Abby Simone’s debut EP
‘No Expectations’ provided a strong introduction to the breaking
Singaporean singer-
songwriter. Now approaching a million streams, the EP received a first wave of critical acclaim, her natural warmth and genre-splicing charm across neo-soul, R&B, jazz and pop leading to favourite comparisons with
Arlo Parks and
Jorja Smith.Now Abby shares her first material since the EP with the release of two new songs: ‘Favourite Colour’ and ‘La Familia’, to create a two-track EP ‘Familiar’. Listen HERE. ‘Favourite Colour’ is accompanied by a lyric video which is available HERE.
The super intimate arrangement of ‘La Familia’ which was originally written in 2015, allows the power and control of Abby’s voice to take the spotlight, its heartfelt mood provided by the simple beauty of its piano and cello accompaniment. Lyrically it addresses a feeling rarely explored in song: the inspiration that comes when an audience welcomes an artist who steps on stage to share her soul-baring songs. ‘Favourite Colour’ was written during covid during a more challenging period, it steps further into Abby’s acoustic singer-songwriter roots as she paints an evocative postcard picture of her happy place – adorned in a seasonal summery yellow dress.
Abby was inspired to lean into the live feel of these two new songs after thinking back to her time performing at Le Noir inSingapore. For two years she played two or three shows every week in an artist-friendly venue based in a stunning scenic location overlooking Marina Bay Sands.
Abby says, “Performing live in front of strangers, sprinkled with a little yellow all around is one of my familiar and favourite spaces to be in.”
Both songs were entirely written by Abby, with all vocals and instruments recorded live. ‘La Familia’ was produced and mixed by her regular collaborator Cuurley, while ‘Favourite Colour’ was produced and mixed by Chris Hewitt (Ed Sheeran, Mabel).
After Abby borrowed an acoustic guitar she soon became devoted to music, first learning to play via YouTube tutorials, then sharing covers on socials before stepping into Singapore’s live scene. While the local music scene tried to cast their influence over Abby, she instead stuck steadfast to her own beliefs. After completing ‘No Expectations’ with fellow Singaporeanproducer Cuurley, she headed to Europe to introduce her sound to a wider audience.
Inspired by musicians as eclectic as Peggy Gou, N.E.R.D. and Kings of Convenience, she still shares home-recorded takes on famous songs from everyone from Rihanna and Stormzy to The Cure and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Her social media is also full of easy-going charm as she posts images of her travels across Europe, her experiences with learning Italian, and some vintage fashion looks.
