NEWSFrom Viral Video to Global Stages: SXNCELLO’s Rise as a Genre-Bending Power Duo
June 6 2025, Published 1:22 a.m. ET
Over the past few decades, social media has become an increasingly powerful platform for launching successful musical acts. In the early 2000s, with the rise of MySpace, many musicians pivoted to embrace this new social media platform with great success. The modern-day equivalent can be seen in platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where achieving viral video success can help launch the careers of musicians across all genres. One SXNCELLO is a perfect example of this: a duo made up of Ashley James and Lily Thornton. This genre-bending group’s unique blend of classical cello and saxophone with electronic music has gained traction online, putting these innovative artists on the map.
Origin Story
After a chance meeting on a boat in Melbourne in 2018, Lily and Ash formed a partnership. Both were formally trained musicians from classical music backgrounds, each specializing in their respective instruments: cello and saxophone. They were music scholars in the UK and had shown early signs of prodigy. Lily attended the Royal College of Music, while Ash studied at Wells.
In 2018, Lily was involved in musical theater, as well as film and TV recording, while Ash was rapidly becoming Melbourne’s most sought-after saxophonist for events and clubs.
A few months after their initial encounter, Ash reached out to Lily on Instagram, and the two began collaborating professionally. As they say, “We both realised our love for music was in the electronic cinematic genre and started creating sets that crossed genres with a focus on high-energy impact performances. Harmonies, goosebumps, hands in the air.”
While Lily and Ash’s collaboration started with music, it soon grew far beyond that, as they got married and started a family together as well.
Creative Bond
Together, Lily and Ash built upon the foundations of their classical training and experiences to forge new musical paths. They’ve carved out a unique lane, blending saxophone, cello, and electronic soundscapes, rooted in improvisation and harmony. “Although we both benefited greatly from this classical style of education, we both eventually shared a similar feeling of breaking free from these institutions and finding our own path.
“Although we both benefited greatly from this classical style of education, we both eventually shared a similar feeling of breaking free from these institutions and finding our own path. Being creative with the skills we’d endlessly practiced,” Lily remarks.
Viral Validation
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A spontaneous video of an impromptu SXNCELLO performance captured the essence of Lily and Ash’s musical stylings and went viral online. Across TikTok and Instagram, the video garnered over ten million views and global attention. In the immediate aftermath of this unexpected success, their DMs and emails began to overflow. For the duo, who had been tirelessly working as musicians for decades and honing their unique genre-bending sound together for nearly five years, this success was validating: they were creating something musically distinctive that resonated with a global audience.
This has led to bookings around the world and some exciting projects for the coming years. The duo has already traveled to Mexico twice for gigs and now has upcoming events in Bali, Indonesia, and Tuscany. In September, they will travel to Rio de Janeiro for a series of events with a global corporation, where one of the performances is at a private event at the base of Christ the Redeemer.
Family on Tour
Raising two young children while touring internationally, people would often ask, “What’s it like being married and working together?” To them, they say, “It’s great. We have a fantastic dynamic and respect for each other’s craft. Neither of us is carrying the other; we both contribute equally and seek criticism from each other.”
Some challenges come along with having young children and also seeking success in our music careers. The constant travelling and working weekends can be physically and emotionally taxing. “In the early days, before we’d found our dynamic and understood how each individual likes to work, we would sometimes fall out. However, our relationship has become increasingly strong as we’ve learnt more and more about each other. Communication is the key to success,” they say.
However, Lily and Ash do their best to prioritize family time as much and as often as they can, to ensure their children are supported. Through this unique lifestyle, they also actively foster their children’s creativity. The duo adds, “We also have an amazing support system in place. It takes a village.”
Future Global Ambition
Bookings in Rio, Mexico, Tuscany, and Bali signal a breakthrough moment; their first single and a broader vision of SXNCELLO as not just a live act, but a sonic brand, are unfolding in real time. Moving forward, the group aims to play on main stages at festivals and tour worldwide. Additionally, they are ambitious about releasing original music. The duo is currently working on their first official release, which is expected to come out within the next month.
Blending classical precision with electronic energy and combining parenting with performance, SXNCELLO is redefining what it means to build a global music brand on your own terms.
