- 2026-04-08
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MUSIC
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XANIMAL Releases New Song “The Awakening” featuring Nagavalli
Austin-based electronic music band XANIMAL, consisting of Claude McCan (keyboards), Noëlle Hampton (vocals/keyboards) and Ken Christensen (keyboards), released a new song “The Awakening” on April 7, 2026.
The song is their second single, following the debut song “Love Axis” released last October.
On the track, the band teamed up with Indian-American singer-songwriter Nagavalli.
The track blends pop, rock, and trance with East Indian overtones and melodies, creating a meditative tranquility where East and West co-mingle harmoniously.
It was written and produced by Claude McCan and Noëlle Hampton. The band recorded it at Claude9 Studios in Austin, Texas.
Noëlle Hampton said of the song, “Our first release leaned into the dance track genre, lighter in mood and sexy. The world has changed a lot since then and I thought it would be appropriate to create something that mirrored the emotional turmoil we are all facing right now as our second track.”- She continued, “We decided early on that XANIMAL was going to be a collaborative project and we knew we wanted to join forces with our friend Nagavalli at some point. She is truly magical and brings so much emotion and expression with her singing. I asked Claude if he could create something with a trance like world vibe, and he absolutely delivered. With Nagavalli's vocals, our vision was complete.”
She added, “We are having a massive awakening right now. Some of us are realizing our complicity through the inaction that led us here. Some are waking up from being in a gigantic cult of misinformation, misogyny, racism and fear. And some remain there, unfortunately. It certainly feels like we are right up against something massive in our consciousness, something that will hopefully lead to a better world. We will need to make our way through a dark time for a while but I believe a better life will prevail.” -
Claude McCann said, “When we began working on new music after our first single, we initially built a groovy disco track and laid down some vocals. But then the presidential election happened, and suddenly that disco energy didn't feel right. It no longer matched what we needed to express. I've always been drawn to darker, trip-hop–influenced grooves, so when Noëlle suggested shifting in that direction, it felt like the perfect move.”
He continued, “When Noëlle delivered the lyrics and vocals, everything clicked—they fit the music so naturally. I knew we had something special. This track pulls together so much of my musical history while reflecting the emotional weight of the world right now. We wanted to reach beyond ourselves and connect with our Austin community. Nagavalli was someone we'd long hoped to collaborate with, and bringing her into the project opened the door to a more global sound. Her Eastern Soul vocals completely blew us away.”
Photo by Mark Guerra - source : Bandcamp
