By Sonia Schnee | Posted Monday, November 18, 2019

Jersey City’s music scene is continually blossoming, due in part to Cathedral Arts Live, a monthly live music series launched by Grace Church Van Vorst five years ago to celebrate diversity in music-making while also strengthening community.

This Friday, November 22, Cathedral Arts Live will welcome singer-songwriter Abbie Gardner to its stage (with singer-songwriter Sean Kiely as the opening act). Check out our interview with Abbie, below, to learn about her musical influences, what to expect at the upcoming Cathedral Arts Live show, and how New Jersey’s awesome community of artists are supporting one another.

To purchase tickets to the show, please visit cathedralartslive.org.

What's your name, where are you from, where are you based now?

Abbie Gardner
Spring Valley, NY
Jersey City, NJ

How would you describe your sound? Who are your musical influences?

Acoustic slide guitar with soulful vocals. I grew up listening to a lot of swing jazz because my dad is a professional trombonist and stride piano player, who made a living in the NYC jazz scene. My mom was into bluegrass and I found blues/early R&B on my own. So there’s a mix of everything from Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday to Tim O’Brien, Jerry Douglas and Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt.

You have an upcoming performance with Cathedral Arts Live. What are you most looking forward to? What can people expect?

I’ll be performing solo, playing a lap style resophonic guitar. It’s a really vocal instrument with a great sound, but isn’t typically seen in this area. I’ll play a mix of covers and original songs, with a few new ones I’m looking forward to recording.

If all goes well, Sean [Kiely] and I will probably collaborate by the end of the show. We’ve improvised together before so that will be a great way to end the night!

What are your thoughts about New Jersey's music scene?

The scene is growing in a very supportive and organic way with lots of locals making it out. Getting to see a lot of the same musicians at different shows, open mics, and jams has been creating a nice community here.

How did you hear about Cathedral Arts Live?

I heard about Cathedral Arts Live through fellow music lovers in Jersey City. It’s held at the same church where I get my used books on Sundays, they host annual holiday concerts and provide breakfast for folks in need... it’s a real center for so much local community outreach, and I like to support them when I can.

What has your personal journey been like so far? How did you get to this point?

I’ve had a long and winding road to get where I am... grew up playing classical music and didn’t make it into music school, but I’m grateful for that now. I get to play music that I write myself and improvise to suit how I feel in the moment, play with it a little, and it suits me better!

Do you have any words of advice for people who share a similar passion or have maybe faced similar obstacles/challenges?

Stay true to yourself and work really, really hard at your craft — it will pay off.

Finally, what are some ways that fans can connect with you online? (Website? Facebook? Spotify? Etc.?)

Web: http://www.abbiegardner.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/abbiegmusic/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/abbiegardnermusic
T: https://twitter.com/abbiegmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SlideSessions