By: Quinn Que
Q) Who are some of your influences, and how do you blend those different eras and styles into your own sound?
A) I love a lot of the music from the 90’s. I was in a 90’s rock band in college and that’s how I actually paid for college. We played the last night shift down on Broadway. We played a lot of Nirvana, Alice In Chains and The Cranberries. Oddly enough, I feel like that has a bit of influence in my music, mostly with chords and arrangements. I obviously love country and folk music as well – mainly classic country like Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash. Their lyrics are so real and hold up to this day. Those influences come through a lot lyrically and with my band set up.
Q) You’re described as bringing “vulnerability meets vibrance” to country music. In an industry that can sometimes feel guarded, why is it important for you to be so emotionally raw?
A) It’s important to me because that’s who I am. I have no problem spilling my guts, when appropriate. Three out of the seven songs on my upcoming EP are solo writes. My upcoming project is full of words directly from my mouth, it’s very vulnerable. It’s important because we all go through things in life. I needed to write these songs to cope with my things so someone will need to listen to these songs to get through theirs.
Q) Abbie, your new single “Yo-Yo” is described as being about an 8-day situationship – take us back to that week. What was it about those eight days that left such a lasting impression?
A) Well, situations like that are tough. I know, for me, I used to find myself in them because they played off of my dopamine release center. It was like a game even though it wasn’t much fun at all. I think that’s why it sticks with me. Just because I cut it off doesn’t mean all of that emotion is gone. Sometimes when I’ve been in relationships for years those endings are easier because you have more data on why things need to end. With this one my mind was racing.
Q) You co-wrote “Yo-Yo” with Jason Gantt and Joseph Patton. How did they link up with you and what was it like working with them?
A) I signed my publishing deal with Twelve6 in January of last year – I met both of them through that. Joseph is so great at matching my whimsy and adding melodies I could never even dream of. Jason is super grounding and adds a lot sonically. The demo he made for “Yo-Yo” was so addicting. I love working with both of them!
Q) “Yo-Yo” has this interesting contrast between sounding “light and fun” but being “lyrically dark and pretty sad.” How did that juxtaposition come into play as you were working on the song?
A) I walked into the writing room that day and had a couple of things and then I said “yo-yo would be a cool title for a song.” I just had yo-yo written in my notes app with nothing else. It came together so fast in the room – the story we were telling made perfect sense. And we knew with a title like “yo-yo” something sounding sad wouldn’t make sense.
Q) How important was producer Oscar Charles to the creation of “Yo-Yo?” What did each of you bring to the table?
A) He played a huge role in the whole EP. I love working with Oscar because he’s super honest and not afraid to speak his mind. It wasn’t his favorite song of mine to work on because it leans pretty pop. I think we met in the middle and made something very magical because of that. He helped it fit into the rest of the project seamlessly.
Q) The visualizer for “Yo-Yo” recently dropped. What can fans expect to see, and how does it complement the song’s themes?
A) We call my sound kaleidoscope country, that’s going to play a huge role in all the visuals for the foreseeable future. They are trippy but I hope the visuals help people escape into the music.
Q) You’ve said before that “Yo-Yo” was the catalyst for your forthcoming EP, saying that it sets the stage for “a defining story” in your life. What are some themes you’ll be exploring on it?
A) The biggest theme is self-discovery, whether that’s with leaving a small town to follow dreams, finding your footing after a devastating relationship, or self-reflection and trying to break patterns.
Q) You were to make your Bonnaroo debut on Friday, June 13th at the Who Stage. That’s a pretty big deal. What can fans expect from a live Abbie Callahan performance?
A) Obviously, because of weather it didn’t work out this year which is a bummeroo, but hopefully in the future I will make my debut! Abbie Callahan shows are pretty stripped right now – just upright bass, two guitars and a fiddle. So, I’d say expect something a little different than the traditional “country” music sets we see these days. They are upbeat and whimsical as well!
Q) We’ve heard you perform daily at Nashville’s honky tonks. How does that intimate setting compare to preparing for a festival stage like Bonnaroo?
A) We did seven hours of practice just in the week leading up to Bonnaroo. We worked on smooth transitions between songs so that it almost felt jam bandy at times. It is just more of a script than playing at a honkytonk and it’s also a new world for me. I could play at those bars in my sleep by now, I’ve done it so much. With my original stuff, maybe I just care about it more. It’s like my baby – I want it all to be authentic and as perfect as possible.
Q) Who are some artists that you would love to collaborate with on music in the future?
A) My number one would be Sierra Farrell. She’s just the coolest person in country music. Charlie Crockett would be a dream come true. Leon Bridges, I feel like we could make something super cool. Those are big big dreams but I just adore all of their music.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the music that you make?
A) We are small but mighty right now. I couldn’t be more grateful for all the listeners taking a chance on me and being early believers in my music. Right now it’s really fun because I can see them online or in person and remember all of them. It feels like I’m really building something which is all I’ve ever wanted.