Writer (memoir, criticism). Editor (literally everything). Podcaster (Didn’t Read It, a podcast about books).
Portfolio
Literary publications in Northwest Review and Michigan Quarterly Review.
Bylines at Pitchfork, Bustle, Vox, Paste Magazine, Consequence of Sound, The Austin American-Statesman and more.
Literary Publications
- Bathtubs, a Diptych (Northwest Review, 2023)
- Body Images (Michigan Quarterly Review, 2023)
Pop Culture
- With Daddy’s Home, St. Vincent Attends to the Unconventional Women (Consequence of Sound, 2021)
- Why It Will Never Be the Wrong Time for ‘Exile in Guyville’ (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- Every Kurt Vonnegut Novel Ranked in Order of Relevance (Consequence of Sound, 2017)
- Why We Can’t Forget Meg White and the Sexist Way We Talked About Her (Watt at Cash Music, 2016)
- The Neon Demon tries to both fetishize and vilify young girls. It fails. (Vox, 2016)
- Why Green Day Will Always Matter to the Young and Uncool (Paste, 2016)
- My Life in the Romance Novel Industry (Catapult, 2016)
- In Memory of David Bowie, 7 Artists Who Made Great Art in Their Final Days (Loser City, 2016)
- We Need to Talk About Amy Winehouse’s Eating Disorder and Its Role In Her Death (Pitchfork, 2015)
- Girls On Stage: Obvious Child Gives Female Comics Their Due on the Big Screen (Loser City, 2014)
- What It’s Like to Pop Your Cult Classic Cherry In the Age of the Internet, or, Here’s What I Learned Watching Twin Peaks For The First Time (Loser City, 2014)
Profiles, Interviews and Reports
- A tribute to the voices of independent Austin radio (The Austin American-Statesman, 2020)
- UT professor Lisa B. Thompson’s work of the soul, on-stage and off (The Austin American-Statesman, 2020)
- You’re in the show, too: ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ tackles tough subjects with audience’s help at Zach Theatre (The Austin American-Statesman, 2020)
- Billie Eilish at ACL Fest 2019: An Explainer for Non-Teens (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Billie Eilish name drops Tierra Whack and Lil Nas X in NPR conversation at ACL Fest (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Step into the sunshine with Bob Mould and his new optimistic record (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Talking Astrology With the Most Emotionally Intelligent Person in Electronic Music, Madame Gandhi (The New Nine, 2018)
- The Hot (and Not So Hot) Moments of Hot Luck Festival 2018 (Ovrld, 2018)
- Not Just Music: ACL Cares Reveals Heart of the Fest (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Eve Ensler Has Been Fighting Trump For 30 Years & She’s Not About To Stop Now (Bustle, 2017)
- Barb Being Dead In ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Will Be “Traumatic” For Nancy, Says Star Natalia Dyer (Bustle, 2017)
- Demi Charmed Life: Demi Lovato shares her lighter side with lucky Austin fans (The Austin American-Statesman, 2017)
- This Austin Nonprofit Is Changing the Way Local Musicians Get Paid (Pitchfork, 2016)
- Bad Girls and Blood Freaks: The Ghost Wolves Live Life to the Fullest and Loudest (Ovrld, 2016)
- With ‘SHIA,’ Holiday Mountain’s Laura Patiño finds freedom in self-expression (The Austin American-Statesman, 2016)
- A Roundtable Interview with Nicolas Winding Refn and Cliff Martinez (Loser City, 2016)
- Full Interview with Dustin Hill of Black Pussy for the Establishment (Medium, 2016)
- Orange is the New Black Star Samira Wiley is Moving On from Poussey (Bustle, 2016)
- Worldwide Wayne (614 Magazine, 2016)
- Too Loud to Ignore (614 Magazine, 2016)
- In the Moment With Teri Gender Bender (Ovrld, 2015)
- Hold It Lightly: How A Woman Like Me Uses the Creative Process to Explore Life’s Harder Questions (Loser City, 2015)
- A Story of Storytellers: Jeff Preiss Talks About the Making of Low Down (Ovrld, 2014)
Album Reviews
- ‘Drunk Tank Pink’ – Shame (Consequence of Sound, 2021)
- ‘Hey, I’m Just Like You’ – Tegan and Sara (Consequence of Sound, 2019)
