Abbey Howlett

Abbey Howlett has been a ubiquitous presence in the local music scene for the past five years, slowly building her jazz influenced neo-soul sound through use of loop based vocal percussion and a strange brew of unconventional beats and melodies. Inspired by future soul pioneers Hiatus Kaiyote and elemental soul collective 30/70, Howlett has been busy the past year, moving interstate to work closely under the mentorship of talented singer-songwriter Mojo Juju, as well as recording her upcoming single ‘Colour Me Gold’.

An independent spirit who grew up supported by musical parents in the Adelaide Hills, Abbey often finds solace in returning to the family property.

“I was really lucky to grow up on a tenacre block of bush in the Adelaide Hills that my dad slaved over restoring back to its endemic state. I guess a lot of material I’ve written up there in that space I’ve found most inspiring. It’s honest and real and unforgiving and you get to see the reality of life a bit more when you’re exposed to it.”

Songs written about home and a sense of place make up some of Australian music’s most iconic back catalogue, with parallels being drawn most recently with fellow local Naomi Keyte’s arresting debut album Melaleuca.

“Singing for me was the first musical thing where it just came naturally, and I wanted to do it a lot. I injected that into quite a lot of theatre in school, which was pretty funny,” she laughs, “I was such a drama nerd – bit of a drama queen.”

Abbey’s earliest memories were based around her parents’ love of music.

“As a wee little bub, I’d be in the studio with mum and dad or dragged to their gigs,” she admits.

“Drums was the first instrument at school that I got lessons for from a pretty young age… I guess sitting around as a teen listening to my dad play guitar and the way he would learn solos were all by ear, so he would just be repeating these amazing little Charlie solos and all this jungle blues. I think a lot of that sunk in and I absorbed that subconsciously.”

The importance of family and making closer connections with other people has been a central theme of her recorded work with the Golden Realm. With a creative and encouraging support network, Abbey felt comfortable exploring these ideas on her debut EP, Collectively.

“I think as I’ve matured more as a songwriter a lot of my content and what I’m talking about is the overwhelming feelings you get about the impact humans are having on the planet and overpopulation, consumerism and the world we live in… what’s actually important when you’re thinking about survival and true meaning in your life and it’s your loved ones, whoever is important to you.

“It plays a big role and what they’ve taught me musically about the world. How they want to live in this space and what effect they want to have on the planet. My parents are conservationists so they drummed that into us from a pretty early age.”

Abbey was recently nominated in the People’s Choice, South Australian Music Awards for Best Electronic Artist. She is always open to how audiences decode her music.

“[What] I’ve always been excited about are people interpreting it from how they feel and how it connects to them. But especially with this release I’ve really been thinking about my responsibility as an artist to deliver what I’m trying to say. In more of a plain way that’s kind of relatable… understandable and provocative.”

A rejection of the trappings of an everintrusive world, her most recent single ‘The Mother’ is a dream-like rumination on the pitfalls of modern society.

“I guess it’s so easy for humans to be distracted now in the Western world, the majority of us don’t have to focus on survival anymore – like feeding yourself, keeping yourself warm, because we’ve got all these other things to think about,” she contemplates earnestly. “We’ve got money to think about, jobs to think about and possessions and material belongings to worry about – I think we’re hugely distracted from what actually brings us a huge amount of joy.”

Most recently Abbey has been a musical pilgrim, commuting between Melbourne and Adelaide whilst developing her song writing and production skills through a Carclew funded mentorship with sultry blues singer Mojo Juju.

I think as I’ve matured more as a songwriter a lot of my content and what I’m talking about is the overwhelming feelings you get about the impact humans are having on the planet and overpopulation, consumerism and the world we live in.

“Working with Mojo, I’ve learnt so much about how she crafts her songs, but also to let go and not fuss and worry about making my songs too technical,” she reflects. “I think I get pretty caught up in trying to make something that’s challenging for me to play and to push my boundaries.”

Abbey has also contributed vocals to the upcoming release from punk party animals God God Dammit Dammit for their new concept album, Frankie’s Revenge.

“It’s just unreal, the energy you get from playing with that many people is so electric – so much fun. I remember meeting these guys when I was sixteen and thinking these guys are real musicians. They’re broke as fuck, they’re recording in their bedrooms, playing gigs, touring in a van with their dog, sinking tinnies. I was like ‘I want that life!’” she laughs.

Sharing a studio space with Narayana Johnson of Willow Beats and working with talented up-and-coming producer, Daniel Curtis (aka SABICU – “just one of those dungeon wizards that you know is sitting on a gold mine”) – Abbey’s recent single ‘Colour Me Gold’ continues to explore the consequences humanity’s overconsumption is having on the planet’s finite resources.

“I had this really amazing snorkelling experience in these fresh water limestone sinkholes in Mount Gambier called Ewens Ponds,” Abbey reflects.

“The profound effect it had on me was like I’d just been washed over and enlightened or something”, she smiles.

“The idea of [‘Colour Me Gold’] is actually finding beauty in that and using it to fuel

yourself. I know I’ve been trying to educate myself a lot more – I guess I’m starting to realise that my political and social consciousness is in my music and that people recognise that in me.”

The film clip for the single is also the brainchild of a new collaborative team called Video International, with Liam Somerville (Capital Waste Films), Aaron Schuppan (Runway Moon) and Luc Hansen working together to bring to life her creative vision of the song’s narrative.

“The concept got injected with steroids once I talked to Liam about it and he just got so excited and went next level with it. I went through big supermarket bins and got a bunch of consumer waste and we’re kind of highlighting the issue of plastic in the oceans.”

Shot on the mid coast of South Australia at Port Noarlunga and at commercial studio Tenth & Gibson, Abbey Howlett is excited to get the finished product out to the world.

“‘Colour Me Gold’ is the idea that if we let ourselves see and indulge in the beautiful pockets of wilderness that are left, the effect that can have can really make you want to step out or change the system we live in.

“I guess it comes back full circle to kind of what we were talking about. We’re so distracted as humans and we’ve forgotten that those things are us, that we’re killing ourselves and we’re really going to see it in our lifetime – our species will deal with the repercussions.”

Words: Matthew Hayward

Photos: Dave Court + Matt Gully