Planningtorock has teamed up with Romy for a tender and personal new version of their track ‘The One’ – listen below.
The Bolton-born, Tallinn-based electronic musician – aka Jam Rostron – first released the song on their second album ‘W’ in 2011, a record that NME described at the time as “a masterpiece of art-pop experimentalism”.
For this new version, Rostron has enlisted Romy from The xx, with the original’s pizzicato strings being traded in for luscious synths and warm, soulful vocals.
Check it out here:
Planningtorock has said: “I wrote ‘The One’ back in 2009 when I was single and not yet able to live as my trans self. I was so lonely back then and the possibility of being in love felt very far away. Romy’s rework of this song is so beautiful. She’s managed to take its original queer longing for love to another level of tenderness and hope and created something deeply moving.”
Romy added: “I’ve been a fan of Planningtorock for a long time and have so much admiration and respect for the music they make and the person they are. Over the years we have become close friends and I think there’s an unspoken understanding between us – not just as friends, but through our shared experiences as queer artists.”
“Our connection and friendship made this feel extra special to work on. When I first heard the original track ‘The One’, I was struck by the emotion sitting just beneath the surface – that sense of longing that feels both personal and universal. I wanted to honour the emotion in the original, letting the heart of song breathe whilst taking it’s hand and bringing it into the dancefloor.”
Planningtorock will play a pair of big shows in the UK, performing Bronski Beat’s iconic queer 1984 album ‘The Age Of Consent’ alongside Tom Rasmussen and Bishi. They play at Manchester’s Aviva Studios on May 17 and London’s Royal Festival Hall on May 24 – find tickets here.
The xx, meanwhile, have been playing their first shows since 2018, with their return show going down in Mexico City on April 3. They went on to play at Coachella for the first time in nine years,
Last March, the band was spotted in the studio together, following Jamie xx saying in 2024 that they were “having a good time” working on new material. After the Coachella line-up announcement in September last year, they shared some further rehearsal footage.
Speaking to NME about new music from The xx at the BRIT Awards 2024, Romy revealed: “We’re just keeping it really open, and we’re up for trying new things, but it sounds like us. That’s all I can say right now.”
