ARXX
BBC Introducing StageSaturday12:00 pm
‘Ride Or Die’. It’s a phrase full of intensity and absoluteness – a commitment of unconditional, unwavering loyalty driven by love. As the title for the debut album from ARXX – the Brighton-based duo who have swiftly become one of the most exhilarating bands in the UK’s music scene – it’s a fierce summary of their whole ethos and unquenchable passion for music. “There’s no option to give up,” singer and guitarist Hanni Pidduck explains. “If we give up, we just lose the most important thing for us.”
Since coming together in 2017, the pair have proved that determined dedication through their infectious live show and a series of singles and EPs, including early releases ‘Daughters Of Daughters EP’ (2018) and ‘Wrong Girl, Honey EP’ (2019). Along the way, the duo have gained praise from NME, DIY, The Forty-Five, BBC Radio 1 and more, and risen through the ranks of the touring circuit bolstered by support slots with the likes of The Big Moon, Dream Wife and Pillow Queens.
ARXX’s success was never a given, though – not least because both Hanni and drummer Clara Townsend were reckoning with their futures in music before they joined forces. Hanni’s old drummer had moved to Australia, and she was struggling to recruit someone who would take the project seriously. Clara, meanwhile, was also finding it hard to find someone else to be as “all in” on music as she was.