Standing out for her emotional effervescence within a busy indie space, Abbie Ozard has established herself as one of the most striking and reliable singer-songwriters emerging from a thriving scene. First grabbing attention around the turn of the decade with a series of EPs, the Mancunian has settled into her sound effortlessly, sharpening her sonic aesthetic across the past five or so years. Now, we find her in the midst of her most significant artistic statement so far — her debut album.
Unveiled today (25th July) via revered imprint House Anxiety, the sleek, poignant and vibrant record will see Ozard further cement her name within the upper echelons of her contemporaries. Aptly titled everything still worries me, the body of work is choc-a-bloc with references, profoundly capturing the growing pains of a twenty-something; a glistening portrayal of life’s thankful aspects like her friends, families and love, as well as the murky undercurrent that we all live beneath; the worry, uncertainty and angst. Cohesive in its sonics and lyrical themes, the album is mature and personal, an amalgamation of an improving musician and a potent narrator.
We caught up with Abbie, talking finding her sound, being vulnerable in her songwriting, and detailing her new record.
Listen to everything still worries me…
Read the exclusive interview…
Hey Abbie! How was your year been? How’s summer?
Hey! It’s been so fun, I recently became a cat mum so I’m enjoying hanging out with her in the lead up the album release, it’s made everything feel a little less daunting.
Take us back to your musical origins. How did you first begin creating and finding your sound?
So I grew up singing classically and playing classical piano but as a I got older I decided to try out more of the music I was listening to at the time, I was a big fan girl to bands like Palma violets, Bass Drum of Death, The Maccabees and bands like that so I began to cover that sort of stuff and writing indie music came naturally to me from there. The “Growing Pains” EP is a really clear reflection of that but now, I feel as though my sound on this album is less directional and a mismatch of everything i love about pop and indie music.
How would you define your essence as an artist and musician?
I’d say honest and approachable. I try to be as honest as I can in my writing, I’m awful at keeping secrets and I’m a huge blabber mouth so writing this record has kept me from annoying those close to me haha.
Are you a proud Mancunian? What artists should we be watching from the city?
I’m from outside of Manchester so I wouldn’t want to offend proper mancs by saying I was, but I love Manchester so much. I’m gonna have to say my friend’s bandFuneralcare, I’m biased but they’re amazing, their songwriting is so interesting, it’s like 00’s pop with a dark electronic twist.
Your songwriting is always honest and vulnerable. How did you find a mentality of being comfortable sharing in this manner?
I think that’s entirely dependent on who I was writing with. Hugo and Ben make me feel so comfortable. We’d talk about everything before we started writing and it opened up such a beautiful safe space, I love them for that. I’d come out every day feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulder.
Congratulations on your debut album, everything still worries me! How are you feeling abut the release?
Thank you!! I’d be lying if I said i wasn’t super nervous, it almost felt like too soon to release an album (this was deffo the modern day music industry outlook getting to me), but I had all these songs and such a clear vision of where I wanted them to be so it felt like the right decision. I just have to keep reminding myself that. I’m just so excited for everyone to hear the record from top to bottom as a whole.
What has the process of creating the record been like?
It’s been beautiful!! Pretty hard unpacking feelings at times though, the writing was sporadic as I work at a cafe alongside my music so it wasn’t a big block of writing time it was more days spun across a whole year. I feel like you can hear that in the record, it goes through so many different emotions and feelings which is what I really love about it.
What are the sonic influences that have driven the record?
Whilst I was writing I was obsessed with Samia and her honesty, sonically, I feel like artists like The Cardigans, Smashing Pumpkins and The Sundays have all been huge influences.
Thematically, what are you conveying across the record?
How chaotic life can be in your twenties, we’re all still figuring it out but at the same time we’re more emotionally mature. It’s a really reflective record but at the same time it’s a total celebration of the people you have around you whilst you’re attempting to figure everything out.
What do you hope the record will achieve?
I just hope it soundtracks other people’s lives whilst they’re navigating their twenties just like I’ve been doing. I want to build a community of people who can be open and uplift each other, that’s the dream.
To you, what does success look like?
For me, seeing fans singing lyrics back to me at gigs. When I see it, it makes me want to cry haha, if I can play a gig with the whole crowd singing with me I know I’ve achieved exactly what I wanted to.
What lies ahead for Abbie Ozard?
Well I have my first album tour in November which i’m so gassed about, so that and then lots more writing and touring. I’d love to tour America or Japan with my band, we’re all genuinely at our happiest when we’re playing and touring together.