Allie X

1985–2006: Early life

Alexandra Ashley Hughes was born on 31 July 1985 in Oakville, Ontario. Her family is of British descent. She attended the Etobicoke School of the Arts. Hughes then studied classical piano and voice at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and graduated from Sheridan College's Musical Theatre Performance program, and also studied musical theatre.

2006–2012: Career beginnings

Hughes first started her career under the stage name Allie Hughes in Toronto around 2006, performing indie pop, indie rock, jazz and electronic music. She released her very first album, Waiting for the Prize, in CD format the same year. She then proceeded to two further releases, including her second album Ladies and Gentlemen in 2009 and an extended play, titled Allie Hughes in 2010. Shortly before her move to Los Angeles, she released another EP under the name Allie X Andra. All of her first work was only released in CD format and not widely distributed.

In 2008, she took part in CBC Television's How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, the Canadian version based on the series with the same name which aired in the United Kingdom on BBC One in 2006. She had agreed to perform "My Favourite Things", but instead ended up performing "It's Oh So Quiet" by Björk. She was eliminated from the show after two weeks. Her acting credits from the time also include other Canadian movies and television programmes, such as Triple Sensation, The Boys in the Photograph, King, Being Erica and Instant Star, and her music was featured in Rookie Blue, Saving Hope and Love Me.

2013–2015: CollXtion I

In July 2013, Hughes decided to make the move to Los Angeles, in order to pursue a full-time career as a songwriter. Despite this, she didn't stop working on her solo material. She hadn't been satisfied with her sound, and spent time learning about sound design and production. She adopted the stage name Allie X and began working with producers Cirkut and Billboard, whom she had met during her time in Los Angeles.

In early 2014, Hughes released her debut single under the Allie X name, titled "Catch". Upon release, "Catch" received praise from multiple sources: DIY Magazine's Jamie Milton said that "Allie X stepped on the scene like a bottle of wine at a wedding - everyone wanted a piece of her." and Jamieson Cox from Time Magazine said the track "shines with a level of polish and craft that’s remarkable," and complemented Hughes' "attention to detail." Fellow singer-songwriter Katy Perry also praised the track on Twitter, calling it her "spring jam". "Catch" also charted on the Canadian Hot 100, peaking at number 55 on the chart. "Catch" went on to be re-released as an EP in November 2015, featuring additional tracks.

Prior to the release of Hughes' debut extended play, CollXtion I, two further singles, "Prime" and "Bitch", were put out by the singer on 18 March and 6 April 2014 respectively. CollXtion I was then released a year later, on 7 April 2015 in Canada, with the worldwide release being pushed back to 21 April. The EP was also well received, with Edmonton Journal's Julia LeConte calling it, "a smartly written seven-song EP that offers up a smorgasboard of indelible hooks," and goes on to say Hughes' song creating ability matches her "spectacular" voice. She also held a small North American tour in 2015.

Besides working on solo music, in 2014 and 2015, Hughes also contributed to Australian singer Troye Sivan's album Blue Neighbourhood, co-writing a total of seven tracks, including two of the album's three singles, "Talk Me Down" and "Youth". Together with this, she supported Troye Sivan on his 2016 tour's North American leg.

Hughes was one of four musicians to receive the Canadian Film Centre Slaight Music Residency Showcase in 2013.

2016–present: CollXtion II

Despite having released albums and EPs in the past, Hughes had yet to release a studio album under the Allie X name. In February 2016, Hughes released a free-to-download song called "Old Habits Die Hard", which was originally meant to serve as a non-album single. On 13 May 2016, Hughes released another song called "Too Much to Dream" and announced a project called CollXtion II: Ʉnsolved, which saw her release a collection of demos and songs on Spotify over the course of the summer, in order to shortlist the songs her fans wanted to see on CollXtion II. This project ended on 6 November 2016, with Hughes saying no new music would be released until the album is out.

CollXtion II began to be teased by Hughes in February 2017, with it being officially announced for a 9 June release date on 23 February. On 28 April 2017, Hughes released "Paper Love" as the first single from the upcoming album. "Need You" was released on 26 May 2017.

Artistry

Hughes cites many of her influences as being ABBA, Arthur Russell, Björk, Kate Bush, Lady Gaga, Céline Dion, Cyndi Lauper, Mariah Carey, Mark Mothersbaugh, Tom Petty, and author Haruki Murakami. She also explains that the X in her name represents the unknown variable in algebra, saying: "In mathematics, X is any possible variable. It's an unknown quantity. Once it's solved, it's no longer X. With that in mind, X is the identity that I take on as I go through my journey of self-discovery. It's these questions that I'm trying to grapple with in the public sphere. If I ever find that piece that I'm after or solve the equation, as it were, then I will no longer be Allie X."

Hughes has the vocal range of a soprano, with her music having drawn frequent comparisons to British singer Ellie Goulding's, but also that of Chvrches and The Knife. Hughes describes her melodies as being "soaring pop, borderline theatrical Disney", while her lyrics, "always seem to be darker." She compares songwriting to a science experiment in which you put two people's brains together for a few hours and see what they can come up with.

Public image

Hughes has frequently voiced her support for women's rights and LGBT rights, saying she often writes her songs while thinking about her young listeners from the LGBT community whom she's met.