We chatted to the wonderful Alex Hughes the other day about her new EP, the country music scene and her future plans. Check it all out below!
The EP’s been out a couple of weeks now, right? It seems to have gone down really well!
Yeah, it’s been a pretty great response! So, I feel really grateful that people are are digging the music!
What’s it like to finally have it out after a run of singles the last few years?
It’s been kind of surreal. Doing the single thing for years has been fun, but it just hasn’t felt like a collection of music. So, these songs all together, I’ve been working on them for three to five years, some of them. So it’s so nice to finally have see them through completely from the writing to the recording. And to I got to pick up my very first vinyl! So, just be able to even hold it in your hands is something that’s been on the bucket list for a while for me.
Was it always the same tracks on the EP? Or have some hopped on in that time or been released as a single instead?
Yeah, that’s a great question! It kind of all came together organically, and I did do a writing trip specifically for songs for the EP. But how it did end up changing was, we added one last song, not last minute, but, like, after the others were recorded. That was ‘Slow Dancing in the Kitchen’, and it’s ’cause I I couldn’t release the EP without having it on there!
What’s the plan moving forward? The EP’s only just dropped but is there another release already in the pipeline?
Absolutely, yeah. We’ve we’ve actually got a Summer Surprise that’s going to drop in July. so that’s exciting. And then, yeah, I’ve been writing a ton. So, I’m definitely looking forward to the next project. I think we’re going to definitely do another EP, we’re just kind of collecting those songs now. We’ll get in the studio hopefully soon, kind of after the summer rush, and, yeah, get back in it!
It seems like it’s so difficult these days to plan what you want to put out and how you want to release it, with the streaming algorithms and all this now. It’s such a nightmare to try and keep up with it all!
It is, and it’s just interesting ’cause music’s being consumed so quickly, and there’s so much good music out there. And it’s expensive to produce and release music, so it’s kind of balancing all those things like budgets and keeping up with the demand. But creating something that feels complete, it’s like, it’s a balance.
What’s the writing process like for you?
I know, at least with country, there’s a lot more focus on writing with other people or getting songs from other people. It’s quite fascinating to see from more of a rock background that everyone is kind of writing for each other and chipping in. It’s pretty cool!
Right, yeah. No, you’re so right. It’s so interesting how different genres sort of have their creative process, and then I know it’s different artist to artist, too.
Yeah, but for me, I spend a lot of time just with my guitar coming up with ideas, and brainstorming like titles, hooks. My voice notes on my phone is just absolutely filled with a million (probably terrible) ideas, but they’re there! And then I co-write a lot. So, what I usually do is collect those ideas, and then before I do, let’s say, a writing trip, or even just buckle down and do like a week’s worth of writing, I’ll go through all those ideas, figure out which ones are bad, which ones are good, and which ones I want to kind of maybe present because you can kind of tell, at least, sort of in the country world when you look into the background of somebody, what someone’s strengths might be. So, then I’m like, oh, I have this idea that I think this writer would really be able to help me create!
Do you have a favourite track on the EP?
Ooh, that’s a great question! Um, yeah. I mean, they’re all, as you know, they’re your song babies, so they feel like they’re all precious. Not to choose a favorite child! But, I guess I think maybe the title track, “Taking Me Home,” is my favorite because it it sort of encompasses all of the things that I wanted the EP to have; some fun, sonic sounds that are a little bit more pop and country and just sort of show the influences that I’ve had throughout my life. And, and then lyrically, it’s a love song, and even though it sounds like it might be surface level, when you really listen, there’s some deep, deep lyric things there. So, I think maybe, if I have to choose my favorite, I’d say this one.
While it’s marketed as your debut EP, you actually released another back in 2013. Are there any comparisons you can make between that one and this new release?
yeah, that EP was the first time I ever recorded all my own songs, and they’re all my originals that I wrote. I wrote every single one all by myself. So, it’s a really special EP, and I think you can very easily hear the growth and the change, and not only in sort of how my music has progressed. Like, I feel like this, my new EP is the type of music that I’ve always wanted to create. I’ve kind of finally landed on the sound that feels artistically like me.
I love that EP and I think it’s a really cool stamp in time. I was like quite young when I did it too, so even lyrically, it’s sort of like, you can hear the youth, like the young voice.
It sounds like you have a busy rest of the year planned in terms of shows, right?
Yeah, yeah. It’s going to be a pretty great summer with lots of festivals here in Canada! And then yeah, we’re looking at maybe doing a bit of a tour in the fall. So yeah, it’s great. This EP really sort of opens some doors for me to be able to get on the road and share these songs with people. We’re at that stage, which is great!
What’s it like being a Canadian country artist? In the UK it’s still a sound so deeply associated with the south of the US!
Yeah, you know, I think it’s a really exciting time to be a Canadian artist. I think our music scene’s starting to finally boom. And and it has been for years, but there’s lots of cool opportunities here. I spent some time living down in Los Angeles and then I did a little bit of back and forth to Nashville, but one thing that’s been kind of amazing about settling in Canada is the opportunities. For example, when I first moved back, I got to do a program called the Canada’s Music Incubator Artist Entrepreneur Program. It’s like this two-week long intensive where you learn all about the music industry, and you just gain all these amazing tools. I’m not sure if they do programs like that over there too, but there are just some really cool ways to get support and help. It’s a cool time, and yeah, there’s just there’s lots of cool things going on, too. Lots of cool venues, the Canadian Country Music Awards are always a really fun week, and lots of opportunities there. So, yeah, it’s exciting!
You seem rather active and sucessful on social media. Do you have any advice for artists just starting out, on that front?
This is something that I’ve truly struggled with, is like, how do you not be annoying? But it’s such a great tool, and I think you just have to get over that. Like, people who want to support you, they’ll like what you’re doing and they’ll think it’s interesting, and those who don’t, they’ll unfollow you, and that’s fine. I think it’s a really great tool, and there’s a bit of a balance between posting so much that you burn out. I’ve definitely gone through those phases where I feel like I don’t have any more ideas and I just can’t do it anymore. But when you find a balance that kind of works, it can be such a good tool. So, I guess my advice is like, don’t be afraid to post, you’re not annoying anybody, and be creative with it, and have some fun, like, it’s a free tool!
Any plans/hopes to come to the UK in the future?
Oh Yeah! Yeah, there’s no plans currently, but I really hope to make it out there soon! I’ve had some interesting people even from the UK reach out that that like the music. So, I would like to get out there and play some shows!