APRIL 18 2025 (KANSAS CITY, MO) – Alt-pop powerhouse pure xtc returns with her moody, cinematic new single Drive, out now. After two spellbinding singles, Fall Apart and Mood Ring, Drive completes the journey, weaving a story of unraveling, transformation, and escape. Each song in the trilogy is accompanied by a short film, with Hughes directing the final installment for Drive, to be released this spring, bringing the continuous storyline to a visceral conclusion.
Drive is the sound of love unraveling in the rearview—when everything you thought you knew starts to slip away. With pulsing synths, reverb-drenched guitars, and a hypnotic beat, the track mirrors the endless stretch of highway..
About the single, Hughes commented “Drive is about the moment love loses its grip—when the person you once couldn’t live without becomes a stranger. I built the song in my home studio, layering airy textures to capture that feeling of longing. The verses came fast, but the chorus was a battle. I had the first half but struggled to make the melody land. That’s when I called Mariel Loveland—she helped refine the lyrics and capture that quiet surrender. It’s the sound of leaving, of moving toward something lighter, something free.”
The Kansas City-based artist behind pure xtc, Taylor Hughes, continues to carve her path in the alternative pop world. With placements on Apple Music’s New in Alternative and Proud Radio, and her music resonating across UK and European retail spaces like Birkenstock and Harvey Nichols, Hughes’ reach extends far beyond the Midwest. Her track get lost made its big-screen debut in the award-winning film Midwest Skidmark, which premiered in AMC Theaters, and she recently scored the short film Rangoon, which sold out its Kansas City premiere.
With a raw, immersive sound and a commanding live presence, pure xtc has shared stages with Fletcher, Slayyyter, Jenny Lewis, and Dashboard Confessional, including a performance at The Dinah in Palm Springs. Exciting festival plans are ahead for 2025, so stay tuned for more from pure xtc, including upcoming live shows.