A Taste of Pure XTC

Taylor Hughes, better known by her stage name Pure XTC, is a queer multi-instrumentalist writing and recording music out of her home studio in Kansas City, Missouri. After the dissolution of her former project, the Brooklyn-based indie dance pop group Exnations, Hughes found her footing as a solo artist and has steadily gained momentum.

In November 2022, she released a new three-song EP, Shed My Skin, a cohesive collection of songs that meet the standards of her moody electro-pop sound and showcase her uncanny ability to write catchy synthetic earworms. With no sign of slowing down, we can expect much more from Hughes in the future.

She sat down with OFM to talk more about the EP, as well as other projects and an upcoming tour.

Can you begin by telling us more about your latest EP, as well as the concept and inspiration behind it?

The first EP that I released was called Nobody’s Home, and it was kind of like cleaning house and getting the darkness out. People seemed to like it and latched onto it pretty well, and then I started to, I don’t know, become happier (laughs). I came out of my little dark cloud; I was in love, and I was getting married that year, so this new EP has a brighter feel to it. It still has very real feelings, like the title track, “Shed My Skin,” which is all about trying to be better for yourself, not for the person that you’re with.

Like, I see these faults in myself, and I need to figure out what to do about them. Hence the name, “Shed My Skin.” A lot of people think that’s a song about being something for someone else, and it’s absolutely not. It’s a self-love song. So, with this new album, I think I finally found all the tones and direction that I like. This EP is all about Pure XTC.

What made you title this EP Shed My Skin?

I just really like the song, and it was the first one where I was like, “Oh, this is a really cool name.” I was the drummer for my last band, Exnations, and that was my pre-pandemic life. I was living in New York at the time, and we had a song that was never released called “Shed Your Skin.” I was so attracted to the demo, and I was like, guys, would it be cool if I used this for a Pure XTC song? I was going to change it a little bit, but I think I only ended up keeping the chord structure. Everything else was completely different.

How has Shed My Skin been received by listeners?

It’s been very cool! A lot of people were like, “Wow, I didn’t realize you were going to go in this direction. Like, I’m floored; this is so hot”—this is so this and that. It’s interesting that people who have known me my whole life are listening to it, and they’re like, “Huh, this is not what I expected from you.” So, it’s been cool. It’s hit the radio a couple times, and since releasing the new music, I received the opportunity to play Dinah Shore, which has been a lifelong dream of mine. People complained about 2022, but that was my best year to date!

Have you always had a passion for singing and songwriting?

I’ve always had a passion for music, but I actually loathe singing. I do not like my voice. It’s very hard to listen to myself. I’ve been a drummer my entire life, and with the pandemic and not being able to live with my drum kit or have a band, I kind of started fiddling around on the guitar again. I was like, “Well, I guess I’ll go back to this and see how it feels.” Then after my band broke up, I was like, “guess this is what I’m going to do now. I’m going to figure out how to play guitar and sing,” and that’s what I’m still doing.

You are about to embark on an upcoming tour, which will stop in Denver in May. Will this be your first time performing in the Mile High City?

As Pure XTC, yes! I got to play some other shows and do some opening acts, but that was more of an experience. I count this as my first real show.

What are you looking forward to the most about this tour?

I’ve kind of strategically planned it. I have a lot of friends in Denver that I’m very excited to see, and I’ve never played in Austin outside of South by Southwest (SXSW), so I’m excited for that. Then, later in the year, I’ll be in Portland, Oregon. I think I’m most excited about that because I’ve never been to the Pacific Northwest.

You will also be making your debut TV appearance on Fox 21 in Colorado Springs?

Yes! I just started chatting it up with David “Nova” Nowakowski, the host of Loving Living Local, and he was like, “Shoot me an email when you’re in town, and we’ll set something up.” This happened on Instagram, and I am so excited.

It’s amazing how many connections you can make via Instagram.

Definitely. I feel like people are a lot more open that way, rather than sending an email. You can have more of a personal connection. Like, “Hi, this is my face. This is what I’m about. Scroll through my feed, and see if you want to respond to me.” You don’t have to be as formal and buttoned.

What do you enjoy the most about performing live?

I used to say after the show because I have severe anxiety, but now, because I’m not the timekeeper anymore, I get to experience the show. I don’t know if I can narrow it down to one thing, but making such a great connection with the audience is really cool. I used to play with headphones on, and I couldn’t hear anything except for the metronome and vocals. So, getting to hear people and have conversations with them from the stage has been awesome.

The first show I ever played was at Pride in Kansas City, and some of my friends, as well as other people who I didn’t know, were throwing articles of clothing at the stage. That was my first show as a solo artist; I was terrified, and I’m like, “Oh, this is a really pretty red bra (laughs). Thank you!” I think that was the most rock star moment of my entire life so far.

Circling back for a minute, you mentioned playing at the Dinah. What was that experience like?

That was insane. I’ve watched episodes of The Real L Word and The L Word that took place at Dinah, and it was nothing like it. I was honestly kind of scared. I was like, “Oh, it’s going to be a bunch of hot girls in bikinis, and I’m going to be the self-conscious, awkward kid in the corner.” That wasn’t the case at all. Everyone was so welcoming, and it felt like a giant sleepover. I met women from their 20s to their 60s, and I connected with every single one that I met. It was such an amazing experience.

After my show, I met this woman who is known as the Hollywood Bubbler. Super cool older woman, and while she was talking to me after my set, she dug out a loose edible from the bottom of her purse and offered it to me. I was like, “You know, we’re in the desert. Why not?” So, my wife and I split the gummy. Whatever happens, we have a ride back to Margaritaville. We’re cool.

You also did a collaboration with Crane Brewing and released a hazy blood orange IPA. Can you tell us more about that?

That was just a weird, crazy idea that I had, and I couldn’t believe that someone responded to my email. I thought it would be really cool to make a beer, and I had the idea for it, the branding, everything. Like, this is what I want it to be. Crane Brewing responded and was like, “Yes, let’s do it.” So, I decided to release one of my new songs around the beer release, and this was right before I left for Dinah and my other California dates. It all worked out very well, and the best part was that I got to help brew it.

I was there during the entire process and got to put the hops in, and of course, me being heavy handed and not knowing what I was doing, this ended up being around seven percent instead of the original five. They were like, do you want us to spread it out a little more? But I was like, absolutely not. I want my friends to have a good time, and it tasted so good. It tasted like pumpkin cinnamon, so it was kind of a nice fall drink. The blood orange was very slight.

Would you like to do some more beer collaborations?

I would love to, and I would also love to do a weed collaboration. Cannabis helps me get into my creative flow a lot better than alcohol does. I like to gauge everything I do from personal preferences. I don’t know if that’s the best way to do business, but it’s the way I like to do business. I don’t want to sell you something I wouldn’t buy myself.

What are some other future goals you hope to accomplish with your music career?

In the next five years, I would love to do Europe. That’s been a big goal. I would love to go over there during their Pride season and play a couple of their Pride events, and I would also like to do a full-length album. With everything I do, I just want to keep climbing and hoping that it gets better and better. I’m trying to give myself room to grow, but also not pressure myself. That is a balance I have not mastered yet (laughs).

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?

I am currently working on a new song, and it’s going to be my first slow song. That should be coming out ahead of my tour dates this spring.

Stay up-to-date and connect with Hughes by following her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @purextcmusic. Shed My Skin is available on Spotify and all other music streaming platforms.

Photos courtesy of Ericka Hughes