Abi Tapia
Abi Tapia is a musician with great wanderlust — an inspiring young woman who has already recorded three albums and has been singing her way from state to state and picking up songwriting awards at festivals like the Wildflower, Kerrville, and Falcon Ridge. Learn more about Abi at her website.
You’ve recently moved to the Berkshires — all the way from Austin. Are you getting acclimated to the north again?
Yes, but very slowly! It is much better now that things are warming up. I write a lot of songs about loving the sun and it’s true. I get depressed during cold dark winters. But now I’m loving working in the garden and long days. Still miss BBQ and breakfast tacos and two stepping, but that’s what travel is for!
How would you describe Americana music in your own words?
I think Americana is a mash-up of American styles. Any music that mixes country and bluegrass and rock and folk and whatever else might sound good for the given song. I like it because all sorts of music fits in, but there is still a bit of continuity.
The Beauty in the Ruin is a beautiful album. Especially poignant is the opening tune, “Another State Line.” How much of that song is fiction and how much is real?
Most of my songs start out with a true experience, but then I fudge the details to make the story a little more concise or to simplify the emotion. I was actually quite ready to set out on my own when I went to college, so it didn’t take too much encouragement from Mom at that point. Also, I wrote the whole thing driving through Arkansas, but I never mention the state by name. Poor Arkansas.
Love the fact that you play harmonica. What prompted you to learn to play one?
My first harmonica was given to me by a friend and fellow songwriter in Portland Maine in a care package as I set off for my very first tour. I started playing it while driving around the Midwest. I should do that more actually. That would be a good time to practice!
How about three desert island picks. . . . what CDs would you bring?
Oh gosh. I hate picking favorites. I really hope I never end up on a desert island. Can I bring 30 instead of three? Hank Williams Greatest Hits, Dixie Chicks — Home, Bruce Springsteen — The Rising. It’s not necessarily my favorite, but I think it would make me feel better if I was stranded all alone.
Like many of us, Kathy Sands-Boehmer wears many hats. An editor by profession, she also operates Harbortown Music and books artists for the Me and Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead, Massachusetts. In her spare time, Kathy can be found at local music haunts all over New England. This and many previous Q & A interviews with artists are archived at www.meandthee.org/blog, as well as in the Features section of AcousticMusicScene.com.
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