Xander AV – Stressing Out (2025)
At the age of 26, singer-songwriter Xander AV is already almost two decades into his fascinating musical journey. Discovering a passion for music early on – hell, he hadn’t even reached double digits yet – the UK-based artist was performing in bands, composing songs, and putting a grin on everyone’s faces with music. While raised in an age of synths, production software, and recently AI, Xander calls on old-school approaches eagerly leaning towards all-organic production – something that is both refreshingly familiar, albeit a little eccentric in today’s digital era. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘Stressing Out’.
Following the well-received debut single, ‘Fall’, Xander AV’s sophomore single, ‘Stressing Out’ is already turning heads internationally. Another step into his solo project, ‘Stressing Out’ solidifies the artist’s indie-folk sound with slips of indie-rock fluttering along the soothing ballad. Joined by producer Trevor Gibson, the song is entirely organic, blending acoustic guitar, piano, percussion, drums, and haunting strings. While the track fuses in a kaleidoscopic swoon of tender music, a certain, not necessarily simplicity, but individuality of each element exists. Interestingly, as each instrument lies in wait, it is this pure layering that makes the masterful symphony.
For me, in both ‘Stressing Out’ and ‘Fall’, Xander AV’s warm, rich, bold vocals are the core of the track. Lingering within and lying without as a separate entity, his voice is the aspect that binds and picks up the edges of ‘Stressing Out’. Yet, while his dulcet tones are calm and embracing, a hint of vulnerability is intricately interwoven and executed with elegant sophistication.
The melody itself is sensational, but it is the lyricism that captures the concept of ‘Stressing Out’. Xander explains: “’Stressing Out’ can mean different things to different people, depending on your perspective when listening. When I wrote the song, I was in a place of wanting to explore the unknown with somebody, to walk into the dark of the deep blue sea with them, and see where it would take us.”
Find out more about Xander AV on his Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
Listen to more indie-folk music on The Other Side Reviews Indie Folk playlist:
