Lincolnshire’s folk scene acts can gain popularity without ever crossing over into the mainstream. That said, the once-overlooked genre has received more attention as of late and singer/songwriter Abi Moore has felt the benefits of this.
Her achievements are astounding. “I’m supposed to say performing at the London Palladium and the Huddersfield Galpharm Stadium, as there were audiences of 10,000 people,” says Abi, contemplating her career highlights, “but that was when I was doing covers, o even though they were big gigs, I didn’t feel fulfilled doing them.”
The fact that Abi can dismiss achievements shows how much she has achieved — it also just how much her own music means to her. Although her sound is folk at heart, there are elements of numerous genres, which results in a full, upbeat sound that Abi feels is reminiscent of 60s and 70s songwriters, through some thought-provoking lyrics and soulful vocals.
To Abi, her actual highlights were those that were hardest to achieve.
“I wrote, arranged, recorded, edited, and mixed both of my albums,“ says Abi. “It’s great to see them on iTunes, Amazon, Last FM etc., competing amongst all the major label artists.”
It is the latest accomplishment on Abi’s list that is perhaps the most interesting, where a little note led to a tour around Nero coffee houses as their Artist of the Month during the summer. She played 65 shows in eight weeks, while the coffee franchise played her album in stores across the nation.
“I was signing CDs at the end of the show and they left me a little note telling me to send the London office a copy of the new album,” says Abi, “It was exhausting doing so many shows in such a short space of time, but I’m glad I did it.”
With numerous gigs under her belt, two albums, and playing coffee houses up and down the country, what’s next for Abi Moore?
“My new DVD Live at Lincoln Drill Hallis ready and about to go on sale,” says Abi. The footage for the DVD was taken from her previous album launch and Abi says it “captures everything that happened that night, not just the music, but also the in-between banter with the audience. Oh, and me breaking down in tears on a particularly personal song we performed.”
Given her achievements, it’s almost hard to believe she hasn’t caught a major label’s attention. However, since her humble beginnings with her Fender Dreadnought guitar and a conviction “to be more creative”, Abi has built up quite a formidable reputation in the Lincolnshire area alone an venues across the region welcome her with open arms, as do regulars and newcomers alike. All that’s left to do now is build on that success, be sure to check out her website and her MySpace page.