- ‘The Center Won’t Hold’ – Sleater-Kinney (Consequence of Sound, 2019)
- ‘Salt’ – Angie McMahon (Consequence of Sound, 2019)
- ‘Purple Mountains’ – Purple Mountains (Consequence of Sound, 2019)
- ‘Dookie’ – Green Day, Classic Album Review (Consequence of Sound, 2019)
- ‘Honey’ – Robyn (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- ‘Chris’ – Christine and the Queens (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- ‘Marauder’ – Interpol (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- ‘Isolation’ – Kali Uchis (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- ‘Be the Cowboy’ – Mitski (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- ‘Love is Dead’ – Chvrches (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- ‘Golden Hour’ – Kacey Musgraves (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- ‘I’ll Be Your Girl’ – The Decemberists (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- ‘ken’ – Destroyer (Consequence of Sound, 2017)
- ‘Gone Now’ – Bleachers (Consequence of Sound, 2017)
- ‘No Shape’ – Perfume Genius (Consequence of Sound, 2017)
- ‘Planetarium’ – Planetarium (Consequence of Sound, 2017)
- ‘Semper Femina’ – Laura Marling (Consequence of Sound, 2017)
- ‘Deep Dream’ – Daddy Issues (Paste, 2017)
- ‘Off the Radar’ – Noga Erez (Paste, 2017)
- ‘What Now?’ – Sylvan Esso (Paste, 2017)
- ‘Lightworks’ – Hortlax Cobra (Paste, 2017)
- ‘In the Darkness of My Night’ – Sunshine and the Rain (Paste, 2017)
- ‘Millennial Spirituals’ – Leach (Ovrld, 2016)
- ‘The Edge of Seventeen’ Soundtrack (Bustle, 2016)
Concert Reviews
- Destroyer (Ovrld, 2020)
- The Jonas Brothers (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Sleater-Kinney (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Pink (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- James Blake, ACL Fest 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Third Eye Blind, ACL Fest 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Duckwrth, ACL Fest 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Bea Miller, ACL Fest 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Pink Sweat$, ACL Fest 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Finneas, ACL Fest 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Tame Impala, ACL Fest 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- King Princess, ACL Fest 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Raconteurs, ACL Fest 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Patty Griffin and Steve Earle (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Better Oblivion Community Center (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Cherry Glazerr, SXSW 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- De La Soul, SXSW 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Tierra Whack, SXSW 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Mavis Staples, SXSW 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Angie McMahon, SXSW 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Amanda Palmer, SXSW 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Kane Brown (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Britney Spears (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Thunderpussy, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Amen Dunes, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- B.A.G., ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Odesza, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Ben Kweller, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Parquet Courts, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Shame, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- The Revolution, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Molly Burch, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Verite, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- St. Vincent, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- The Breeders, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Brockhampton, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Big Thief, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Alvvays, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Greta Van Fleet, ACL Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Liz Phair (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- En Vogue, Urban Music Fest 2018 (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Usher and the Roots (The Austin American-Statesman, 2016)
