The Friday Dispatch
Allie X, Lucy Dacus on The Cure, Anna Sofia, Del Water Gap, Robert William Scott, and Tindersticks
It’s Allie X’s weird world
There's been lots to talk about in pop over the past few years, and Allie X is here for it: from Sabrina to Chappell to Charli to Troye, the pop landscape feel exciting, interesting, and subversive. Born Alexandra Hughes, the Canadian-born and L.A.-based singer-writer-producer-artist has come up with and helped create some of pop’s most exciting milestones.
“I’m kind of living the dream,” Hughes gushes, dialled into our call from her car as she drives around L.A. After a prolific career both with her own project and writing for others, she’s now, upon the release of her third long-player Girl With No Face, resolved to build her career into something deeper than a radio-hit machine. “My bills are paid, and I’m creatively satisfied. I think there’s indie bands that already understand that, but if there were more pop girls who understood that they could go about things a little differently, then I think there’d be a lot less broken hearts. And nobody would feel the need to become, like, Ultra-Top-40 famous.”
“The problem with pop – and the industry at large – is there’s this real lottery ticket mentality. We all will invest our time and money in someone that we think is going to become huge, to the point that if they don’t become huge, they’re at a big loss financially. It’s kind of you win big or nothing at all,” she explains. “I think I’m too old to be a pop artist. But also, I don’t give a shit.”
After years of playing the rules of the game, she’s content to do it on her own now. Hughes wrote and produced Girl With No Face alone from start to finish, and, not long after, she also made the decision to begin managing her own project. As she tells it, she essentially spent three years of the pandemic alone using minimalist setups, letting her instincts run wild. Angst pent up after spending years writing for radio poured out onto the page. In the Girl With No Face era, Hughes bet on herself in ways she once never thought possible. “I’m a really independent artist at this point, and I think the way the music industry has changed has really lent itself to that,” she says.
“Listen, I’d love for as many people as possible to hear my music. But I think there are so many concessions that we’re asked to make as pop people. Pop girls, especially,” she says. “Nobody realizes that you don’t have to make them.”
Another Friday, another crop of stellar new albums. This week in the office, we’ve been excited about Mount Eerie’s soulful and nostalgic Night Palace. We’ve also had our eye on Songs of a Lost World, the latest studio album from The Cure; Tyler The Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA (in case you’ve been living under a rock); and Ameripop!, the raucous first EP from indie hidden-gem Nitefire.
In other news, Tunde Adebimpe has signed to Sub Pop, Floodlights have signed to [PIAS], and Pan Amsterdam finds a new home with Heavenly.
Lucy Dacus on The Cure
The first Cure song I ever heard was ‘Just Like Heaven’. My eighth-grade boyfriend told me it was our song, and was the first song I learned on guitar, so I really love The Cure.
When I was in high school, I was at a show at a bowling alley, and me and my friend got up on stage in between sets - which is something that I would never do, and as a kid I didn't realise how weird that was - but we got up there in between two of the bands and nobody knew that we weren't on the bill. We set up as if we were there on the bill and played ‘Close to Me’, people just let it happen and were really confused!
I've danced to ‘Close To Me’ so many times in my life. For a band that are iconic for their sadness, it's one of the weirder, fun ones and I think it stands out. I feel that to lean that far into your heart as a writer… he verges on saccharine with some of the lyrics he writes, but it fits the mood so thoroughly. Whenever I want to listen to my feelings The Cure is there with the corresponding song. They found a balance for sadness and that’s a big feat for a band.
The introduction
Blending indie sensibilities with DJ energy, this week, 21-year-old Ontario-born Anna Sofia is a multi-talented visionary on the rise.
Describe your sound… Primarily dance, a little video game score meets a bit of dnb inspiration as well. We could also call it sweaty club rat vibes. And of course, hyperpop vibes!
How you started making music… I don’t really remember a point where I started. I started dancing at the age of 3, and playing piano when I was 4. I always sang, but took it seriously at the age of 7. I was the classic theatre kid. When I was 12 I started writing and recording music and put my first ever song when I was 13. And now we’re here!
Best DJ set you’ve ever been to… FRED AGAIN!!!!!!!! Was never too familiar with his music, and then my friends and I went to his Toronto show and I was mind blown!
Favourite item in your closet… I adore fashion and always have. Since I was little I was always inspired by fashion, and had a big interest in luxury fashion brands. When I was 13 I saved up every penny I ever got for a classic beige caviar leather Chanel bag, and eventually got enough money together to buy the bag. I took my jar of money to the store, and the employees wrote me a little card congratulating me on my first luxury purchase. I still have that card in the box today. I kept the bag in its box for many years because I was too scared to use it but now she travels with me everywhere.
One trend we need to be on the lookout for… “I ❤️ Me”!! Stay obsessed with yourself, people.
Anna Sofia’s “MONACO (with LZee)” is out now
From the archive….
Happy Halloween (alright, one day past) to all. To get you in the mood, please share in the wacky wonders of Klaus Nomi, the German vocalist and occasional Bowie collaborator who took the East Village artistic scene of the 70s by storm with his camp and outlandishness. An opera singer by training (with a six octave vocal range), he became known for bizarre classical interpretations of pop standards from his era. To get started, try his operatic cover of Lou Christie’s “Lightnin’ Strikes.”
Something Old, Something New
Every week, we share recommendations from the Best Fit community on two iconic records — one from the past, one from the present. This week, Del Water Gap shares his thoughts on Robert William Scott’s self-titled (1970) and Soft Tissue by Tindersticks (2024).
I think Robert William Scott is a perfect fall album. It’s been following me on my walks around New York this autumn. Watching the leaves change and getting a little chilly here and there. “Willoughby Grove” is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. His voice is so sleepy and raw and melancholy. He has this little giggle in the top of the bridge that thaws me right through. The arrangements are so gentle and complex and there are these brilliant spoken word sections. Bobby was born and died in New York City.
I love this band, Tindersticks. They’ve consistently been putting out this really off-kilter melodramatic indie rock music since the mid-90s. Quite the feat of time and spirit. I also love their new album, Soft Tissue. I really like the song “Always A Stranger”. To me, this song is about how no matter how well you get to know someone (in love, in friendship etc) you’re always really strangers. There’s always the physical divide between two bodies. You can only be known or know another person all so well. To me, this song is a comforting framing of that lonely notion: “Always a stranger / We touch at our edges / We pass in the morning / Oil on the water / My love is in flames and I'm always a stranger”.
The deluxe edition of Del Water Gap’s I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet is out now
Listen to the week in new music by following our Discovery playlist
Dropping at midnight every Thursday, follow our playlist for a taste of the best new music from the most exciting breaking artists – 20 new tracks, top-loaded from the last five days in music and on repeat in the Best Fit office right now.
Leading the selection this week are new tracks from vegas water taxi, Public House, Wisp, Nukuluk, and coverstar Renée Reed.