Xhalisse is the evolving creative project of Western Australian singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Sarah O'Malley.
Conceived in 2019, Xhalisse was born from a desire to give shape to a new musical identity—one that reached beyond a solo performer and into a broader creative world. Rather than representing a fixed band, Xhalisse has always been a vessel for exploration, collaboration and artistic evolution.
The name itself reflects this philosophy. Inspired by the idea of exhaling into calm and the woven threads of a tapestry, Xhalisse represents music as something living and interconnected. Each collaborator contributes their own voice, perspective and artistry, becoming another thread in an ever-evolving work. Some remain for years, others for a single season, but each leaves a lasting imprint on the whole.
Across its many iterations—as a solo recording project, a collaborative band, and now a renewed solo-led creative practice—Xhalisse has remained grounded in Sarah's songwriting and artistic vision while embracing the transformative nature of collaboration. It is a project that is never fixed, but continually unfolding.
Timeline
2015–2019
Sarah O'Malley performs and releases music under her own name, developing the songwriting and sonic foundations that would become Xhalisse.
2019
Xhalisse is established as an evolving creative project to reflect a new artistic direction in atmospheric alternative rock, dream pop and immersive production.
2019–2022
The project develops into a collaborative live band while continuing to evolve in the studio, culminating in the release of the debut EP *Prophet Moon* (2021).
2022–2025
A new line-up expands Xhalisse's sonic palette with violin, trumpet and layered instrumentation, leading to performances at festivals including Nannup Music Festival, Shore Leave Festival and State of the Art Festival, and the release of *From the Other Side* (2025).
2026–Present
Xhalisse enters a new chapter as a solo-led creative project, with Sarah writing, recording and producing new music while continuing to embrace collaboration as an integral part of the project's evolving artistic identity.