XIXA Release 'Xolo de Galáxia; Single from New Album

Tucson, Arizona’s XIXA return this year with a new full-length studio album XOLO - due out March 21st via Jullian Records. Recorded at their own Dust and Stone Recording Studio in Tucson with XIXA’s Brian López and Gabriel Sullivan producing, the album follows 2021’s critically acclaimed sophomore LP Genesis. Diving into the richness of folklore, López and Sullivan — who share XIXA’s songwriting, lead vocals and lead guitars — expand on their mystic, psychedelic rock, reaching more into their Latin influences to create a musical and lyrical narrative for the new album, exploring both a mythic journey and what messages it might have for today.

Along with the album news, XIXA are releasing the first single “Xolo De Galáxia,” a classic cumbia ballad that features lead vocals from both Sullivan and López along with guest vocals from Mona Chambers. The song chronicles the story of a young girl, Arcoiris, and her cosmic canine companion, El Xolo, as they traverse through the underworld of Mictlán.

"A very celebratory song. Praising the wisdom of this Mexican hairless dog that knows the lands of the underworlds and fearlessly guides Arcoiris through them. We have Mona Chambers (who's voice sonically represents Arocoiris through the album) singing with us in the chorus which I think only adds to how grateful she is for the Xolo," says XIXA of “Xolo De Galáxia.”

XOLO refers to the breed of Mexican hairless dog, Xoloitzcuintli, sacred in Mayan and Aztec cultures as guides through Mictlán. The record loosely tells the story of Arcoiris and her journey through all nine levels of Mictlán, guided by her sacred protector, El Xolo. Musically, the moods and styles shift along with the journey. Still guided by dark psychedelia and cumbia, XIXA brings more dynamic arrangements, expanding their musical language and carving the album into more distinct chapters. On the final and ninth song of the LP “Heart Of The World” XIXA brought in children of friends to join them in singing the choruses, creating a welcome party for Arcoiris and Xolo. As the outro concludes, they’ve reached the end of their journey through the underworld and found peace.

In addition to Mona Chambers, XIXA teams up with Modern English’s Robbie Gray and Mick Conroy on their track “It Doesn’t Matter,” a moment of despair or hopelessness shared by the two travelers. Robbie contributes his distinctive vocals, while Mick plays the MS20 synth—a signature element of Modern English’s sound, featured on every album since their inception. The collaboration was sparked in March 2022 when XIXA opened for Modern English on a series of post-SXSW tour dates, forging a creative connection that now comes to life.

The concept of a Xolo-themed record traces back to 2011, when López and Sullivan were solo artists and together encountered Royal de Luxe’s giant marionettes in Nantes, France, depicting Xolo’s sacred journey. Inspired by that imagery and themes of life and death, they revisited those ideas during the pandemic, crafting an album rich with intention. “When we get together, we push toward these themes—good & evil, isolation & escape, fear & love, despair & hope,” López says. “There’s a lot of intention in this album—it’s almost like a musical.”

XIXA’s XOLO LP features art by Daniel Martin Diaz - a renown Tucson based fine artist whose art explores existential and scientific exploration - and is out March 21st via Jullian Records.