Image Credit: @lfudgephotography
Sitting atop the half-pipe behind Banquet Records in Kingston is Manchester born singer-songwriter Abbie Ozard, preparing to commence her acoustic in-store release tour for her debut album Everything Still Worries Me. Surrounded by boxes of records filled with the latest releases from Beabadoobee to Fontaines DC, she caught us up on a busy few years.
You had your first headline show back in May, and now, only 6 months later you’re going on your first headline tour, what does that feel like?
Yeah, I don’t know… good to be fair. It was one of them where it was just like, “Well, we’ve done an album, so we’ll have to tour it.” It’s chaotic, but I love it. I’m probably most excited for Manchester, I’ve not played Deaf Institute for ages and I always used to go there when I was younger. We played it like a few years ago when we supported Lauran Hibberd, and I’m just really gassed to play it to be honest. It’s a sick venue.
What’s life been like since your album dropped? And what was making it like?
It’s a really weird feeling after you’ve released an album, because you kind of think Oh, what do I do now? I’ve got shit going on, obviously, but it’s a little bit strange. The whole process probably took like two years. And I started writing it without the intention of releasing an album. I kind of didn’t know I was writing an album until we were all like “Well, let’s put an album out” and I’d had most of it done, so it was just a case of writing more and finding out the themes. There was kind of automatically an overall theme without me even really knowing, so I was just like, okay, Everything Still Worries Me defo makes sense.
“I feel like that pretty much sums up like what your 20s are, you’re having fun but at the same time you’re like: What the fuck am I doing?“
How would you describe those themes?
I’d say it’s obviously full of anxiety but at the same time happy. I always wanted it to be a celebration of life and celebrating people that are close to you or friends and family but with that underlying sense of like “I don’t know what’s going on!” I feel like that pretty much sums up like what your 20s are, you’re having fun but at the same time you’re like what the fuck am I doing?
You recently got a kitten called Fish, how is she? And why did you decide to name her Fish?
I did! Oh my god, you know! She’s so good. She is the love of my life. She has made everything okay. I’m like, whatever happens is okay because I’ve got Fish. I named her Fish because I’m a Pisces, and then it all made sense, I’ve got fish tattoos, and then, I don’t know, I just thought it was a cute name for a cat. I can call her Fish Sauce, Fish Cake, Fish Finger, Fish Sandwich… it makes so much sense. Yeah, I’ve got her as a highlight on my Instagram stories. Right now she’s at home with my boyfriend. They’ll just be hanging out probs, but she’s going outside now, so she’s a big girl.
Who would you say your main musical inspirations are?
I don’t know, it changes all the time. I guess a lot of my inspiration comes from my parents’ music taste. My dad’s a massive David Bowie fan. And then my mum loves The Smiths and Blondie and The Cranberries. And then my dad also loves The Sundays and Mazzy Star. We’ve got drawers and drawers full of vinyls, and we’d have CDs in the car. And then I think it all kind of came from that. So musicians like that, they’re always just a constant source of inspiration. And then some modern musicians pop up and I’m inspired all over again. But they’re probably the OGs for sure.
What three songs do you have on repeat at the moment?
‘Slut Era Interlude’ by ROLE MODEL; ‘Modern Romance’ by Yeah Yeah Yeahs; and ‘Juna’, Clairo.
Which Muppet do you resonate with the most?
The tiny one. What’s the mouse one? I can’t remember his name, but he just pops up every now and then in The Muppet Christmas Carol. Defo the tiny mouse.
If you could eat one of your songs, which song would you eat and what would it taste like?
That’s such a good question… I would eat ‘Space for Two’ and it would taste like Melted Chocolate. 100%. That’s my first and final answer.
If you had to have a bath in any condiment, which condiment would you choose?
Soy sauce. I really like soy sauce. And it would specifically be the one they have in restaurants, with the funky shaped bottle and the nozzle that just like pours out.
Abbie has mastered the ‘anxious cool girl in her 20s’ aesthetic that is so beautifully portrayed in Everything Still Worries Me. From the soft blues and pinks in the album cover to her gorgeous upcycled jeans that are adorned with symbols relating to different songs (courtesy of her mum’s craft skills), her gently chaotic energy fills a room with sunshine and it’s clear how much of herself is reflected in the record. An ode to the chaotic adventure of being in your 20s, Abbie’s realistic optimism is the heart of the album and explores bedroom-pop beautifully and uniquely.
Abbie Ozard’s debut album Everything Still Worries Me is out now and can be found on all major streaming services. For updates on her tour and music follow her Instagram @abbieozard.
Words and photos by Lucy Fudge
@lfudgephotography
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