The track, entitled 'Far Nearer', will be released on Numbers Records in the coming weeks.

Smith played down fears that the song might mark a move away from the Mercury-Prize winning band.

“It's a tune I made on one of our short breaks from touring and I was eager to make some new music,” he said. “I got a steel pan and made this track and it is coming out on Numbers Records in about a month or so."

The song will be played for the first time on XFM at 10pm tonight (September 28).

As previously reported, The xx's self-titled debut album collected the Mercury Prize earlier this month.

(by Jason Gregory)