X Ambassadors (also XA) is an American rock band from Ithaca, New York. Its current members are lead vocalist Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris and drummer Adam Levine. Their most famous songs are Jungle, Renegades and Unsteady.
The band's debut full-length VHS album was released on June 30, 2015, while their second album, Orion, was released more recently on June 14, 2019.
2009-2012: X Ambassadors and album Litost
The X Ambassadors originally started out simply as the Ambassadors, touring with artists such as LIGHTS.
During this time, they self-released their debut mini-albums and created the music video for one of the single Tropisms, which was directed by Rodrigo Zedillo.
The band soon released their debut album, Litost, which included the song Litost, which was featured on the soundtrack to The Host. The band signed a music publishing deal in 2012 with SONGS Music Publishing.
The X Ambassadors created a Kickstarter account to shoot a video for one single, Unconsolable, which was later re-recorded. Imagine Dragons spotted the band while frontman Dan Reynolds was in a hospital in Norfolk, Virginia.
Reynolds heard an acoustic version of Unconsolable on 96X WROX-FM and asked Interact to sign the band as soon as possible.
Group X Ambassadors. Albums Love Songs Drug Songs and The Reason
X Ambassadors released their first major album Love Songs Drug Songs in 2013. The EP included the track Stranger, co-written with Dan Reynolds.
In promotion of this album, they toured with artists such as Imagine Dragons, Jimmy Eat World and The Mowglis. In 2014, the band released their second major album, The Reason. In an advertisement for which the XA group supported Panic! at the Disco and Imagine Dragons on their respective tours.
2015-2016: VHS album
VHS is the debut full length album by the X Ambassadors. It was released on June 30, 2015 as a digital download, vinyl and CD. The album contains 20 tracks, including 7 interludes and 3 previously released songs.
The album includes collaborations with Jamie N Commons and Imagine Dragons. On June 10, 2016, a special edition VHS2.0 was released with five extra tracks and removed interludes.
The X Ambassadors acted as a collaboration on their earlier title Coming with The Knocks, which was originally released back in 2013 under the name "55", in March 2016.
However, later that year, X Ambassadors vocalist Sam Harris reunited with the duo in their new collaboration titled Heat, which was released in October 2016.
2017-2018: Joyful (cancelled album)
XA released four singles in 2017: Hoping in March, Torches in April, The Devil You Know in June, and Ahead of Myself in July. They also performed at the National Scout Jamboree in 2017.
The group was featured on Eminem's Bad Husband, from his Revival album. They also performed the song Home on the soundtrack of the Netflix movie Bright. The song features work from pop singer Bebe Rexha and rapper Machine Gun Kelly.
The group moved forward very rapidly and released their next single Joyful on January 26, 2018. Later that day, they announced their second full-length album, Joyful, through their Instagram accounts, and pre-orders were made available through their website.
The album was due out in April 2018. On February 2, 2018, the band released another single from this album Don't Stay.
However, on April 19, 2019, it was announced that the band had canceled it. Something went wrong. They said they are cooking on their own and working on a new Orion album. Vocalist Sam Harris revealed that singles released before the album's cancellation would be made available on streaming services.
2019 to present: Orion album
On January 25, 2019, X Ambassadors released their new song Boom, which served as the lead single of their second studio album.
Also on April 19, 2019, the band released another new song, Hey Child, as the second single from their new album. The third single from Hold You Down was released on May 31, 2019. And the album itself was released quite recently - June 14, 2019.
Now let's find out some interesting facts! What is behind XA?
- Imagine Dragons helped the band make a huge "breakthrough".
When Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons first heard X Ambassadors Unssolable's acoustic performance online, he called his friend Alex da Kid of KIDina KORNER's record label, who ended up producing the band.
The band then toured with Imagine Dragons as well as Jimmy Eat World, Milky Chance and Panic! at the Disco.
- Their hit song Renegades reached #1 on Billboard's Alternative Songs list.
The instantly recognizable track from the Jeep Renegade commercial hit the top of the charts and was at the top of Billboard's Alternative Songs list for 11 consecutive weeks before making it to the Ex's and Oh's Elle King list.
- Brothers Sam, Casey Harris and band member Noah Feldshoe grew up in Ithaca, New York.
Vocalist Sam Harris spoke to Rolling Stone about how the bond the brothers forged in Ithaca inspired the song Unssolable.
He said, “It's about the stupid things we get into as kids. Noah, Casey and I grew up in a small town in upstate New York.
Then it was hard not to notice these beautiful, old colonial houses, in which many children moved after school; after which, over time, they turn them into these terrible, dilapidated party houses.
I always dreamed of leaving the city, but when I did, I was sad. I missed those houses and all the people I knew there."
- Their song Litost was featured on the soundtrack of the movie The Host.
The track was one of the first songs to get huge attention and a lot of useful air time. In Czech, the word litost means "a state of agony and anguish caused by a sudden sense of one's own suffering."
- The band's keyboardist, Casey Harris, has been blind since birth.
Despite Casey's limited abilities, he was talented and experienced enough to work as a professional tuner.
According to the X Ambassadors website, Sam was initially reluctant to have Casey play in a band with him, saying, "No one wants to be in a band with my brother."
But all the other members didn't want to let Casey go and told Sam, "Your brother is a better musician than the rest of us. Please stop saying that!"
