X Ambassadors is a multi-platinum and Grammy award-winning American pop band from Ithaca, New York, consisting of lead vocalist Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris and drummer Adam Levin.
The band has been a major force in alternative music over the past decade, releasing hits like “Renegades” and “Unsteady,” which respectively spent 35 and 34 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 chart.
Since their debut album “VHS” in 2015, X Ambassadors have consistently crafted new music. Their latest release, “Townie,” arrived earlier this year, blending alternative rock and indie influences.
The band is coming to Champaign-Urbana’s very own Canopy Club on Sept. 20 for Pygmalion, a festival that has showcased local and widespread talent since 2005.
During an interview with Sam Harris, the X Ambassadors frontman said the band plans to approach Pygmalion with the same energy and passion they do for every show: fulfilling an “unwritten contract” with their audience to leave everything on the stage.
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“Festivals are such an interesting thing always,” Harris said. “You’re playing for a mix of people who know you and are very familiar with your stuff and people who maybe know one or two songs.”
Harris said what he is looking forward to the most is the opportunity for the band to prove themselves to a new audience with an earnest and nostalgic performance.
X Ambassadors’ music has always defied easy categorization, blending alternative, jazz, rock and R&B. The band consistently pushes past musical boundaries to create music everyone can resonate with.
“I like to think that we’ve kind of made a name for ourselves on being a very dynamic band and very diverse sonically,” Harris said. “We draw from so many different influences and always have had this chameleon-like nature to ourselves that I take a lot of pride in.”
Though the band’s musical style has varied over the past decade, they’ve tried to focus each record primarily on one sound.
“I think with every record, we try to create a very specific tone,” Harris said. “That’s been an evolution. I think our first two records were very diverse, and then I think slowly, as we’ve progressed, the sound has gotten more focused.”
Harris describes their newest album as quieter and more introspective than previous works. Although he is conscious of making the band’s songs relatable, he always focuses on writing from personal experience.
“I want the material to not be too esoteric,” Harris said. “I want it to be something that everyone can find something in; however, I can’t approach songwriting from that perspective. I have to make it about my own experience first, and honestly, the more specific that I can get, the more universal the message becomes.”
This focus on personal experience is also reflected in the band’s growth over the years. In terms of the band’s evolution, Harris said there’s not much point in making music if you’re not challenging yourself during every moment.
“I definitely want to continue to push ourselves and evolve and change … I love feeling like there’s still room for us to grow, challenge ourselves and try something different,” Harris said. “I hope that our audiences keep going on these journeys with us … I think that we’ve got some ride or dies with us. That feels really good.”
