For episode 107 of the podcast, we caught up with the ray of sunshine, Abby Anderson, to talk about her experiences over the past year and what’s to come. Interview available on the podcast next week. Abby has just announced that she will be performing an online writers round, alongside Eric Paslay and Tenille Townes today (18 March 2020) at 8pm GMT.
Dude, if I’m being honest I’m still in my pyjamas.
I feel like anything goes during quarantine season.
So I’m actually going live tomorrow with Eric Paslay and Tenille Townes…
It was literally the day before it got cancelled in London!
It was literally the day before! I was bawling my eyes out, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Exactly! You did manage to do the German tour – how was that?
Oh my gosh, it was amazing. I’ve spent both birthdays overseas and celebrating with you guys, two years in a row. It was so much fun. I’m not much of a party-er, I’m in bed by 11.
Did you still get to experience the German beerhouses?
Oh yeah I’m still feeling the repercussions of that.
The last time I spoke to you was about a year ago and I can’t believe how much has happened in your life. I think the last time we spoke, you’d just found out you were going to be touring with Rob Thomas in the summer.
Yes! He texted me yesterday, and I’m like ‘Rob Thomas texted me…’ It was amazing, I love that man. I knew his music before, but after touring with him and seeing him play live, I have a whole new appreciation for his craft of a song. He is incredible, I think he might be that generation’s best songwriter.
You must have learned so much. Obviously, you see someone one night and you learn something from opening for them but opening throughout the whole tour is just a completely different ball game.
I think the biggest takeaway for me, just watching him interact with his crew and team, just how he treats people and more so, the way people act around him. People light up when they’re around him, people are happy when they’re around him, which speaks to me way more. I could be nice to you, but it could be insincere and it says a lot when the other person really lights up around the other person. The coolest part is everyone on his crew has been with him for years and years. I really admire him and his wife’s relationship – they’ve been together for over 20 years and have such an amazing marriage and I really admire that.
Well that’s something that’s changed in the last year for you – you have a new inspiration behind your songs… Has it changed the way you’ve written songs?
Oh my relationship? That’s an interesting question… I mean I think I feel everything more intensely now, if that makes sense, but I think I have that from growing up too. When I was younger – and I still am young, I have so much to learn – I would probably push feelings away more for the sake of smiling, than I do now. Now I’m with someone who sees me cry, who sees me sad and he’s like ‘write about it.’ He’s my safe place to be a human if that makes sense. So, I think my songwriting is better because I’ve learned to allow those emotions to have a place to live, instead of pushing them away.
Yeah, your latest track ‘I’ll Still Love You,’ I feel like there was so much emotion in that. There are some love songs that are so happy and almost cheesy, but there was a real depth to that track..
Oh and I have those too.
You wrote it with Jordan Minton and Josh Kerr, so many amazingly talented people on that track. Are there people that you naturally gravitate towards working with?
Yeah, I feel like the last four songs I’ve released, I’ve either written or produced it with Josh, I’ve written a ton with Jordan. What’s crazy though is that all those songs were written a year and a half or almost two years ago. Now this year, I’ve written with a bunch of different people, expanding my creativity, making sure I’m always staying fresh. I love sticking with the same people, but this year has allowed me to branch out. So we’ll see, the music might sound different next year, because I’ve been writing with different people and it’s just new.
The first of your new wave of music was obviously ‘Guy Like You,’ was that important to put out as a statement of where you’re at musically and personally and the direction you wanted the new music to go?
Yeah it just sounded fresh, and that’s the thing, just because I’m in love, I’m still going to put out sassy songs, I still have heartbreak songs because I have had my heart broken and I still remember those feelings. Most girls my age aren’t in love, you know, so I want to make sure I’m staying relatable to girls my age because that’s my audience.
For sure! The other thing you did this year was the duet with Jimmie Allen ‘Shallow,’ which was another moment that took off. You obviously played that at C2C, that must have been a special moment, singing with a friend of yours in London, in the O2 Arena – it must have been very special.
Oh yeah, Jimmie, he’s my pal and he’s been such a great mentor to me. I feel like we were friends before that song, but that song definitely made our friendship stronger and I just want him to win. I mean he already is. Even this year, playing shows together, that was so much fun.
Another moment was definitely you getting to share the stage with Dolly Parton. I saw the video of your sister crying seeing her live… Does it get any better?
No (laughs). At the Ryman auditorium, singing right before Dolly Parton is about to go on stage. I didn’t get time to chat with her – she’s Dolly Parton, everyone wants to talk with her – but I got a quick little picture with her. It was so cute, she made a joke, because we both have pretty big boobs (laughs), when I was standing next to her, our boobs were touching and she goes ‘it’s nice to meet another one.’ (laughs) That was our moment together.
I guess all your plans for the next year have been transformed because of everything going on, but what are your plans as far as new music is concerned?
Yeah, the plan is to put another single out. I’ve been steadily releasing music this whole year, but keep releasing those songs, keep building the fanbase. I kind of want the audience to choose what the next single is going to be. The thing is I write all these songs, I know which ones I love but I don’t know which ones to release as far as radio is concerned.
Well people need something to do right now…
Exactly. I know it’s tough for everybody out there, I’m very privileged to not have to tour and not have to worry about how I’m going to make money and not a lot of people are. I’m very sensitive toward that, but at the same time, I can’t help but feel thankful for time to breathe. It’s kind of a good wakeup call for me personally.
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Final Few
How long does it take you to reply to text messages? Oh it depends (laughs), if it’s a yes or no, I’m instant. If it takes brain power, it might be a few days, I never do it on purpose.
9 to 5 or Steel Magnolias? Oh, Steel Magnolias, it’s a classic.
Record you couldn’t live without if you were stuck on a desert island? Ooh, probably Ray Charles’ ‘Sounds of Country Music’
Would you rather only be able to listen to country music for the rest of your life, or everything but country music? Only country.
If you could be a member of any TV family, which one would you choose? Probably, Schitt’s Creek, or I’d gladly be a sister of Dwight Schrute, he’s funny.
Would you rather be able to copy and paste in real life, or undo in real life? Copy and paste for sure… heck yeah.
Complete the sentence…
Music is… joy.
Country music is… fun… joy (laughs)
Abby Anderson is… joy – it’s all the same thing (laughs).
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