INTERVIEW: ALLIE X

Photo Credit: Marcus Cooper

Interview by Gwyneth Moe

Allie X, an artist known for her spooky and synth-heavy music, is set to perform at Paradise Rock Club on Halloween. She discussed her album “Girl with No Face,” which she created over four years, and highlighted the challenges of producing it alone. The album features the songs “Black Eye” and “Girl with No Face.” Don’t miss WTBU’s flagship show Fenway Frequencies every Wednesday from 10 AM to 12 PM ET! Dive into the pulse of Boston’s music scene with artist interviews and fresh student takes on the hottest acts hitting the city each week. It’s your backstage pass to the best of Boston—only on WTBU!

Listen to the full interview HERE.

Gwyneth Moe (GM): Now we are joined in the studio with Allie X today via Zoom.

Allie X (AX): Hey, hi.

GM: So nice to have you in.

AX: Thanks for having me!

GM: Just talking about how the lovely Boston weather is starting to reflect a little bit of a chiller vibe, and you are starting your ‘Weird World Tour’ in the little bit of a spookiest time. You’re coming to Boston on Halloween.

AX: That’s right. I’m starting on Halloween in the great city of Boston. 

GM: Was that planned, or did that just kind of work out that way?

AX: Think it was a little bit of both. That was my agent that did that. I’m definitely known for being a spooky artist. I guess so. So, yeah, starting at Halloween makes sense, I suppose.

GM: Yeah. And “Girl With No Face” that came out last February. Just such a vibey album, very spooky, very 80s, very synth, very fitting for a Halloween show. In fact, one of your videos, “Black Eye,” I think that released on Halloween last year. 

AX: That’s right. I think the song came out on the 13th, and then the video came out on the 31st of October last year.

GM: And that’s such a fun video. It’s kind of like a chess match. What was behind that?

AX: It was Marcel Duchamp, who is an artist who was experimenting with Dadaism and, yeah, that was sort of the seed of the idea. My stylist, at the time, Kylie, she sent me some images of his performance art pieces and media pieces using chess as a theme. And I just thought that’d be a cool video. And, yeah, and I took it from there and directed it. That’s the story of that video. 

GM: This album really focuses on you. You created it pretty much completely by yourself over four years. Does it feel good to finally have it actualized and out into the world?

AX: Yeah, for sure. It was a long and sort of tortured process, but getting to the end of it, having it birthed, and living in the world is such a relief, I have to say. And even though it was a really challenging process, I feel so empowered by having produced something myself and largely written something by myself. It actually makes me more excited to go collaborate now, because it’s been many years since I did serious co-writing. So, yeah, definitely, marked a transition in my life which was meaningful.

GM: Because this album took a couple years, what song was the most challenging to kind of wrap up and get ready for the album?

AX: Well, the title song actually, “Girl With No Face,” the original seed of that idea was written by my partner, George, right when we met, like, 10 years ago. And it wasn’t that it was challenging, because that song was already kind of in its final form, in a way, but I always had trouble translating it sonically to my world. So there was a lot of iterations of that over a decade. So maybe that one, or you mentioned “Black Eye,” which, also, I just couldn’t quite, quote, unquote, crack it. So like it took a good few years of trying many different versions out to get that one too.”

GM: Music has a way of, kind of, coming back. Have you noticed that with a lot of your songs that you might start one five years ago, and then eventually, the final piece kind of clicks together. I think that you’ve said that happens in some of your pieces that you’ve worked on for other artists as well.

AX: That’s right, yeah. I mean, usually it’s for my own project that that will happen. But that, yeah, that did happen with, like, a song that went to BTS, that was originally written for Troye Sivan and then, and then wound up on the 2020 BTS album, I think. But with me, it’s, it’s more like a consistent thing. Usually, there’s at least one song on an album that’s existed for a long time and has never quite made it to the finish line. And then I’ll sort of figure it out eventually. I’m really stubborn about ideas that I like, and I don’t really ever forget ideas that I like.

