Singer-songwriter Abby Simone has shared her debut single Same Sunrise, with a jazz-tinged soul-pop feel.
The track finds Abby Simone musing on the relief of reconnection and was inspired by a text she received whilst traveling to visit a loved one: “After so long, we finally see the same sunrise.”
As Abby Simone explains, “After a while you get used to the distance, but never the absence. This song was written for lovers, friends and families in a long-distance relationship to say, ‘Hey, that wasn’t easy but well done.’ We all know that the sun really doesn’t rise. But when you’re with your person and the world stops moving, science can wait.”
Abby was raised in a strict household in which pop music was prohibited, so singing in church became her first musical outlet as she learned to perform in Mandarin, Malayalam, Hindi and English. Also influential were the Tamil-language songs that featured in the films of the iconic Indian actor Rajinikanth. But a rebellion was brewing as she developed her passion, covertly listening to pop radio, the sounds of Destiny’s Child, Sean Paul and Black Eyed Peas, opening her ears to a whole new world. She soon grew bolder and would discreetly remove one of her family’s lesser played Christian music cassettes, to record over it with songs from the radio.
A performance at a friend’s party at the age of 19 gave her the confidence to venture into the Singapore music scene. She was determined to do things her own way, refusing to cover the Chinese pop songs or to strike the sexualised image that bookers demanded. Instead she formed a band, mixing up jazz and hip-hop, before deciding to embark upon her own solo journey. She has since spent two years refining her sound in Malaysia with local producer Cuurley.
