Name: Abby Christo
Age: 23
Hometown: Taranaki
Current location: Auckland City
Profession: Singer-songwriter
How did you get to where you are today?
To put it simply – through many tears, late nights, persistence and passion! Honestly, looking back on my journey to where I am today, I see it as a wave of ups and downs. It has been very ‘one door closed, another one opened’. The thing that I am most proud of is just embracing who I am and pushing through the times where I wanted to give up. Because it was those moments that really made me who I am now, and from those moments came the best opportunities, the best songs, and lead me to where I am now. Persistence.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My life consists of everything but routine… Every day is so different for me. But an ideal day would look like: Wake up, coffee, crank the tunes, get ready, head to the studio to write, then home to bed! Studio days are my favourite because I spend hours getting creative and come home feeling so productive and my soul feels happy.
Who do you admire most in your industry and why?
Maren Morris! She is a fellow singer/songwriter who lives in the States. Her songwriting is incredible and she seems such a down to earth, fun, sassy person. She doesn’t have boundaries when it comes to creating and I think that is really important when knowing who you are as an artist. I would love to meet her one day!
How important is female empowerment to you and why?
Very important. We all have so much to give in so many different ways and I love seeing people (especially other females) going for what they want and working hard towards their passions. We are so much happier when we are thriving so it’s so important to build each other up, support each other’s goals and careers and be a team! I’m all about that.
Do you have any advice for Miss FQ readers who want to get into a career like yours?
Just go grab it! Make it yours! No one else wants your success more than you so you have to go make it happen yourself. My passion for making music and performing is the air I breath so you really have to make it your world and work on your strengths to be the best you can be.
How do you define success?
I always picture success as that feeling of sitting down at the end of a long day with a glass of wine or a tea and feeling like you’ve nailed it. I tend to think short-term when it comes to success. If a music project or a gig went well/ is doing well to a point where I feel proud of it – that is success to me.
What’s your favourite part of the song-writing process?
Watching something go from a small idea I have had (such as a quote I have overheard, a melody I have in my head or a feeling I have) to a completed song. It’s the coolest feeling to think ‘I went on a date and he made me feel nervous. And now I have a full written song all about that called ‘Nervous’!’.
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What’s been one thing you’ve learned from being in the music industry (and wish you could tell your younger self)?
Do it for you! It’s always going to be good, then bad, then good again. So embrace it, ride the wave and work hard for yourself! The ups and downs are all part of the crazy, wild, amazing journey.
What has been your greatest accomplishment or milestone to date?
I would say hitting a million streams! This was something I never expected. I remember thinking to myself ‘I will be so happy if I hit at least 10,000. So watching the streams climb and eventually hit one million was the craziest feeling!!
What are some challenges you’ve faced or had to overcome?
I would definitely say having an ‘identity crisis’ which everyone will go through at some point in their life. After my duo Mae Valley split, I went through a moment of questioning ‘who am I?’, ‘who is Abby?’. I spend two years writing trying to figure out who I was as a solo artist and if I was able to even continue music happily without knowing who I was. But I realised that this is something I will face forever – no one truly “knows” who they are. I just had to be in a position where I felt confident to be myself and start making solo music again. And when I reached that, it felt so good!
Going solo to pursue your career after being in a duo would have been a difficult and scary decision. How did you overcome this?
I had a break from the spotlight. I didn’t want to rush into releasing music that I wasn’t fully happy with just because I needed to stay in the public eye. There was a lot of pressure to continue making music and in that moment I really needed to run from it all, take time to work on myself and my song-writing. Music is my world and one night something just sparked in my head, I booked a trip to Australia and wrote my first single ‘Kiss Me into Monday’. It was literally one moment that made me go ‘Okay, I’m ready’. I am so glad I took time off.
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Any life-changing books, podcasts, or websites you recommend?
In all honesty, I don’t read or listen to many podcasts! I would love some recommendations though. So hunt me down on Insta (@abbychristo_) and send me through your faves!
What motivates you?
It’s cliché, but my passion for music. It’s in my blood and the happiness that music brings into my life is enough to keep me motivated. I know that when I am busy with life and music is on the back burner, I tend to be so stressed and down. And when I am busy with music, I am on fire! I feel so happy and motivated.
You do a lot of travelling; what are your go-to travel tips for living a life on the go?
I am the most unorganised person you will ever meet! I leave everything until last minute. So I have been working on planning ahead. Because there is nothing worse than travelling when you aren’t organised. That and water! Hydration prevents so many dilemmas!
What’s your favourite go-to outfit or piece when you need to feel confident?
It isn’t clothing but red lipstick is honestly the one thing that can make me go from feeling ick to fab! I have always said this. Even if I am in activewear, just pop it on and I feel like Beyoncé! Outfit wise, I am always a sucker for comfy pants and a crop top!
What’s the one beauty product you couldn’t live without?
Blush! I wear it with or without a full face of makeup. I love how much it wakes my face up and it’s so simple.
When did you last act fearlessly?
Booking a trip to Nashville! It has been my dream town to visit forever! And I remember it being the most spontaneous decision and I was so nervous and excited to go!
You’ve already achieved so much, what’s next for you?
I have a few very exciting things coming up… maybe a feature on an epic track with an epic DJ duo… maybe… ;). Also I am always writing songs. I have so many songs waiting to be exposed to the world. So definitely more music! But right now I am in need of a holiday.
