IBOTW: Abby K

Bassist, vocalist ABBY K released her new single “Dodging A Bullet (I Swear)” to all major platforms via The Label Group/Ingrooves!

“Dodging A Bullet (I Swear) has had the wildest journey out of any song I have written so far. We went into the studio without ever playing together in the same room. The chemistry was indescribable and we came out of the studio with a completely different song!” says Abby K.

Abby K is a bassist, vocalist, and songwriter from Charlotte, North Carolina. She picked up the bass at age 13 after being influenced by Gene Simmons at a KISS Concert. Months into her musical journey, she was 1 of 3 bassists in the United States selected to attend GRAMMY Camp in Los Angeles, CA. She claims that her proudest moment was when Nita Strauss joined her onstage to perform Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper”. Since then, she has developed her own style of musicianship which is commonly described as the love child of Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) and Lita Ford.

In the spring of 2021, Abby K became an independent artist and announced that Crispy Borell and Diego Vargas will be joining the band as co-lead guitarists. Recently, the new lineup released the title track of their upcoming album, “Pay Attention” as a single. Join Abby and the band on this incredible journey of theirs by following @abbykrocks on all social media.

We had Abby answer a few questions so we could all get to know her a little better

What are your long-term career goals?

Abby K: I’ve always had a very vivid dream of playing internationally, on a huge stage, to a sold out crowd, and have every single person in the audience sing my songs back to me.

How do you handle mistakes during a performance?

Abby: Nobody knows you mess up until you let them know! Making faces, acting disappointed with yourself, these are all things I used to do after I messed up that was a very hard habit to break.

How do you describe your music to people?

Abby: Our music is a cross between Lita Ford and Iron Maiden or Halestorm and Diamante. I’ve been referred to as the lovechild of Lita Ford and Steve Harris.

How often do you practice?

Abby: To be honest, over quarantine, I forced myself to practice every single day and I got burnt out very quickly. Now, I have learned that you should want to play, not have to play. I still end up playing just about the same amount of time, but changing that mindset put the fun back into it. No pressure.

Which famous musician do you admire?

Abby: Can I pick two?! I have always looked up to Steve Harris and Lemmy. Steve Harris’ playing is just on another level, and Lemmy’s carefree attitude is very inspiring.

Tell us the brief history of your band?

Abby: Abby K originated about 3 years ago in Charlotte, NC as a hired gun band. I wasn’t very happy with that system, as it was very hard to make progress. In March of this year, I added Diego Vargas and Crispy Borell to the team. This is now our band, and things have been going great! It is nice to have everybody working just as hard as I am to grow our band!

When and why did you start playing?

Abby: I started playing when I was around 12 years old after my dad took me to my first concert, KISS. I was mesmerized and I just knew that I would be doing that too someday.

Describe your first instrument?

Abby: I had an off brand Music Man. I did actually end up selling this bass to afford my third bass, but before I sold it, I signed the inside of the pickguard! It’s out there somewhere!

Who are your favorite musicians?

Abby: Growing up, I always loved KISS, but lately, I’ve expanded to loving Iron Maiden, Halestorm, Alice Cooper, and more!

Who writes the songs, what are they about?

Abby: For the past two years, I have written all of the songs, but after adding Crispy and Diego to the band, we have started all contributing to the writing process! Our upcoming album features songs written by me, as well as songs co written by the three of us! We like to write about personal experiences in life, putting ourselves in another perspective, and about anything that people need to hear.