There’s something special about watching an artist grow from the ground up. From changing paths to first singles to debut EPs to the milestone of releasing their debut full length album, it’s always inspiring to watch the artists we’ve championed soar into the absolute fierce forces they were always meant to be. That is exactly how we are feeling about Kansas City alt-pop artist, pure xtc.
The project of artist Taylor Hughes, pure xtc was born out of a desire to create, to express and to shine a light on all that deserves a spotlight.
Now the singer is gearing up for the release of her debut album, the women I loved, the songs I kept, this Friday, October 23.
We had the honor of chatting with Taylor about the writing process, lessons she’s learned and what she wants listeners to take away from this record.
The time has finally come for that debut album! The title feels like the most confessional you’ve ever been so far. Can you tell us what this album represents to you and what you want listeners to take away from it?
I think this album represents a lot of looking back and trying to make sense of the people I’ve loved, the versions of myself I was in those relationships, and the things I’ve carried with me from them. The title, the women I loved, the songs I kept, feels like a little black book of sorts. Each song holds onto a different person, a specific time in my life, or something I wasn’t quite able to process while I was living through it. Writing these songs gave me a way to revisit those experiences with a little more perspective and be honest about my own part in them, too.
I hope people can find pieces of their own lives in these songs. Not necessarily the exact experiences, but those feelings of wanting to be seen, wanting to be loved, and sometimes confusing the two. I think there’s something comforting about realizing that the things you thought you were alone in feeling are actually pretty universal. If someone listens to this album and feels a little less alone in whatever they’re going through, or even just gets to revisit a part of their own life through a different lens, then that means a lot to me.
What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned – personally and creatively – throughout the process of making this record?
Creatively, I think the biggest lesson was learning to trust my gut and have complete confidence in my own vision. Not everything needs to be overthought or picked apart and that’s really hard for me, lol. If something feels right, sometimes you just have to run with it. I also wanted to be more intentional with production on this record and learn to do more with less. Stripping things back, being selective about what each song actually needed, and letting the strongest ideas speak for themselves.
Personally, I think it was learning to lean into the process and stop putting so many timelines and expectations on everything. I can get caught up in wanting things to happen a certain way or by a certain date, and this record reminded me that creativity doesn’t always work like that. Sometimes you have to give things room to breathe and let them become what they’re supposed to be.
Were there any tracks in particular you were hesitant to include on the album? Would you say this writing process felt more personal & pushed you out of your comfort zone?
“killing my youth” is definitely the most personal song on the album, and I felt some hesitation putting it out because it’s not something I talk about very openly. I originally started writing it about my late father, who passed away from alcoholism, but as I kept writing, it became something a little different. I started turning the mirror on myself and recognizing some of those same traits in my own behavior, as well as in past relationships. It’s strange how you can normalize certain patterns when you grow up around them or find yourself repeating them, and sometimes it takes looking back to realize they weren’t healthy in the first place. I think that’s what made the song so personal for me. It became less about pointing outward and more about being honest with myself about the things I’ve carried and the patterns I’m still trying to understand.
If you could describe this album in 3 words, what would they be?
Honest, cathartic, queer.
Order vinyl here.
