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On Stage 6/15 – Abi Tapia

After each energized performance, Abi Tapia always hears the same question: “What does your guitar strap say?” The answer is a word that describes not only her music, but also a big part of her personality: “Wanderlusty.”

Abi Tapia happily calls Austin home, but to say she’s simply a Texas songwriter wouldn’t give the whole story. The daughter of musicians, Abi was born in Alabama and lived until she was fifteen in various towns around the Southeast and Texas. She has since lived in the Midwest (where she was a Sociology major at Grinnell College) and New England (where she began her professional music career). Characteristics of all of these regions inspire Abi’s songwriting: The inviting warmth of the South, the expansiveness of the Midwestern Plains, and the pluck and determination of a New England Yankee are all mixed up with a nomadic restlessness.


While living in Maine, Abi found herself attracted to the sweet twang and straightforward approach of Country music. This sound drew her to Austin in 2002 where she quickly rooted herself in the city’s thriving live music scene. With its blend of country sincerity, cosmopolitan irony and plethora of skilled pickers, this openhearted music community is the perfect setting for Abi’s work. Here she writes lyrics that are at times simple and sincere, but can turn sassy in a flash, while her melodies seem pre-destined to be surrounded by licks on mandolin and Dobro. As host of the Cactus Café’s Monday Open Mic night, Abi sits on the front lines of the emerging songwriter scene, welcoming new musicians to town every week, hoping they find Austin as hospitable as she has.

But don’t assume she’s settled down. Perhaps because she’s lived in so many places, Abi has never been daunted and is, in fact, inspired by the enormous undertaking involved in heading out solo for a cross-country tour. Driving hours by herself, living out of the car for weeks at a time, and playing for strangers in each new town, she is fed by the thrill of exploring new places, meeting other artists, and the blessing of having audiences applaud her everywhere she performs. The diversity of the venues she has played keeps road life interesting. Some nights bring her to legendary listening rooms like Club Passim, The Bitter End, The Bluebird Café and Eddie’s Attic, while other nights Abi might be seen in crowded living rooms, libraries, a gazebo on a sprawling Texas ranch, or at a bicycle race finish line. Her songwriter’s sensibility allows her to appreciate details and subtle differences of each place she visits, so for Abi, even the shortest trip offers potential adventure and inspiration.

Tapia’s 2005 release, One Foot Out The Door, is a driving collection of songs about loving and leaving that is garnering rave reviews and comparisons to Austin’s best songwriters. The creation of this music was like a year-long road trip with Abi (vocals, guitar and harmonica) driving and Chris Gage (producer, engineer, guitars, keys and vocals) sitting shotgun with the maps. They picked up a few hitchhikers along the way including musicians who have contributed to albums from the Dixie Chicks, Eliza Gilkyson, The Greencards and countless others. With song titles like “Somewhere to Go” and “Nothing to Hold Me Down”, you can bet that this disc will take Abi Tapia to lots more cities and car stereos, and lot more people will be asking questions that can be answered with the word “Wanderlusty.”

June 9th, 2008 | Category: | Leave a comment

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