Allie X on Girl With No Face: "It was a tremendous amount of pressure but also extremely liberating"

Canadian pop visionary Allie X, aka Alexandra Ashley Hughes, released the widely-acclaimed album Girl With No Face back in February – a thrilling 11-song project that marked the singer’s first venture into self-production. Now, she's ready to take the project on the road, and is kicking off her tour with a headline show in Dublin this weekend.

Gearing up to show her fans a “rocking good time” – complete with “cute looks and a cute band" – Allie has made it clear that Dublin holds a special place in her heart, noting her family's Irish roots.

“I like looking around and seeing so many people that look like me,” she jokes.

The long-awaited follow-up to 2020’s Cape God, Girl With No Face showcases Allie’s newfound confidence as she allows her fiery alter-ego to take centre stage. Written during the throes of the pandemic, the album sees the artist return to the practice of solo-writing, which she describes as an isolating yet rewarding experience, littered with moments of self-discovery.

“I learned I have a lot of willpower, a high pain tolerance and I’m actually pretty fast at lyrics when I work alone,” she explains. “It was a tremendous amount of pressure but also extremely liberating. It’s something I had wanted to try for a long time just to prove to myself that I could. I’m glad I did it – but also won’t be doing that again for a while...”

As the sole writer, producer and creative voice behind the project, Allie was able to dissect her thoughts, emotions and talents on a more intimate level, pushing the boundaries of self-expression in order to produce an album infused with the spirit of rebellion and renewal.

“This album was a chance to find out what happens when I lock myself in a room and try to make a record with no one else's help or influence,” she said in a recent press release. “An uncommon plight in the pop realm. This was all at once a hedonistic pursuit (indulging my bottomless pit of love for the post-punk/new wave epoch in the UK) and the most immense creative challenge I’ve ever undertaken. I’m proud of myself just for getting to this finish line.”

Allie X plays The Academy in Dublin on Sunday, May 26. Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster.

Listen to Girl With No Face below: