Xiu Xiu

The Profile

Xiu Xiu are an American experimental rock project centered on songwriter Jamie Stewart, known for abrasive noise, fractured pop structures, and emotionally intense performances and lyrics.

Publicly known: Xiu Xiu is an American band founded in 2002 by Jamie Stewart; the name is taken from the film “Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl.” Reviews here also mention past members/collaborators including Cory McCulloch, Caralee McElroy, and Angela Seo, and cite producer/collaborator Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) for “The Air Force.”

Across these reviews, Xiu Xiu are depicted as an extreme-love-or-hate band led by Jamie Stewart, mixing noise, fractured pop, synth violence, and fragile balladry. Multiple writers single out “A Promise” as a pinnacle, with recurring themes of despair, intimacy, and catharsis. Later-era releases with Angela Seo are described as more structured or catchy at times, but still disorienting and abrasive. The live report emphasizes urgency, physical intensity, and the difficulty of “explaining” the music without seeing it performed.