Abby Jane is a singer and songwriter based in Nashville. Her debut EP “I Don’t Want to Pretend” has been the talk of the town, at least in the circles I trade in, since it dropped in October 2024. Everybody loves her fresh take on the craft of confessional songwriting, and the remarkable instrument through which she delivers those songs.
Abby Jane and I are sharing a show next Saturday Feb 15 at the Five Spot in East Nashville. Grab your tickets.
I can’t write about this episode without highlighting the thoughtful poise with which Abby answered my questions. Her candor made for a reflective and inspiring conversation on a theme that strikes at the heart of this podcast — the intrinsic value of artistic creation for the artist herself.
We talk about the fraught nature of collaborative work, particularly when it comes to production and songwriting; how bringing in other creatives can potentially dilute one’s individual expression even as it yields better results. Abby shares her evolving understanding of personal boundaries and the role they play in artistic freedom, particularly in light of her father’s recent passing.
We also talk about being young, how emboldened you feel when you’re just starting out, moving under your own guileless passion. How you can unlearn invincibility when you get older; how your confidence is tested when you move to an intensely competitive city like Nashville and subject your artist’s heart to the crucible of industry criticism.
Abby has one of those voices you just believe. I asked her to be on the podcast after I heard a song she posted raw and unadorned so I was really glad to see she showed up to the taping session with her guitar.
Watch her song “Motel”. I contribute a little guitar playing and some harmonies.
Lots more in this conversation that I think you’ll find helpful if you too are on your own creative journey, professional or not: the necessity of engaging the digital platforms, whether Spotify or social media. How that engagement affects artists struggling to locate their motivation in some kind of grounded reality. Abby discusses the moment she made the decision to renew her contract with herself and her deep-seated desire to write and sing her own music.
I shared a few things in this one as well. In the context of our talk about struggling to engage in social media in an authentic way, I reveal the reason behind my daily habit of posting handwritten 3x5 cards quoting classic literature. Other stuff too.
I hope this conversation inspires and encourages you in your own creative journey. Come see our show next Saturday in Nashville.
~Korby
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