Hyd

Hyd is the moniker of art pop singer/songwriter, performance artist, and DJ Hayden Dunham. First known for co-creating the one-off project QT along with A.G. Cook and SOPHIE, Dunham returned to music as Hyd in 2020, appearing on Cook’s solo albums before releasing a self-titled EP on PC Music in 2021. The full-length Clearing arrived in 2022, with Caroline Polachek and Sigur Rós’ Jónsi among its contributors. Originally from Austin, Hayden Dunham studied at NYU and worked as a designer and artist. They met up with SOPHIE and connected with A.G. Cook of PC Music, and the three developed the concept of a virtual character called QT, as well as an energy drink called DrinkQT. The project’s only single, “Hey QT,” featured singer Harriet Pittard, and was released by XL in 2014. It quickly earned critical acclaim, and a remix by Diplo appeared the following year. QT occasionally resurfaced with DJ sets and a short film, but Dunham largely stepped away from music for several years, concentrating on art projects and exhibitions. They presented a performance piece titled 7 Sisters at New York’s MoMA in 2019. Dunham resurfaced as Hyd in 2020, making appearances on A.G. Cook’s albums 7G and Apple. A series of singles led up to the release of Hyd, their debut EP on PC Music, in 2021. Far from the fizzy, perky dance-pop of QT, the EP was more somber, intimate, and introspective. A cover of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ “Into My Arms,” produced by PC Music’s easyFun, appeared in early 2022. Clearing, Hyd’s first full-length, arrived in November, with songwriters and producers including Caroline Polachek, Jónsi, SOPHIE, and Danny L Harle. ~ Paul Simpson