The C2C Sit Down with Abby Anderson
It has somehow been six years since Abby Anderson made her UK debut and appeared at her first C2C: Country to Country festival but good things are definitely worth waiting for and we were so happy to have her back at this year’s event. The native of Southlake, Texas on the outskirts of the DFW Metroplex last played C2C back in 2019 where she performed on the Spotlight Stage, not long after she was named a member of CMT’s Next Women of Country class of 2018 which also included the likes of Ashley McBryde, Kassi Ashton and Hannah Ellis. There has been plenty of new music released in the interim from this beaming ray of North Texas sunshine including her stunning recent offering “Hate You First” which (alongside discussing our mutual love of a “Cheeky” restaurant known for serving Peri Peri chicken) was amongst our topics of conversation when we caught up with Abby on the Saturday afternoon during the festival.
Girl, you’re back!
“Yeah we are!”
What is this now? Is it trip two or trip three?
“Three. Well, two and a half because the other one didn’t count.”
Oh, ok. Yeah, that’s the year we don’t talk about but it’s so nice that you are here now and that first set seemed to go really well.
“I mean, I hope so. I think it did and I had fun.”
Whilst we don’t want to talk about 2020, it has been a hot minute since you have been over here, so what have you been up to? What has been happening in the world of Abby Anderson?
“Oh my gosh, it’s been five years but I just haven’t stopped making music. I just keep making music and touring it. I literally thought I was going to quit music in 2020 and then 2021 came along where things kept happening so I kept writing, working in the studio and I went on tour with Stevie Nicks last year, I was out with Tim McGraw and now I get to be back here so, things are going good.”
Girl, you’re back!
“Yeah we are!”
What is this now? Is it trip two or trip three?
“Three. Well, two and a half because the other one didn’t count.”
Oh, ok. Yeah, that’s the year we don’t talk about but it’s so nice that you are here now and that first set seemed to go really well.
“I mean, I hope so. I think it did and I had fun.”
Whilst we don’t want to talk about 2020, it has been a hot minute since you have been over here, so what have you been up to? What has been happening in the world of Abby Anderson?
“Oh my gosh, it’s been five years but I just haven’t stopped making music. I just keep making music and touring it. I literally thought I was going to quit music in 2020 and then 2021 came along where things kept happening so I kept writing, working in the studio and I went on tour with Stevie Nicks last year, I was out with Tim McGraw and now I get to be back here so, things are going good.”
Is this just a quick in an out trip for the festival?
“Just from Wednesday and we leave on Monday.”
So, a work trip but with a little bit of time to be a tourist.
“Yeah, a little bit. I got to see Buckingham Palace and have a Cheeky Nando’s.”
Now we’re talking, so you’re a big fan of Cheeky Nando’s then.
“I am and it’s good! What else did we do? Oh, we went to sketch and we tried the tea, oh my gosh, I’m a big fan of the tea time.”
Well, cool little secret which I literally learnt about ten minutes ago and you actually have Nando’s in the States.
“What! Do we?”
Washington DC and one other place, maybe Chicago?
“I actually did not know that.”
It was news to me too, Graham Barham’s manager was telling us about it. So, yeah you’ll have to check it out when you tour in either of those places again.
“I Love that! Oh my gosh, I will.”
I could happily chat about Peri Peri chicken all day but then my tummy will start rumbling so let’s get to music. Let’s talk about “Hate You First” which I guess is the big one everyone is focusing on.
“Awh, it is. It is so interesting when people talk about “focus tracks” but you just release music and see what people cling on to, you know.”
Well, you put quite a few songs out around the same time and that’s the one that is standing out.
“Yeah, that’s the one that people have clung to.”
I think as well, that has a lot more of a story behind it and is more personal so who did you write it with and where did that idea come from?
“I wrote that song with my good friends JT Roach and Emily Haber. I was in LA, it was like midnight, I just gotten back from some event and I was like, hey, let’s write. Honestly, I was just feeling really angry. I was just feeling really angry, fed up and like done, then I was like, let's put this in a song. I just wrote down and literally it just fell out, I was playing those chords and every word just fell out of me.”