GM: I think that’s great. And the way that you spent so much time alone, kind of crafting an album. Was there ever a moment where you were just so fed up with that, because I feel like just hearing the same beats in your head over and over again? Was there ever a moment when you were like, “I don’t know if I can do this?”

AX: Oh, yeah. Like so many moments. Do you make music?

GM: I do not make music.

AX: You sound like you do!

AX: You know, because that’s the experience. You totally get tired ears, which can mean the actual little bits and pieces of your ears start to start to fatigue. But it’s also a mental thing. You just lose perspective. Like, when you spend too many hours on something. So yeah, I had to enforce week or two-week breaks sometimes because I would just completely lose perspective on what I was doing and if it was any good, and how I finish it and stuff. Definitely felt like a bit of a marathon that I might never finish. So again, it’s very such a relief to be done that now and to know that I can actually get something from beginning to end if I work really hard.

GM: Does it feel good after releasing this album to kind of start doing some collaborations? In August, you released a new version of “Galina” with Empress Of, who’s actually coincidentally performing in Boston tonight.

AX: Oh my god, go see Empress Of!

GM: How did you guys meet and how did that collaboration come about?

AX: I think just we’re both aware of each other for a long time. We’ve both been doing this for a decade or so, and, yeah, I think I can definitely say I was her fan. I think she was mine as well. And we’d never met in person, but I think online, we talked about maybe doing something at some point, and this came up, and I just thought she’d be really great on the song, and she was.

GM: That’s so fun. I love seeing different versions of songs and how they can change with different influences. Speaking of influences, you said you were very influenced by early 80s and late 70s UK music, like New Order Depeche Mode, and you watched a lot of videos and documentaries about bands from this era while you were making your record. That sounds so interesting. What were some of the favorite documentaries? Did they talk about the making of the music or more of like the tour and the experience? What was that? What was that like?

AX: It was great. I think again, my boyfriend, my partner. He sort of introduced me to that era, and then it became like a really great sort of refuge for me from the highly commercial and sort of money driven songwriting that happens in LA. Just got really tired of that. And I liked going into this era that was really off-trend in a way, and so rebellious and carried, like the real punk spirit. And my dad’s from the UK. And I have a lot of relatives there. I just really relate to England and the humor and the history. So it was really fun for me to read books like “Please Kill Me,” Rip It Up and Start Again.” And watch “24 Hour Party People” and Depeche Modes, documentary “101.” I read Peter Hook from Joy Division’s book “Unknown Pleasures.” I really, just dug in, and I found a lot of great stuff on YouTube as well that I can’t even remember right now.

GM: YouTube is just so great for finding old documentaries. I know my mom loves all things 80s. She remembers watching on MTV and on other platforms when she was growing up. And sometimes they’ll be there, sometimes they won’t. You never quite know what you’re going to get. I was just going to transition into your fashion because the 80s was such a big time in fashion. Just this flamboyant and different and fun, especially in stage acts. And I feel like you also bring that same energy into the outfits you wear when you perform.

AX: Yeah, yeah. I try to. I think one of the other influences for this era, came sort of in a different genre than the one that I was highly focused on, but still crosses over. And that’s the new romantic type fashion. And like all the music that was happening at the “Blitz,” which is a club in London, and fashion-wise, that’s a big inspiration for the tour, I’m working with a New York stylist named Stella Evans, and we try to limit our color palette. On the last tour, we did just black and white, and on this tour it’s going to be black, white, and red. And we try to pick silhouettes that have big shoulders and materials like lace and lots of ruffles going on. There’s some tool going on, and there’s some corsetry going on. It’s been really fun. And, yeah, I feel like I’m always trying to still figure out what my style is on stage, because I tend to love heavy, structured fabrics, and that doesn’t really work when you’re dancing your ass off for an hour plus. But I also really don’t relate; I don’t want to put anyone down, but what you would typically see most pop singers wearin. I feel like Stella and I’ve done a good job in this era of figuring out sort of what works for me on stage.

GM: What is your favorite song so far off the new album to perform live?

AX:  I really like doing “Off With Her Tits” live. [Laughing.] That one always goes off.

