X & Ivy: No Boxes, No Boundaries
Few acts feel as at home in a London basement as they do in the booth at a Berlin festival or the playlists of BBC Radio 1. But for X & Ivy, duality is the point. An Australian-American duo who started in LA and are now based in London—have been building toward this moment since 2016. And now, after a string of key co-signs, label signings, and standout sets, the rest of the world is finally catching up.
“It’s hard to point to one single moment,” they say, reflecting on when things started to shift. “But when What Is This Sound landed with DJs over NYE, that was the first time we felt something tip.” That release—followed by a debut EP on DJ Tennis’ Life & Death, SG Lewis picking up Let The Bass Kick, and a Rhythm Section nod from Bradley Zero—marked the start of a momentum that hasn’t slowed since.
But none of it came overnight. “Before anyone was listening, we made nearly 100 demos in 2024. We were manifesting a moment like this—and we didn’t want to be scrambling when it came.” That quiet period of relentless output is what’s allowed them to move with intention, even as the pace picks up.
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Listen to any X & Ivy track and you’ll hear it: deep groove, emotional weight, and raw energy, all woven together with sharp precision. But pinning down a genre? Good luck. “We never wanted to be boxed in,” they say. “Our influences stretch well beyond dance music, and we’re trying to build a catalogue that reflects that.”
Their contribution to the Forever Days compilation is a perfect example—what started as “let’s make a groovy French house track” turned into a cut that nods to Daft Punk, Braxe, and Cassius, but still feels unmistakably their own. “It was a bucket-list moment for us.”
And it’s not just the sound that’s evolving. Their fanbase is shifting, too. With support spanning the underground and more mainstream spaces, X & Ivy find themselves occupying a rare middle lane—and doing it on their own terms. “We’ve never felt pressure to change who we are. If the music’s good, it finds its way.”
Mentors, Misfits, and the Moments That Stick
A major turning point came with their connection to Todd Edwards, the garage icon whose fingerprints are all over the DNA of modern dance music. A chance dinner led to regular sessions at Edwards’ Silver Lake studio—“20% music, 80% life chats”—and a friendship that quickly became mentorship.
“He gave us so much more than production tips,” they say. “He gave us context. He showed us how the sound we love was shaped, and where it could go next.” And yes, more music with Todd is on the horizon.
When their breakout single hit BBC Radio 1, the response was instant and surreal. “We definitely replayed it an embarrassing number of times,” they admit. “After eight years of sending out demos and hearing nothing back, it finally felt like real validation.”
From the Underground, Up
Despite the rising profile, nothing about the way X & Ivy approach music has changed. They’re still writing for themselves, still taking risks, and still building a world where anything goes—so long as it moves. “There’s a punk spirit to what we do,” they say. “Even if we’re making French house or 90s-leaning tracks, it’s not about genre—it’s about attitude.”
And that attitude carries over into their performances. Their Book Club Radio set, which has racked up over 200K views, is the product of an ethos that values presence over performance. “No phones, no booth worship—just energy,” they say. “Ironically, that ends up making the best clips for socials anyway.”
The sets have been hitting, hard. A sun-soaked appearance at Home Again in Berlin, a b2b with SG Lewis and KETTAMA in London, and a euphoric hometown show in Leicester all rank among their highlights. “We’re still thinking about those passionfruit slushies in Berlin,” they laugh.
Looking Forward
With their debut album quietly taking shape since 2020, and a collab EP announcement just around the corner, the future is looking loud. “There’s a lot more on the way,” they say. “And yeah, an album—or maybe even two—is definitely coming.”
But for all the milestones, they’re not rushing. “We’re trying to appreciate the in-between moments too—the little wins, the weird gigs, the late-night edits that never leave the USB. That’s the stuff we’ll remember.”
So what do they hope people take away from an X & Ivy track or set?
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting that, but it makes complete sense.” A perfect summary for a duo refusing to fit any mold, and making their own lane in the process.
