INTERVIEW: pure xtc on Debut EP ‘Nobody’s Home’
Meet Taylor Hughes; the musical mastermind behind the entity of dark pop project pure xtc. We touched base with Hughes to discuss her first solo EP, Nobody’s Home, debuting today: November 12th. Get an inside look on how the project came to be & how a year in isolation could lead to a year of blossoming creativity.
Photo by Zach Middleton
Can you give us a brief introduction of who pure txc is?
pure xtc is the solo project of Taylor Hughes, me… haha. I’ve been a drummer for more than half of my life, it wasn’t until the pandemic that I picked up a guitar and started writing my own songs from start to finish. I can’t believe I’m releasing a record of my very own in a matter of days.
Your debut EP Nobody’s Home is due to drop November 12th. What would you say inspired this project?
It’s been a long time coming honestly, I had a really rough time in 2019 and never really processed it. I didn’t realize that until I was writing these songs and reread some of the words back. I was like, oh wow… so I’m not over that? Cool. It was a really cathartic process.
“Bad Dreams,” the leading single of the upcoming EP, is such a dark, industrial electronic track. Are there any specific artists, films, aesthetics, etc. that have had influence in evolving this kind of sound tailored to pure xtc?
When I was originally writing it, it had a stripped down kind of Runaways vibe. I wanted it to sound rough and raw. In production, we rounded some of those edges out and added some moody-moving synths that I think give it that dark feeling. For the EP in general I really pulled a lot of inspiration from the show Euphoria; sonically and visually they just nailed it. When I think of pure xtc I visualize low-lit dirty, city vibes. Walking aimlessly with my headphones on, getting lost trying to navigate the subways, trying to distract myself from how lost I actually was.
Is there a song off of Nobody’s Home that you found difficult to finish or took the longest to refine to your liking?
“Old Wounds,” oh my god lol. That song took me forever to get right. It was originally called “Time Holds Steady;” I wrote it on an acoustic guitar and that’s the only way it sounded right. It just wouldn’t translate… so I decided to completely dismantle the track. I tossed all the lyrics aside and started fresh with a new melody all together. It’s definitely my favorite song to play!
You got to perform at Kansas City’s Pride over the summer, which looked amazing! (I mean, a bra on the mic stand & the crowd immediately vibing? Pretty iconic as a new act.) Are there any bucket list festivals or artists that you’d love to go on tour with?
Yes! That show was honestly what dreams are made of, I couldn’t have had a better crowd. I’d love to tour with MUNA or Phantogram; girl in red would be pretty rad too. As for festivals, I think Riot Fest, ACL or Firefly would be incredible! I’ll take any and all of the festivals, to be honest!
What do you hope people take away from your music & yourself as an artist?
I felt such relief with every song I wrote and I hope that comes through to the listener. It’s okay to sit in your sadness to reflect, learn, etc. Feel your feelings. But that headspace isn’t where you should build your home. You have to move on eventually and that’s what this record helped me do.
Anything you can tell us about future plans for next year?
Lots and lots of shows, that’s all I can think about right now!