evening Times
Full review as per link - Manchester Rocks
See link, full coverage with photo - Dumfries Standard
See link, full coverage with photo - Dumfries Standard
See link, full coverage with photo - Dumfries Courier
See link - full coverag with picture - West Lothian Courier
"Professionalism beyond their years" - DF Concerts - Craig Johnston
"With an eye on the prize, XAVIA mix up Trance, low-slung dirty Rock and Pendulum-esque, stadium-sized vocal melodies into a huge, futuristic and commercial electro-rock sound"
- BBC Radio One - Vic Galloway
"If these guys keep turning heads at the rate the currently are they are going to be MASSSSSIIIVVVVEEEE in a matter of MONTHS!" - BBC Radio One - Ally McCrae
Discography
Over + Out // LUST Double A-Side single (Self release, 2012)
Photos
Bio
Winner of Best Newcomer at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards, Xavia have played the Main Stage at the Wickerman Festival alongside James, Feeder, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Noisettes, The Hoosiers,GUN andTwin Atlantic and opened up for the likes of Basshunter, Chipmunk and Emma's Imagination in front of the 12,000 attendees at Youth Beatz Festival.
"Xavia's sound is a perfect fit for the big stages....Fusing metal and electronic sounds may not be new, but they do it with a particular swagger....I've always been really impressed with how they go about things, always striving for the next level....It's quite refreshing to find a band into showmanship. A lot of acts forget that music is a part of the entertainment industry. For Xavia the performance is core to what they do.....It's all very well for bands to reflect the gritty realisms of life, but Xavia provide some most welcomed escapism with their pomp rock electro."
Jim Gellatly - The Sun
An orchestral electro symphony of crunchy guitar driven rock with pop sensibility, hailing from Scotland, XAVIA's debut music video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwedKdEh8d4 ) received 1000 hits on YouTube within its first two days of being uploaded, they amassed 1000 Twitter followers in just two short weeks of joining and sold out their opening launch show at the Venue in Dumfries.
They were featured on Vic Galloway’s Radio 1 BBC Introducing Show before they had even stepped on stage and were very positively described as:
"With an eye on the prize, XAVIA mix up Trance, low-slung dirty Rock and Pendulum-esque, stadium-sized vocal melodies into a huge, futuristic and commercial electro-rock sound"
They were featured again just two weeks later as a recommendation from Fiction Records' Jen Anderson on the A&R zone, and then most recently, played and praised again by the new voice of BBC Introducing in Scotland Ally McCrae:
"If they carry on turning heads at the speed they currently are, they are going to be MAAASSSIIIVE in a matter of MONTHS!"
Radio interest was further cemented when XAVIA were added to the Amazing Radio playlist, after being featured by no less than 5 different DJ's across 7 different shows in just 2 weeks! Their track 'Alibi' was voted record of the week on 'Amazing Afternoons' and Track of the Week on the 'Saturday Rock Show' Countless other regional, online and College/ University radio stations ( such as Clyde 1, Forth One, Northsound 1, Radio Borders, Tay FM, West FM and West Sound) followed suit securing the band playlist slots on stations nationwide.
They have since played more sell out shows across Scotland as well as began embarking on ventures further afield. Keenly watched by many within the industry at home and across the pond, you can read a review of XAVIA live at The Railway in Bolton from the Manchester Rocks facebook page:(http://www.facebook.com/notes/manchester-rockss)
Rock Radio Manchester were in attendance and posted photos and praise mid-set on their twitter!
A super-group of local heroes, with countless shows, video's, releases and new material scheduled in for the year already, as well as tours, live sessions and showcases, Xavia are most definitely the one's to watch!
Links
