Words: Emily Robbins-Pugh
On the back of a new lineup, and ahead of their new album set for release in summer 2025, Pittsburgh quintet XDB set off a new chapter with their first release of 2025 ‘When the Love is Gone’.
This release sets off a new era for XDB, who hail a brand new lineup 16 years after they first formed under founder Xander Demos. The five-piece now consists of Robert Kane, Xander Demos, Brendan Callahan, Emily Stroup and Guy Cole, hailing an abundance of knowledge both musically and technically.
Setting off with an electronic, melodic instrumental, ‘When the Love is Gone’ soon explodes into a mixture of gritty guitars and rhythmic percussion. The exciting opener sets the scene for the what’s to come; a mixture of heavier hooks, and harmonic undertones which are accompanied by powerfully emotive vocals.
Rob Kane, lead vocalist and writer of the song talked of how the words of the track were formed around the instrumental: “It started with the intro… and i wanted to write something that was guitar driven but also had keys in it, especially the intro..” going on to explain “when i came up with the line ‘When the Love is Gone’ the rest of the song wrote itself around that concept”.
The track explores themes of heartbreak and regret of the love lost, longing to find it again. Lyrically, lines such as ‘Always caught up in the fight, two hearts tossed upon a stormy sea [we’re searching for the shore]’’ and “where did we go wrong?” highlight a yearning for feelings that were once there, and a want to go back and do things differently.
With this release XDB have mastered the perfect balance of heavy but melodious instrumentals and loud passionate vocals to create a track that keeps you invested from start to finish.
We can’t wait to hear what’s next.
Rockstars HQ 
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