Abra | Awakening Issue

Echoes Of The Future

The music you choose everyday to commute between home and work creates an extraordinary form of trust between you and the artist. The more you listen, the closer you feel to this creative who is, in fact, a stranger. The illusion of proximity is exactly where the room for interpretation lives. If your commute artist is Abra, the room for interpretation could be attached to her introspective confidence. The silent and gentle self assurance that Abra reveals immediately caught my attention during the photoshoot. Gabrielle Olivia Mirville comes across as the kind of person who leaves questions unanswered for the sake of mystery or simply self-preservation. Still, among all the unanswered questions there is a clear truth: Abra is a mystical music artist who will change every aspect of music-making and a visionary with music that can take listeners toward the stratosphere.

In their perspective, “awakening” is a deep word that packs a heavy spiritual meaning to it and everyone runs through the stages of awakening constantly in a lifetime. For Abra, humans are always changing throughout their lives and you must trust the process in order to successfully live your life. I believe that this panorama is somehow connected to the musician’s style, which they describe as neat, spacey and futuristic. In fact, they are still figuring it out with a certain nostalgia for something new.

Crafting music from a very young age and constantly surrounded by music in their upbringing, Abra developed a unique sound that could astound audiences worldwide. Child of missionary parents, Abra’s first music-induced experience was in the church built by them in London. After their family found a home in the heart of Atlanta, Abra’s first music studio was designed in their house. For the singer, Atlanta doesn’t inspire pressure on them to make music. Making music there was a fun experience, helping them to exercise their creative muscles. When comparing Atlanta and Los Angeles, Abra points out the sense of community as a main difference. The competition in Los Angeles culminates in a hyper fixation on work, while Atlanta inspires a team effort.

The teamwork ethics cultivated in Atlanta along with Abra’s distinctive sound – which combines angelic vocals with euphoric musical compositions – led the singer into collaborations with a vast number of music artists, from Bad Bunny to Playboi Carti. Abra wrote “Unlock It” leaving room for a possible second verse, as the record label wanted a rapper to hop on that space. Playboi Carti heard the song and loved it, so he immediately took a stab at the second verse and killed it. The 2021 song hit is still praised in an industry that pushes new musical trends in a blink of an eye. The song “fruit” has a similar enthusiastic reception. It is always included in their setlist, something that could feel repetitive for the performer. Abra has a love/ hate relationship with this track, but can’t escape the amazing sensation whenever the audience sings along.

For their latest single called “Gold on Me”, Abra collaborated with Groupthink to bring an out-of-this-world listening experience. The piece sounds like a track from the year 3003, with its futuristic beat surrounded by Abra’s heavenly voice. Released in February, the track is Abra’s single after a long time and the artist recognizes the increased expectation of their fanbase. For Abra, creative breaks are designed to recharge artists and their result is beneficial to longevity as well as spark of creativity. I personally appreciate Abra’s point of view on that matter. It is important to normalize breaks as an act of respect for artists spending energy and care on their practice. The fast pace of the industry and desire to generate capital can’t dictate the minds of creatives.

In a reflection on the current music market, Abra points out the lack of urgency to make something different or unique. However, the singer shows admiration for the music scene in 2015, in which artists weren’t afraid to take risks with their work. They described that moment as experimental and unpredictable; people were making music and working hard to create something completely new. Abra’s desire for innovation could be related to a musical taste that navigates many genres. Some bands that inspire Abra are Bee Gees, Nirvana and Slipknot. There is also a place for pop music, especially Rihanna and Britney Spears.

Abra plans to venture further into the musical ethos. At the end of the day, anything and everything inspires them to make music. They go through life with an open mind , picking up little things and building a creative monument off of them. Abra wants to make music with a plot twist: the listener should feel like they are on a psychedelic journey or heart pounding rollercoaster.

Abra @darkwaveduchess