“Just from Wednesday and we leave on Monday.”
So, a work trip but with a little bit of time to be a tourist.
“Yeah, a little bit. I got to see Buckingham Palace and have a Cheeky Nando’s.”
Now we’re talking, so you’re a big fan of Cheeky Nando’s then.
“I am and it’s good! What else did we do? Oh, we went to sketch and we tried the tea, oh my gosh, I’m a big fan of the tea time.”
Well, cool little secret which I literally learnt about ten minutes ago and you actually have Nando’s in the States.
“What! Do we?”
Washington DC and one other place, maybe Chicago?
“I actually did not know that.”
It was news to me too, Graham Barham’s manager was telling us about it. So, yeah you’ll have to check it out when you tour in either of those places again.
“I Love that! Oh my gosh, I will.”
I could happily chat about Peri Peri chicken all day but then my tummy will start rumbling so let’s get to music. Let’s talk about “Hate You First” which I guess is the big one everyone is focusing on.
“Awh, it is. It is so interesting when people talk about “focus tracks” but you just release music and see what people cling on to, you know.”
Well, you put quite a few songs out around the same time and that’s the one that is standing out.
“Yeah, that’s the one that people have clung to.”
I think as well, that has a lot more of a story behind it and is more personal so who did you write it with and where did that idea come from?
“I wrote that song with my good friends JT Roach and Emily Haber. I was in LA, it was like midnight, I just gotten back from some event and I was like, hey, let’s write. Honestly, I was just feeling really angry. I was just feeling really angry, fed up and like done, then I was like, let's put this in a song. I just wrote down and literally it just fell out, I was playing those chords and every word just fell out of me.”
With putting out a lot of songs quite steadily one after the other, is that partly to do with strategy and things now being so DSP orientated.
“I guess so, I don't know. I've been thinking about that too. I think I'm at the point where I'm like, I just want to release music when I am ready too and when I have something to say, and I don't ever want to feel pressure to be releasing things if I don’t think it’s good. I like to think that my fans trust me, they trust me enough to know that when I release something it’s because I like it, I think it is good and it’s of a certain quality.”
Is that the kind of feel to give them all their moment, whereas an album some songs can get lost almost particularly in the States when some people will only hear one or two of them?
“Maybe, that’s hard to know too. I love albums and I go through every single song, so I'd like to think that my fans like love them like that too. You know, people who don't know who I am, sure they might cling to like the two or three quote unquote hits or whatever you wanna call it, but I put out music for my fans and hopefully like, no song is a skip.”
The fans are liking it here.
“Well, that's good. I mean, I hope so, I know I know I like it.”
You have been someone that people have been waiting for to come back and we both know there’s a lot of factors like cost both financially and in terms of time along with having to plan around it both personally and professionally but once you get here, is it all totally worth it?
“I love it here. Truly the only reason I haven't been back since 2020 is business, that's it. I got my business right now, I have the right people around me and I'm so thankful for that. My team knows how important Europe is to me, I love everything and everyone here.”
Is that one thing that right now feels really strong and you have the best people possible around you where you trust them, they trust you and if you want to do things they make it happen? A place where you are doing things for the right reasons and not just business reasons.
“Yes, absolutely, one hundred percent. The people around you are very important to me.”
Hopefully, you’re not going to leave it too long before you come back again.
“Oh, gosh, no, I told my manager, I was like, we should try to come back in the fall for sure. I just love it here, I love the people, the food and everything so, we will be back, probably this year.”
You’ll be like a London bus where we wait five years for you then you come along twice at once and knowing that you love Nando’s, I love you even more because that’s the most British being possible.
“I do. I just like that you can like order like grilled chicken on a plate and you can have it however you want but I also just really like saying Cheeky Nando’s haha.”
You have got that accent spot on!
“Do you think I'm doing right?”
Oh yeah, you’ve nailed it. This has been so much fun, I really am so glad that you are here and I’m definitely not the only one. Then to use a good British expression, it sounds like you have “all of your ducks in a row” where you’re in a great place, you have your team right, there’s more music on the way and we know where we are going. Plus, you brought us some Texas sunshine too!
