Abby Anderson is as fun to chat to as she is on her socials. She’s a Texas native with undeniable Southern Charm and a modern take on that classic country style. Anderson performed her first Calgary Stampede show this year and soaked up the fun of the Nashville North tent during her visit. After finding out Alberta is oftentimes referred to as the Texas of the North, Anderson felt even more at home at The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

With her new single, ‘If You Killed Somebody’ out now and her album, ‘First To Hit The Road’ approaching it’s one year anniversary, we caught up about her favourite tracks and how she’s approaching a new confidence in her self-belief to truly explore what she’s capable of.

I was at Stampede the day you were there – how was it?

I loved it. I absolutely loved it. Country fans are everywhere.

We’re taking over, right?

Oh my gosh. After I was asking a lot of locals a lot of questions and stuff, I didn’t realise they call Alberta the Texas of Canada. I don’t know if you agree?

Well I know that they call Calgary Cowtown!

There you go! That makes sense. But no, I loved it, it was so much fun.

Nashville North was just wild. How do you find this festival differs to other festivals?

Every festival is different, right, but at the end of the day, the people are there to listen to music and enjoy country music and there is nothing like country music fans – they’re built different.

Have you ever been to Stampede before or is this your first year?

My very first year.

Would you go back?

It was such a good experience. I hope I get to go back. I like to think I’m a Canadian girly!

Did you get to do much of Stampede outside of the Nashville North tent?

I didn’t! We showed up and kind of hung out backstage. It was so fun and we just chilled and played the show and then afterwards I did go and get myself a turkey leg. It was very necessary and then we watched the fireworks after. We got to enjoy the night.

From your experience, if you could sum Stampede up in three words, what would they be?

Ooh…Rowdy. Passionate. And…oh what’s a good third word?

They’re two solid starts!

Yeah that’s why my third one really matters! Rowdy, passionate and, we’re in Canada but Southern! Very southern.

So, let’s talk about your music! Your latest single, ‘If You Killed Somebody’, what were the influences and inspirations behind that?

I mean the influence at the end of the day was my husband. We were in a write one day with my friends and we were talking about our significant others and I just asked them – I think I was watching some crime show – but I just asked them, how far would you go for the person you love? Where’s y’all’s line? What would be the deal breaker. And that’s how the song was born. We were all just like, yeah, I’d probably hide a body for them. One of my friends had this simple lick and that whole chorus just fell out in like five whole minutes.

Your latest album from September last year which, I want to say is really recent, but it’s actually almost a year ago!

Can you believe that?!

How do you feel with that album almost coming up to a year?

I feel excited! I feel super, super inspired right now, and I feel like taking risks. I’m so proud of that body of work because it felt like coming home to myself in a lot of ways. Now, it’s like, OK I have that home base secured, let’s go venture out a little bit, let’s go see what else is going on, let’s see what else is percolating in the air, you know?! That’s where I’m creating from now and it’s been so fun to expand myself and tap in to, like, what’s the other potential in me lying around?

From that album, what is your favourite one to perform and what was the hardest one to write?

Ooh great questions! My favourite one to perform…it depends. For an acoustic show, it’s ‘First To Hit The Road’. I love playing that song on piano. For my full band show, it’s definitely ‘Heart On Fire In Mexico’, for sure. I love the storytelling and the crowd loves it every time.
The hardest one to write, surprisingly – when I say hardest, it took the longest – was ‘Highway Cry’. You wouldn’t think it because it’s such a simple idea because it’s like, oh I need a highway cry, just need to roll my windows down and cry. But, finding that second verse…sometimes the easiest songs are the hardest to write.

You have to kind of build on that idea?

I think so! I guess so…but yeah, that one took some hours to get right.

I saw that you have been opening for Tim McGraw and Stevie Nicks?

Yes ma’am!

Tell me everything!

I get to learn from legends! I’ve just been…I feel like a sponge right now – just watching them on stage, how they command an audience, how much joy they put in to everything they do. They’re touring because they love it.

What do you think are your biggest take aways from learning from them?

Biggest takeaway from Mr McGraw’s tour was the culture of your tour comes from the top down. He’s the kind of guy, like, he was walking in the hallways, high fiving people everywhere he goes, out in the parking lot with his band doing workouts. It’s very community driven. Those guys have been touring together since the beginning, so their culture is amazing.
What I’ve learnt from Miss Stevie Nicks’ tour – I learned that she holds so much power in not doing a whole lot. And I mean that as a high compliment. Like that woman is a legend but I mean the power that she commands just standing there sometimes and singing…less is more, yeah, less is more.

Do you have any plans to come over for the UK fans?

Oh, I love the UK! I am obsessed with the UK. I don’t know, maybe I was a UK girly in a past life but yeah, we’re going to get back over there, definitely.

OK. I have to ask. Did the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders pick up your track?

(She laughs) So, we are in communication! We will see what happens. I am told that Judy…I think she has heard the song, but we will see.

Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?

Yes! We have more music coming up for the rest of this year – keep a look out for that. Follow me on socials – Abby Anderson Music everywhere you go, Instagram TikTok etc. I’m excited for everyone to hear what I’m making now.