- Gwen Stefani (The Austin American-Statesman, 2016)
- Fun Fun Fun Fest 2015 Part 1 (Ovrld, 2015)
- Fun Fun Fun Fest 2015 Part 2 (Ovrld, 2015)
Movie Reviews
- The Neon Demon (Vox, 2016)
- Accidental Courtesy and Don’t Think Twice, SXSW (Loser City, 2016)
- Cameraperson and Beware the Slenderman, SXSW (Loser City, 2016)
- Big Significant Things (Loser City, 2015)
- A Woman Like Me (Loser City, 2015)
- I Believe in Unicorns (Loser City, 2015)
- The Congress (Loser City, 2014)
- Love Hotel (Loser City, 2014)
- Test (Loser City, 2014)
- Homemakers (Loser City, 2014)
- Obvious Child (Loser City, 2014)
Lists
-
- Pop at SXSW 2019 (The Austin American-Statesman 2019)
- Jack White in 10 Songs (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- Every Kurt Vonnegut Novel Ranked in Order of Relevance (Consequence of Sound, 2017)
- 11 Movies To Watch If You Love ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (Bustle, 2017)
- 17 Sexy Movies Made By Women That Will Turn You On (Bustle, 2017)
- 12 Movies To Watch If You Love ‘Master Of None’ & Its Truly Original Voice (Bustle, 2017)
- 17 Movies On Netflix That Might Look Bad But Are Actually Amazing (Bustle, 2017)
- How To Stream Heath Ledger’s Movies Online & Revisit The Late Actor’s Incredible Work (Bustle, 2017)
- 21 Groundbreaking Movies Featuring Portrayals Of Women That Were Ahead Of Their Time (Bustle, 2017)
- These Music Videos Directed By Heath Ledger Showcase How Incredibly Talented He Was (Bustle, 2017)
- 11 Times Your Favorite 90s Teen Movies Broke Your Heart (Bustle, 2017)
- Bill Paxton’s Role In ‘The Circle’ Is Just The Latest To Show His Versatile Talent (Bustle, 2017)
- 9 Movies and TV Shows Every 90s Kid Should Watch This Summer (Bustle, 2017)
- 12 Summer Movies Written or Directed by Women That You’re Not Going to Want to Miss (Bustle, 2017)
- 26 Feminist Horror Movies That Will Freak You Out Without Bringing You Down (Bustle, 2017)
- 16 Documentaries Every Millennial Should Watch To Be Informed About The World (Bustle, 2017)
- 14 Movies to Watch if You’re Obsessed with ‘Feud’ (Bustle, 2017)
- The Most Empowering Movies of Summer 2017 (Bustle, 2017)
- These ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Lyric Changes Matter So Much (Bustle, 2017)
- 13 Disney Movies that Need Live Action Remakes ASAP (Bustle, 2017)
- 7 ‘Mommie Dearest’ Quotes to Add Insight to ‘Feud’ (Bustle, 2017)
- 13 Netflix Movies To Watch When You’re Hanging Out With Your Parents (Bustle, 2017)
- 18 90s Movies That Better Be on Netflix This Year (Bustle, 2017)
- 13 Classic Movies to Watch When You Need a Break From Reality (Bustle, 2017)
- Stream These Bette Davis Movies If You Can’t Get Enough Of ‘Feud’ (Bustle, 2017)
- 18 Documentaries About Your Favorite Celebrities That Will Make You Look At Them In All New Ways (Bustle, 2017)
- 11 Things to Watch on Netflix When You Need a Mental Break (Bustle, 2017)
- 19 Documentaries Every Woman In Her 20s Should Watch (Bustle, 2017)
- 9 Documentaries On Netflix You Should Watch With The Lights On (Bustle, 2017)
- The 16 Best Galentine’s Day Movies To Watch With Your BFF (Bustle, 2017)
- The 19 Smartest Documentaries On Netflix To Give You A Broader View of the World (Bustle, 2017)
- The 19 Smartest Documentaries On Netflix To Give You A Broader View of the World (Bustle, 2017)
- The 13 Most Terrifying 2017 Horror Movies Are Even Scarier Than Real Life (Bustle, 2017)
- 11 of the Most Obscure 80s Movies Ever (Bustle, 2017)
- 13 ’90s Movies That Deserve Creative Remakes ASAP (Bustle, 2017)
- The Mushiest Romantic Movies Ever (Bustle, 2017)
