Kat Harlton
Emerging Canadian country-pop artist Alex Hughes, recently released her catchy new single “Tee Time” on July 15th via all streaming platforms.
“Tee Time” features infectious guitar hooks and incredible vocals, emphasizing the witty lyrics that tease a partner about spending a little too much time on the golf course and not enough time at home. The new single was produced by CCMA and JUNO Award-nominated production team Justin Kudding and Spencer Cheyne, and written by Alex alongside Canadian country artists and songwriters Aaron Pollock and Lydia Sutherland.
Born and raised in Calgary, AB, Alex spent her time during the pandemic developing as an artist and honing her craft, co-writing over 50 songs with writers from Calgary, Nashville, Chicago, and even the UK; and also began diving into the world of production. She continued to release new music including her singles “Gentleman,” “Drive,” and “After 31,” a special song which was added to CBC Country on Sirius XM, streamed more than 60,000 times, and was included on more than 815 playlists.
Alex has made her presence in the Canadian country music scene known and become a sought-after collaborator within the community. She has provided feature vocals for various artists and group projects, with song writing credits including CCMA-nominated Leaving Thomas’ acclaimed album, “Nothing Comes for Free” as a writer on the song, “Lie to Me” and Ryan Lindsay’s CCMA-nominated album, “The Ride” as a writer on fan favourite, “Darlin’ You’re Classic”. Alex was also nominated for a Country Music Alberta Award for “Horizon Female Artist of the Year” and finished as a Top 12 finalist in the Project WILD Country Artist Development Program in 2021.
I had the opportunity to chat with Alex about her new single, songwriting and what to expect for the rest of 2022.
Kat: You recently released your new single “Tee Time”. What was the inspiration behind the track?
Alex: The inspiration for “Tee Time” came from some pretty hilarious conversations with my friends venting about our partners spending too much time on the golf course. The lyrical content is witty but direct and cheeky. It’s meant to poke fun while still being empowering to the partner who ultimately is just looking for a little more TLC … and a lot less golf.
Kat: You wrote “Tee Time” with Canadian songwriters Aaron Pollock and Lydia Sutherland. What was it like working with them and how did the song come together?
Alex: Lydia and Aaron are such gifted writers. I knew that if anyone could help me with this unique idea, it would be them. I’ve been lucky to write with them both many times in the past, and released some of the songs we’ve written together, including this one. Once we started exploring the hook “Tee Time” the lyrics and puns started to write themselves and it came together fairly quickly. It was a fast and fun zoom write and I took the song to the studio the following week.
Kat: You also released a music video to go along with the new single. Can you tell us a bit about the storyline behind it?
Alex: The “Tee Time” video is intended to be exaggerated and over the top, poking fun in a lighthearted manner. It features my actual husband, Tyler, portraying the stereotypical guy who likes to spend more time golfing with “the boys” than at home. Throughout the video, it is made apparent that Alex’s husband is more interested in golf than he is in her, with scenes that include Tyler and the “boys” enjoying some time at the driving range, Alex being ignored for golf on tv, and a lack of housework being done in lieu of his “tee time”. All of which culminates in me eventually kicking my husband to the curb due to his obsession with golfing (which hasn’t happened in real life, yet).
Kat: Now that we are getting back into live music, do you have any plans for upcoming shows?
Alex: Yes! I’m so excited to be back out playing regularly. I’ll be playing at the King Eddy in Calgary on July 30th for the Homegrown Country Series. I will also be doing some showcasing at the CCMA’s and will announce those shows on my social media.
Kat: What can we expect from you for the balance of 2022?
Alex: I’m looking forward to releasing another single in the Fall of 2022. I’ve got some great shows in the works as well as an EP I hope to wrap up before the end of the year. Stay tuned!
Connect With Alex
Twitter: @alexhughesmusic
Facebook: /AlexHughesOfficial
Instagram: @alexhughesmusic
Website: https://alexhughes.com