The band is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart, who has been its only constant member since its inception. His current bandmates are Angela Seo and percussionist Ches Smith. The band's name is taken from the 1998 Chinese film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl. Xiu Xiu's music draws heavily from several disparate genres including post-punk, '80s synthpop, noise, ambient, techno, asian percussive music, modern classical, and folk. Musically, the band often blends cacophonous percussion and experimental structures with lush hooks and diverging lyrical styles.