If you're planning to catch Allie Hughes' live show in the near future, consider bringing a comrade for emotional and physical support. You might start crying and questioning your sexuality or you may forget to breathe, causing you to fall to a heap from lack of oxygen to the brain. In true trendsetting form, Toronto’s freshest weirdo pop princess has created a perfect hybrid between genre-bending alt-pop and the most engaging elements of a budding musical theatre career. Her sets have plot lines and costumes, begin with overtures and have sick twists to thrill you at every turn. "You could call her a counterculture Katy Perry or a literate Lady Gaga, but she’s even more impressive than that. And her band rocks." (Toronto Star). While she finishes recording her debut album, Allie Hughes is promoting it with a four song EP and carving her name into the chest of the Toronto music scene with her damaged nails. In the past 6 months she has shared the stage with The Born Ruffians, Avi Buffalo, Mother Mother, Zeus, Woodhands, Sweet Thing, and Chromeo.
Prior to the release of her EP, Allie was best known as “that girl who was on that Maria show” (Hughes had in 2008, spent time as a top 10 finalist on CBC's hit summer reality show “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria” where she competed to play Maria Von Trapp in Toronto's production of The Sound Of Music). Although grateful for the opportunity and Lord Lloyd Webber's support and a popular …
If you're planning to catch Allie Hughes' live show in the near future, consider bringing a comrade for emotional and physical support. You might start crying and questioning your sexuality or you may forget to breathe, causing you to fall to a heap from lack of oxygen to the brain. In true trendsetting form, Toronto’s freshest weirdo pop princess has created a perfect hybrid between genre-bending alt-pop and the most engaging elements of a budding musical theatre career. Her sets have plot lines and costumes, begin with overtures and have sick twists to thrill you at every turn. "You could call her a counterculture Katy Perry or a literate Lady Gaga, but she’s even more impressive than that. And her band rocks." (Toronto Star). While she finishes recording her debut album, Allie Hughes is promoting it with a four song EP and carving her name into the chest of the Toronto music scene with her damaged nails. In the past 6 months she has shared the stage with The Born Ruffians, Avi Buffalo, Mother Mother, Zeus, Woodhands, Sweet Thing, and Chromeo.
Prior to the release of her EP, Allie was best known as “that girl who was on that Maria show” (Hughes had in 2008, spent time as a top 10 finalist on CBC's hit summer reality show “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria” where she competed to play Maria Von Trapp in Toronto's production of The Sound Of Music). Although grateful for the opportunity and Lord Lloyd Webber's support and a popular youtube video, it became immediately obvious that Hughes has a uniqueness that resonates immediately on a different kind of stage, which is probably why she got voted off in the 2nd week.
Allie’s cast of players ranges from 6-8 people who are all recruits from some of the best bands in Canada including Jim Guthrie, The Magic, Owen Pallett, Steven McKay, The Meligrove Band, Skeletones Four, THOMAS, Gentlemen Reg, and Green Go. “It’s pretty elaborate musical arrangements” Hughes says. “I’ve thought about changing my name to a band name.... It seems that in Canada, whenever people hear of a female artist who goes by their real name they immediately think folk singer songwriter with a guitar. I can’t even play the guitar! No but seriously, that’s definitely not my thing”.
How does one classify Allie Hughes? The only way to really find out is to go to her show before she gets big and starts shooting laser beams from her fingers. In the meanwhile, “wait with baited breath and whispering humbleness” for her debut album, “The Hard Way”, which is in it’s final few months of being recorded. A large indefinite quantity of interesting producers and collaborators are involved- Dave Newfeld, Ron Sexsmith, Roger Leavens, Leon Taheny, Morgan Waters and Les Cooper to name a few.
"You could call her a counterculture Katy Perry or a literate Lady Gaga, but she’s even more impressive than that. And her band rocks."
--Toronto Star
“….pop-cabaret-star-in-waiting Allie Hughes sense of fun has no hidden agenda.”
— Globe and Mail
“Hughes, dolled-up in a bride costume, dazzled the crowd with her outrageously entertaining theatrical flare and Broadway-bound voice”
– Chart Attack
“…..it’s rare to see someone straddle the line between soft-shoe entertainer and viable troubadour without channelling nightmarish memories of Corky and the Juice Pigs. When a musician pulls it off with grace, it’s cause for celebration. So we should celebrate Toronto’s Allie Hughes”
-- Eye Weekly
“her debut EP is outstanding, and she's clearly a very talented artist. She's got an obvious willingness to try out new things, and that manifests itself in the form of an EP that finds her going from Death Cab For Cutie-esque pop, to radio-friendly electro-pop , to complete insanity in less than fifteen minutes."
-- i(heart)music
“If the music on Glee were this fantastically original and diverse, I would be a devoted fan….If you are looking for something unique and incredibly engaging, please check out Allie Hughes.”
-- Popshifter
