GIRL GANG talks Abby T’s ‘High’
From studying at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music to opening for high-profile acts like Chief Keef and Roddy Ricch, singer-songwriter Abby T possesses the experience and skill of a seasoned musician. However, this young artist is just getting started. Focusing on honing her craft for the past few years, Abby has not officially released any music—until now. GIRL GANG caught up with Abby in advance of the release of her first-ever single, “High.”
Taylor: Congratulations on releasing your first single. How does it feel to have your music out in the world?
Abby T: It feels very surreal. I’ve been working on recording music for the last three years, so for it to finally be bubbling up to the point where I am able to release these things is so incredibly exciting. This is the worst analogy, but it’s like constipation. It’s the music baby, it’s coming out! I also feel like the track is a great blend of elements that I want people to see from me: there’s a bit of rapping, a lot of cool harmonic elements, great background vocals, and modern R&B synth leads.
Taylor: I love that, and I totally understand the analogy—you need that creative output. It’s completely necessary. What was your inspiration behind this single?
Abby T: The song is called “High,” and it’s about a situation that I found myself in with a friend. I had a little crush, and I think they knew, so they would lead me on with all of these little gestures whenever we hung out, and it felt like they only kept me around when they wanted to feel good about themselves. I felt led astray. I would go home and practice arguments. I was like, this is what you’re gonna say this time, all this shit, and it never happened. They still don’t know, and I spoke to them two weeks ago. We’re still cool, but I definitely ghosted because I was like, this is too much. People can relate to having that one person that only hits them up when they’re under the influence and it’s getting late.
Taylor: How does it feel to make art out of that experience, which must have involved a lot of negative emotions?
Abby T: I’ve heard the song so many times, so now I’m excited to see other people experience it for the first time. I’ve become so comfortable with it and I know it front to back. I wrote it more than a year ago, so it feels kind of old, but I think once it’s released, I’ll relive all of those emotions again.
Taylor: Totally. I want to ask you about the music video too, because I love it. It’s so cool. Did you produce that during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Abby T: Yes, that was shot in… dang we’re really in September right now, what? 2020’s almost over, that’s so crazy.
Taylor: That’s what I go through every single day. Like…
Abby T: How did we get here? I feel like it was just New Year’s Eve.
Taylor: I don’t know.
Abby T: We shot it in June or July. I had tried shooting a video by myself on my roof in the thick of quarantine, but it didn’t align with what I felt like the song deserved. I was talking to my manager and he said, “I feel like there’s someone you already know who could help you breathe life into it.” So I hit up my friend Michael Tan. We were best friends in high school, and we would make funny vlogs and post them to Youtube. He’s in film school now, focusing on documentary filmmaking. But I asked him if he would be down to help me make a video, and he said, “Let’s do it.” I went back home to Baltimore and we shot it over the course of two days. My friend had made this beautiful dress for her thesis at school, and so I asked to wear that in the video. It was just the three of us, out in the heat, moving all these things around, at my house. That’s one of the reasons it feels really personal, because I made it with people I’ve known for so long. One thing I notice about the artists I admire the most is that their teams are really meaningful to them. I’ve always wanted that, but I didn’t think that I had access to that type of network, so it feels really great to feel like I have that now.
Taylor: Yeah, the people around you can be a super powerful force. What role do the people in your life, such as friends or collaborators, play in your artistic process?
Abby T: For this song specifically, I was at my manager Anwar’s house, and he was playing me a bunch of different beats, because he produces. When he played me this one, I immediately heard what is now the chorus. I just started singing gibberish over it, and different rhythmic things, and recorded that. I still have the OG voice memo. I took that recording home with me and listened to it over and over again, looking for new melodic ideas and formulating the lyrics. I sat with it for about a year. I felt like I wasn’t ready to release music at that time. I didn’t feel like my branding was together—the vision, the meaning, everything. So it was good that I had time to let it ferment, because by the time that we got to record the vocals, it felt lived in and comfortable, but still fresh and exciting. I recorded the leads with Anwar, but then COVID-19 hit, so I recorded the rest at my house with the equipment I had, and got things rolling.
Taylor: This present moment is a fraught time to be an artist of any kind. Do you have any sort of reservations about releasing music right now, or does it feel like something you need to do?
Abby T: Truly. Back in March, when everything abruptly closed and everyone was in the dark, I felt like I was in the dark artistically as well. I was thinking, where do I go from here? What makes the most sense? There was so much happening in regards to public health issues, as well as political issues. The state of the music industry was also very unstable. Everyone was so unsure what was going to happen with streaming and performances, and so many strings of income were cut off. Anwar and I decided to take the appropriate amount of time and focused on making as much stuff as we could. And although those issues are still pressing and deserve our attention, I think that people are starting to grapple with the new normal, so I feel comfortable releasing at this point in time.
Taylor: Given those drastic changes to the music industry, such as the loss of live shows as we know them, how are you trying to create a sense of community and connection around your music without the physical space of a concert venue?
Abby T: One of the artists that I’ve been obsessed with in quarantine is the amazing Chloe x Halle. They do multiple renditions of the same couple of songs, and each one has such different performances and representations that bring out different aspects of the songs that you wouldn’t even think to look for. That’s something that I’ve been brainstorming when it comes to marketing, is different ways to present songs. What are ways to project my art into spaces that it wouldn’t normally reach, but that we now can reach because everyone is at home on their phones?
Taylor: If your music could have any impact on its listeners or the world, what would it be?
Abby T: I always strive to be my most authentic self. It’s become so easy in this age of digital media to only show people what they want to see, and to craft your online presence to show people this one form of yourself. It can sometimes feel like a lie, or like you’re holding back. In the way that I approach things vocally, I always want personality to shine through. I want to be the voice that is not afraid to say the things that people don’t want to say out of fear of appearing needy, or overbearing, or too upfront. Everyone, especially now, needs a little bit more honesty and openness. But that’s not to be confused with rudeness. For example, there’s cancel culture, and cyberbullying is coming back full throttle. So it’s honesty, but it’s kindness, too.
“High” feels refreshing in the midst of a chaotic year, and Abby’s inimitable personality and artistry never cease to shine through. You can listen to the single—and watch its trippy, gorgeous music video—on September 25th. Available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer.