- 13 Dramas To See Before Oscar Night That Will Help You Craft A Perfect Ballot (Bustle, 2017)
- 12 New Year’s Eve Movies To Watch As The Ball Drops (Bustle, 2016)
- The 13 Most Empowering Movies of the 90s (Bustle, 2016)
- 14 Funny Christmas Movies To Keep Your Whole Family Laughing (Bustle, 2016)
- The 17 Funniest Halloween Movies That Provide Laughs Instead Of Screams (Bustle, 2016)
- 12 Movies That Were Way More Scarring Than Your Parents Realized (Bustle 2016)
- 11 Movies To Watch If You Love ‘Practical Magic’ (Bustle, 2016)
- 13 Movies To Watch If You Love ‘Hocus Pocus’ (Bustle, 2016)
- 23 Halloween Movies On Netflix That Will Satisfy Your Creepy Cravings (Bustle, 2016)
- In Memory of David Bowie, 7 Artists Who Made Great Art in Their Final Days (Loser City, 2016)
- Benedict Cumberbatch’s Accent In ‘Doctor Strange’ Is Actually One Of His Best (Bustle, 2016)
- The 13 Best Songs About Women Masturbating (Pitchfork, 2015)
List and Roundtable Contributions
- The 100 Best Albums by Austin Artists of the 2010s (Ovrld, 2020)
- The 100 Best Songs by Austin Artists of the 2010s (Ovrld, 2020)
- Top 50 Albums of 2019 (Consequence of Sound, 2019)
- Top Songs of the 2010s (Consequence of Sound, 2019)
- Top Albums of the 2010s (Consequence of Sound, 2019)
- ACL Fest 2019 Highlights (The Austin American-Statesman, 2019)
- Top 50 Albums of 2018 (Consequence of Sound, 2018)
- Top 25 Songs by Austin Artists in 2018 (Ovrld, 2018)
- Best Albums by Austin Artists in 2018 (Ovrld, 2018)
- Top 10 Videos by Austin Artists in 2018 (Ovrld, 2018)
- ACL 2018 Fest Acts We Loved (The Austin American-Statesman, 2018)
- Top 50 Songs of 2017 (Consequence of Sound, 2017)
- Top 50 Albums of 2017 (Consequence of Sound, 2017)
- Top 25 Songs by Austin Artists in 2017 (Ovrld, 2017)
- Top 10 Videos by Austin Artists in 2017 (Ovrld, 2017)
- Recapping SXSW 2017: Fader Fort (Ovrld, 2017)
- Top 10 Music Videos by Austin Artists in 2016 (Ovrld, 2016)
- Top 10 Albums by Austin Artists in 2016 (Ovrld, 2016)
- Top 25 Songs by Austin Artists in 2016 (Ovrld, 2016)
- No More Mancubes: In Defense of Suicide Squad (Loser City, 2016)
- Shows We Went To: Sweet Spirit at ABGB (Ovrld, 2016)
- The Best Songs by Austin Artists in 2015 (Ovrld, 2015)
- The Best Albums by Austin Artists in 2015 (Ovrld, 2015)
- The 25 Best Songs of 2015 (Loser City, 2015)
- The Best Albums of 2015 (Loser City, 2015)
- Our 25 Favorite Songs of 2014 (Loser City, 2014)
- The Best Albums of 2014 (Loser City, 2014)
- Our Favorite Films of 2014 (Loser City, 2014)
- Our Favorite TV Shows of 2014 (Loser City, 2014)
- Who Inspired Us to Take Up Criticism (Loser City, 2015)
- Our Pop Culture First Loves (Loser City, 2015)
- Completing the Mystery: A Discussion on the Twin Peaks Experience Today (Loser City, 2014)
Podcasts and Interviews
- Consequence of Sound Podcast conversation about ‘Dookie’s 25th Anniversary, 2019 (Audio)
- SXSW 2019 Featured Speaker Conversation with Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace (Clip) (recap in the Austin Chronicle)
- Writer’s League of Texas: Writing About Music Panel 2018 (Audio)
- Moderator at Texas Book Festival 2018 Panel: Writing About Music (no audio/video)
- Taking Care of My Mental Health With SIMS (Blog)
- KOOP 91.7 Remix Radio Show conversation: Best Austin Music of 2015 (Audio)
- The Hot Conversation Podcast (Audio)
- The Latest Toughs (Audio)
About
Kayleigh Hughes is a writer and editor from Columbus, Ohio. She has an MFA in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked as an editor for over a decade — both in AP and Chicago style — and spent most of her twenties also moonlighting as a pop culture journalist focusing specifically on music and film. She attended the 2022 and 2023 Kenyon Review Summer Writers Workshop. She is currently finishing a memoir about all the dirty stuff the women in her family wake up to and go to bed with, and she’s cohost of the book podcast Didn’t Read It.
Contact
E-mail me at kayleigh@ovrld.com.
Twitter: @kayleighqueue
IG: @kayleighq
My Venmo handle is: @hugheskayleigh