Xiu Xiu As Birdwatchers

"Every record I promise not to, and this is the first record where I’ve been strong enough not to peek." Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu is responding to the question of whether he reads his own press, subscribing to the idea that, for the artist, the activity lies somewhere between egotism and masochism. "It’s either going to inflate your ego, or make you feel like a total loser, which seems totally pointless. I take everything really personally, which I guess is good, as it means I care about what we’re trying to do."

The record in question - Women As Lovers - takes its title and many lyrical themes from a book by Nobel prize winning author Elfriede Jelinek. The Austrian feminist famously wrote The Piano Teacher, which was later adapted to film by master of emotional detachment, Michael Haneke. However, Stewart's interpretation is far from detached. "I would always want to sing about them as a person that was, or is, involved in the situation," he confesses.

Sonically, Xiu Xiu are a rare thing: a band that rarely evokes an ‘Ooh that sounds like…’ response to their songs, with a unique sound that only hints at its influences rather than apeing them entirely. This comes as a result of absorbing a number of genres – modern classical, noise, folk, ‘art-rock’ - and utilising a wide range of live instrumentation, as well as sequencers, drum machines and the magic of digital production, which Stewart cites as crucial: "While there was more live playing on this record - it wasn’t numerous tiny takes – I’m also completely enamoured with computer editing, it can be a really wonderful creative tool."

Also fuelling the band's evolution of late is a line up change which has seen Xiu Xiu expand over the course of their last few tours: "This comes from trying not to fall into some kind of rut," offers Stewart. "Every year we change the live show, either by adding or subtracting something integral – this year we’re not using a drum machine for the first time."

Scanning the tracklisting of Women As Lovers, it’s the cover of Queen’s Under Pressure with Michael Gira of cult New York experimentalists Swans that leaps out, and it’s in continuing with the band’s tradition of taking on the music of their heroes. "The primary impetus for a cover is that we love the song." In recent times, Xiu Xiu have taken on some big names - Nina Simone, and New Order being two - and when it comes to whose material they take on, there are no holy cows. "I can’t think of anyone, we’re pretty impetuous. I’ve done some that haven’t worked but I’m not telling you who they are," laughs Stewart.

This provocative marriage of what is sometimes an uncomfortable sound with lyrical themes exploring sex, love (or lack thereof) and politics filters the audience in such a way that Xiu Xiu have a core of fanatical followers. Responding to that loyalty, the band often create inclusive art projects where they send one-off Polaroid sets to anybody supplying a film, and give fans the chance to create lyrics and sing on exclusive tracks that they later post on their website. While these efforts give something back, and are fun for the band, Stewart identifies the value in it being an alternative device to promote the band's music. "We were trying to figure out a way to let people know about the records that was creative rather than commercial. They’re experiments in letting art support art."

The polaroid element to this endeavour follows on from numerous pictures and videos posted online by their ex-tour manager David Horvitz recently. "It did initially take a bit of getting used to the camera, but it didn’t feel like prying. His motivation was creative, not just to show us at our worst moments, although he frequently did."

With this level of voyeurism in mind, the conversation winds up on the subject of Jamie’s birdwatching hobby. "I’m really enchanted about how spontaneous it is, and how little control you have over it; you may or may not see something. It’s something very beautiful and very fleeting." There are no clumsy metaphors for Xiu Xiu’s brand of music, in fact it’s probably the opposite; they are singularly meticulous, shocking and persistent. Go and see them.