On their latest album, XIXA leave the sunbaked desert behind, taking listeners on a journey through the underworld. Diving into the richness of folklore, Brian Lopez and Gabriel 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 XOLO, an album exploring both a mythic journey and what messages it might have for today. XOLO (in both band name and album title, the x is pronounced like ch) refers to the breed of Mexican hairless dog, Xoloitzcuintli, sacred in Mayan and Aztec cultures as guides through the underworld, Mictlan.

The record loosely tells the story of a young girl, Arcoiris, on her journey through all nine levels of Mictlan, 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.

XOLO is the band’s third full-length record, following Genesis (2021) and Bloodline (2016), and EPs The Code (2019) and Shift and Shadow (2015).