“I guess so, I don't know. I've been thinking about that too. I think I'm at the point where I'm like, I just want to release music when I am ready too and when I have something to say, and I don't ever want to feel pressure to be releasing things if I don’t think it’s good. I like to think that my fans trust me, they trust me enough to know that when I release something it’s because I like it, I think it is good and it’s of a certain quality.”
Is that the kind of feel to give them all their moment, whereas an album some songs can get lost almost particularly in the States when some people will only hear one or two of them?
“Maybe, that’s hard to know too. I love albums and I go through every single song, so I'd like to think that my fans like love them like that too. You know, people who don't know who I am, sure they might cling to like the two or three quote unquote hits or whatever you wanna call it, but I put out music for my fans and hopefully like, no song is a skip.”
The fans are liking it here.
“Well, that's good. I mean, I hope so, I know I know I like it.”
You have been someone that people have been waiting for to come back and we both know there’s a lot of factors like cost both financially and in terms of time along with having to plan around it both personally and professionally but once you get here, is it all totally worth it?
“I love it here. Truly the only reason I haven't been back since 2020 is business, that's it. I got my business right now, I have the right people around me and I'm so thankful for that. My team knows how important Europe is to me, I love everything and everyone here.”
Is that one thing that right now feels really strong and you have the best people possible around you where you trust them, they trust you and if you want to do things they make it happen? A place where you are doing things for the right reasons and not just business reasons.
“Yes, absolutely, one hundred percent. The people around you are very important to me.”
Hopefully, you’re not going to leave it too long before you come back again.
“Oh, gosh, no, I told my manager, I was like, we should try to come back in the fall for sure. I just love it here, I love the people, the food and everything so, we will be back, probably this year.”
You’ll be like a London bus where we wait five years for you then you come along twice at once and knowing that you love Nando’s, I love you even more because that’s the most British being possible.
“I do. I just like that you can like order like grilled chicken on a plate and you can have it however you want but I also just really like saying Cheeky Nando’s haha.”
You have got that accent spot on!
“Do you think I'm doing right?”
Oh yeah, you’ve nailed it. This has been so much fun, I really am so glad that you are here and I’m definitely not the only one. Then to use a good British expression, it sounds like you have “all of your ducks in a row” where you’re in a great place, you have your team right, there’s more music on the way and we know where we are going. Plus, you brought us some Texas sunshine too!
“Awh thank you. I can’t wait to keep coming back here too!”
I appreciate you Abby and I love that you love my Sabrina t-shirt too!
“I do, I love it and we’ll see you all again soon!”
“Hate You First” from Abby Anderson is out now and is available HERE. To keep up to date with all of Abby’s upcoming US plans for the rest of the year you can check out her WEBSITE and you can keep up to date with her socially on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK FACEBOOK & X.
C2C: Country to Country will return to Berlin in 2026 across the weekend of March 6th to 8th where you will be able to find more details on their WEBSITE and keep in the loop regarding lineups and ticket information on INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK. Then we will see you again in London (or maybe even Belfast/Glasgow) a week later across March 13th to 15th with early bird tickets set to go on sale at 10am on Friday 21st March where you can find more details on the WEBSITE and socials (FACEBOOK X and INSTAGRAM)
I appreciate you Abby and I love that you love my Sabrina t-shirt too!
“I do, I love it and we’ll see you all again soon!”
“Hate You First” from Abby Anderson is out now and is available HERE. To keep up to date with all of Abby’s upcoming US plans for the rest of the year you can check out her WEBSITE and you can keep up to date with her socially on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK FACEBOOK & X.
C2C: Country to Country will return to Berlin in 2026 across the weekend of March 6th to 8th where you will be able to find more details on their WEBSITE and keep in the loop regarding lineups and ticket information on INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK. Then we will see you again in London (or maybe even Belfast/Glasgow) a week later across March 13th to 15th with early bird tickets set to go on sale at 10am on Friday 21st March where you can find more details on the WEBSITE and socials (FACEBOOK X and INSTAGRAM)
