Irene Xtrem

Hi Irene – tell me all about XPresident X.

XPX started because of an idea by Cesar Strawberry - about which the protagonists of the band  are all ex-presidents. Thats we use mask of ex-presidents of Spanish government!

Our first concert was in 2015 and in 2016 Edu the guitarist and I started to play in the band. In 2017 Fernando the drummer joined us and now 8 years later we have another vocalist Lasyra from Cordoba who joined in 2020 .

Yes and here you are now in 2025!

XPresidentX started as a rap metal band and little by little we started experimenting with different genres without losing the essence of rap metal and right now we are in a point with a new album that comes out on January 30th 2026.  In what we want to soak us with the Spanish culture, the culture neighbourhood cinema, music that belongs to Spanish culture and that way we can make our essence, at the moment that's the plan we have.

It’s 10 years  since your first album, since then you have released 4 more albums  the most recent one being this year. On your albums you've had very some special guests performing , can you tell me about a few of the people that have worked with XPX.

At the beginning Def Con Dos toured with XPresidentX that's why a lot of people know us and we have had a lot of experience with Def con Dos because they birthed XPX and that opened a lot of doors from the start.

Other bands that have helped a lot  bands were Lendakaris Muertos which have collaborated on quite a few discs. These days everything is connected to the social networks, it has helped position us and get to more people and Lendakaris Muertos have been a great support and have inspired us. We have also collaborated with an Argentinian rapper which for us collaborating with someone from another country is very motivating.

So you have got a new single out  right now, I think 2 days ago.

Today its today!!

Woah! So it's out today and a new album on the 30 of January 2026. Tell me about the single.

The single is about not coming to Madrid! All the members of the band except Lasyra live or have lived in Madrid. We see the prices of the houses are high and the way of living there is too fast, you live for work and it's not the essence of life! The song is about that! Don't come to Madrid! They always want to convince you to go to Madrid and then they will suck you into the wheel of working and having a lot of jobs and wont let you do stuff that makes you happy.  We want to try and not let that happen, so – Don’t go to Madrid!

The band is always touring, recording, shooting videos - you obviously spend a lot of time together.

A lot of time together!

So you must enjoy each other's company.

Yes! (Nervous laughter!!)

Who is the biggest pain in the ass in the band?

Who? Depending on the hour , for example when we are in the van and i want to sleep, Samuel Barranco says “Don't sleep!” He can't sleep so he wants to talk with everyone. Samuel, I want to sleep! So, when we are in the van Samuel Barranco is in pain.

After the show at 5 o’clock in the morning the pain in the ass is Edu when he is drunk we need to take him home  because he starts to talk and say the same things over and over again!!

But you all obviously loveeach other and like each other's company and noticed you didn’t describe yourself

the biggest pain in the ass!

Of course, we love each other a lot, XPX is like a family and of course I am never a pain in the ass!!!

So when you are not with the band, how do you like to relax?

When I'm not in my rock mood and with the band, I have a routine because I'm doing my doctoral thesis and I want to be at 100 percent. The routine that we do to go on tour with the band in general stresses me out even though it makes me very happy!

Away from the band I have an exercise routine to be strong and to have energy and I also like to drink Ashwagandha tea. The day after a tour ends I don't do anything – I just relax, make a meal, watching a movie and that helps calm me down and reduce the stresses on my nervous system.

At what age did you decide you wanted to be a bass player?

Well i started with the bass because of the town I grew up in because the football team didn't allow me to continue playing with them because I was a girl! I started to think  what can i do and my cousin told me you can play bass. I said yea i can play the bass and that’s how it started!

That's amazing , and you weren't allowed to play football, that's crazy

Yes at 13 they made me stop!

If you could describe XpX  in a smell, what would that smell be?

You are in a garden with roses and in front of you there is an Asiatic meal and you can smell roses and the mix of the meal is so different. It 's that mix. It's a very interesting question. I like it!

Cats or dogs ?

Dogs

Pizza with or without pineapple

I don't mind, with, I love fruit.

Madrid or valencia 

Valencia

So what's next for Irene, and next for the band, I know you have the album for XPresidentX coming out  in January, but what's next for you.

The next for me as a person - well there's quite a few things - the artist, the scientist and the spiritual person. As an artist i would like to get better with my voice and also the connection to my instrument, like my voice and the bass to be able to offer a better show and also be better with the people that listen to me. As a scientist i would like to continue studying my thesis and generate a lot of good knowledge because we are  in a moment  where everything on the social level and in ecosystem is unsustainable. Right now we need solutions to make society better and also reduce the emissions of CO2 and the contaminants.

As a spiritual person I would like to be more conscious of me and my surroundings to be able to interact with people that need it and that it impacts the best benefits for me in all the levels, and like the people I want to do it with. It can make it quite metaphoric; it's what I feel and where I wanna be.       

Thank you Irene  - it’s always a pleasure to catch up with you.

Thank you and see you soon at an XPX concert!

You can follow Irene on Instragram here: IreneXtrem and find out all about XPresidentX on their Website