XYLØ: indie pop artist redefines herself through song

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Paige Duddy, the current talent behind the indie pop artist XYLØ, is taking 2019 to express newer ideas with the release of her latest EP, yes & no. From a 30 second Pacsun commercial for Kylie and Kendall Jenner's clothing line back in 2014, to a full blown tour beginning this July, Duddy has taken creative control of her artistry, producing music with a connection.

“I think this EP is the most current version of myself and the stuff I'm feeling/ experiencing. I am still trying to figure stuff out. Being in your twenties is weird, but I'm just like the next person; just a regular girl with your typical issues,” Duddy stated. Yes & no, which was released May 31st of this year, covers an array of topics and personal feeling Duddy wanted to share.

Photograph by: Taylor Brielle

Her song bad habit may be the second to last track on this newest EP, but it was actually the first song to be written. Duddy said, “I wanted to write a song about all the people in the music industry who have came and went, who said they believed in me but ended up bailing when things were not earning loads of money right away. It came together really quick.” Some of the lyrics include:

“My heart can’t forget when you said you would stay but you didn’t. The world came crashing down in 30 seconds flat. You can’t give me up like a bad habit. You can’t give me up like that.”

Even though the song has an overall frustrating and upsetting undertone, Duddy seems to be able to shrug off the unbelievers. “I laugh when I think about those people,” she stated.

Third on the line-up of the EP, her song the end, she admits, was one of the hardest songs to write. “I was so unhappy when I wrote it, I kept having to take breaks. Nothing seemed good enough, but eventually I was like fuck, what am I literally doing right now? I’ll just put that in the verse …I'm not looking at the sky, just my bedroom ceiling,” she said.

Photograph by: Taylor Brielle

According to Duddy, the end is about the music industry in general and questioning her entire future. When it comes to the music industry, Duddy said, “There are sacrifices you have to make. Sometimes you have to work two extra jobs on top of creating and releasing music. Sometimes you can’t afford to eat for two days or put gas in your car to get to work.”

With all these sacrifices, Duddy finds herself questioning why she does what she does. She continued, “Shit like that made me question myself, like, is this worth it? Should I just do something with my stability?” However, with all the contemplation around her music, Duddy explains the end actually relays a positive message for herself. “This song is actually that bit of hope I still have that tells me it is worth it and to keep working towards the dream.”

This motivation to succeed in the music industry was not always on the agenda for Duddy. Although she stems from a musical family tree, with three uncles from the famous rock group, Toto, and grandfather, Joe Porcaro, the famous jazz drummer, Duddy was not always sure the music industry was her place. “I didn't think that was something I was going to pursue since I never really played an instrument. I just liked to sing. But I found my purpose and ran with it,” she stated.

2019 seems to have been the fastest Duddy has ran with her music yet, having produced two full- blown EP’s within three months of each other. Back in the beginning of March, XYLØ released another EP titled pretty sad. “This last EP is produced all by Lee Newell besides one song ride or die we collaborated with a production duo called Decco,” Duddy said.

Although in the past Duddy has worked with artists such as Charli XCX and The Chainsmokers, she prefers her writing to be kept between a small group of people. Duddy stated, “I have done the whole session thing where I’ve worked with a million different writers and producers and to be honest, it pulls the music into too many different directions. I write my best stuff at my apartment with Lee.”

The title track to the latest EP, yes & no, was one of those pieces Duddy and Newell pieced together with little stress. “This was the last song written on the EP, I already felt like I had enough songs so I didn't put any pressure on it. I was like lets just do something weird and arrogant and not think about the hook being perfect,” Duddy said.

The track yes & no took on more of a techno-electric feel compared to the rest of the EP. Embedded within the music are sound bytes of different noises Duddy and Newell sporadically decided to include for a newer feel. Throughout the song you can often spot a robotic, repetitious voice mimicking Duddy’s vocals. At one point during a musical interlude, you can even hear a faint recorded voicemail to Duddy asking for her to return a call.

Photograph by: Taylor Brielle

Duddy said, “We wanted the production to feel really digital and have some sort of robot, siri type voice. I was looking through my phone for those messages from the bank where the operator says your full name and I stumbled across one from my grandma. Me and Lee, the producer, were like, ‘lol lets try it’. He popped it into the section we had for the bridge and it fit perfectly.”

This new EP as a whole expresses a range of new ideas and techniques for XYLØ. Between Duddy’s experimental use of sound and increased sentiment in lyrics, Duddy is committed to sharing her growth with her fans.

She stated, “I have also evolved and grown as an artist...My twenties have been such an interesting experience and things are happening and changing so quickly. I constantly have new things to talk about and sing about.”

XYLØ’s headlining summer tour runs from July 11th through August 12th. You can purchase tickets at https://www.xylo-music.com/xylotour.