GM: I’ve gotta get this off my chest. That was a really bad joke, but it’s such a song that grew on me. I think the first time I heard it, I was like, “what’s happening?” There’s so much going on. It’s such a such a, fun, campy song. But the more I listened to it, the more I was like, “okay!” I feel like the energy must be so fun with that one. 

AX: I like that. Yeah.

GM: Another one of my favorite songs off the album that also did grow on me once I heard the story behind it, was “John and Jonathan.” So I was like, oh, it’s a fun song, but then it’s about a real couple you met after one of your shows.

AX: Yeah, I met them years ago, when I was doing an opening slot at the “Bowery Ballroom” in New York. I met them in the meet and greet line, and they’re boyfriends. They’re still together. One of them is actually a writer. Like goes around to various magazines, and does work interviewing people, like celebrities. So we wound up on an interview together for a song I did with Violet Chachki in, I think it was 2021. He reminded me, like when we met you in New York, the “Bowery Ballroom.” You said you’d write a song named John and Jonathan. And I was working on this record at that time, and I was actually stuck on lyrics for a particular song. Later that day, I was like, “that’s it!” This is “John and Jonathan,” and I ended up writing that.

GM: Oh my gosh, that’s just so fun. Does that happen a lot where you have those moments where you’re like, I want to write a song with this like circumstance, or just something pops up at you like that?

AX: Yeah. I think if you asked other songwriters, many of them would have the same experience, where once you have a key lyric or title or concept, it can really propel a song into being. I’m pretty melody driven, so sometimes I’ll have a melody, but I just will not be able to figure out what it’s about, and it’ll get kind of stuck for a while. But when he said, “John and Jonathan,” I was “John and Jonathan are on the town.” And once I had that it, you know, just completely it took me half an hour to write it, basically. And that’s the case with a lot of of songs. When you have that, that “Galina” is another song on the album. I had “Galina wake up” in my notes, and it just informed the rhythm. It informed the cadence. So, yeah, I’m not sure if I’m making sense, but it’s it. What I’m saying is it’s very easy to write a song for me once I have like, that key sort of line.

GM: Yeah, I feel like there’s so many different ways artists write music, but I love all the melodies and the synth-driven songs of this album. So that’s a great way for them to start. I think we’re coming a bit close to the end of our time here, but I have one really funny comment I want to mention to you, because me and my co DJ, who’s off to the side right now. We were talking about you just before our show, and talking about some of the songs, and she wasn’t sure if she’d heard some of them, and then we just played, “Susie Save Your Love.” And she turns to me, and she is right here. But apparently, her acapella group sang the song.

AX: No way.

Mia Anderson (MA): It’s so true. It was just in our rep, and we just retired it. But it was a great song, and we all loved it so much.

AX: Yeah, because you could do all those stacked harmonies, [singing.]

MA: That’s exactly what we did. It was so cool.

AX: That’s cute. That’s cute.

GM: And I guess, to wrap up today, I think I saw somewhere that you were going to a few cities that you’ve never been to on this upcoming tour. Are there any you’re particularly excited to play in?

AX: Mm, girl, you’re putting me on the spot. I’m excited to go to Atlanta and Nashville. Those are definitely two that’s that stick out. 

GM: That’s so surprising that you’ve never played in Nashville before. I mean, I haven’t been to Nashville.

AX: I’ve never been to Nashville, which is also crazy as a songwriter. It’s a place where most songwriters have been. I’m excited to do all the cities. I just can’t think of most of them right now. This is my first sort of extended tour like this. It’s crazy, because I’ve been doing this for 10 years, but this year is the first time I’ve really toured properly as a headliner ever. So it’s all new and exciting.

GM: My gosh, that is so exciting. I hope you have a great time on tour, and thank you so much for joining us today. Everybody should go check out Allie X’s show at Paradise Rock Club on Halloween this October.

AX: Yeah, wear your and wear your costume where your finest clobber.

GM: All right. Well, thank you so much for joining me. I hope you have a great rest of your day. 

AX: You too, girl, thanks for having me.

 This interview was edited for clarity.