As sheets of rain slammed a percussive beat on the skylights above her on a brisk April afternoon, Romy Madley Croft shook her head, smiling with the resignation of a seasoned professional wondering what kind of mess she’d gotten herself into.
In a few hours, Madley Croft, 34 — a singer, songwriter and guitarist in the sultry British trio the xx, and a self-described introvert — would perform a handful of songs from her debut solo album, “Mid Air,” to a small, invitation-only crowd for the first time.
The gig was a rehearsal for the show’s debut on a slightly bigger stage a few days later. “That’s why we’re doing this tonight.
I can’t go from a rehearsal room to … Coachella,” she said, and laughed in disbelief. The setup was pretty much the opposite of an xx show.