Hyd

Before Hyd, there was QT, a pop persona who was partly invented and partly real. Hayden Frances Dunham, the American performance artist, designer and DJ from Austin, Texas, built the character alongside English producers A. G. Cook and Sophie. Their work sits at the crossroads of art and pop, where a fictional singer doubles as the face of a fictional energy drink. Under the name Hyd, Dunham returned to music as a solo artist.

The QT project was founded in 2014, and its single "Hey QT" that year introduced a character sung by Harriet Pittard and portrayed by Dunham. DrinkQT, the energy drink designed by Kim Laughton, was handed out at performances and opened for pre-order in May 2015, though its distribution caused friction with the Red Bull Music Academy's sponsorship of a PC Music show. After years of dormancy, Dunham returned in August 2020 as Hyd, appearing on A. G. Cook's album 7G, then released "No Shadow" in September 2021 and a four-track EP that November. The debut album Clearing followed on 11 November 2022 via PC Music, and a second album, Hold Onto Me Infinity, has been announced for 22 May, previewed by "Angel" and "Watch You Cry".