Popular music has always been fashion and image conscious. From early days of rock ‘n roll to today’s latest cutting edge acts, a group’s appearance plays an important factor in building a fan base. The English indie pop band The xx recently spoke with Live105/San Francisco‘s Miles the DJ about the impact fashion and art have on music.

Backstage at San Francisco’s Treasure Island Festival, singer Romy Croft admitted that she and the band do seem to wear black most of the time but that it isn’t a rule.

“We all definitely like fashion and like thinking about what we wear and are kind of conscious of it.” Croft commented, “Not to the point of having like a strict rule. If Oliver wants to wear pink, I don’t mind.”

“There is definitely something to having ‘a look,’ not in just what you wear, but in all of your artwork.” Added Jamie Smith, “If people can associate a look with the way you sound I guess it makes it easier.”

Venturing into the retail space, the band has partnered with Urban Outfitters on a magazine titled And We’ll Be, Us. Limited to 75,000 copies, the free magazine features photographs of the band shot by during the writing, recording and touring of their latest album, Coexist.

According to photographer James Medina, “I wanted to create a publication that showcased exclusive, high-end photography in an affordable zine-format, so we created The Tourist.”

The xx’s second studio album Coexist is out now and you can find out where to catch them live at thexx.info.

– Bradford Hornsby, Live105/San Francisco