ABBY HUSTON
Inspired by the intensity and moodiness of emo rockers like Gerard Way and Avril Lavigne, but with the grace and softness of indie bedroom R&B, Abby Huston crafts music that is both an unexpected blend of genres and vulnerable personal encounters. The Richmond-based musician’s sophomore album AH HA came together at the beginning of lockdown and reflects on Huston’s personal relationships within the abrupt social stop. Additionally, it’s a wink to their past self and recognition of how far their musical journey has come.
Huston doesn’t make pop-punk music—their music a mix of the softness found in R&B crooners and indie rock ballads— but their craft is indebted to the emo revival of the early 2000s. Their music might not recall the desperate howl of Gerard Way or the battle cry of Avril Lavigne, but Abby Huston wouldn’t be making music without their influence.
Huston grew up in Falls Church, VA where they picked up a guitar to perform My Chemical Romance’s “Summertime” for the eighth-grade talent show. Progressing from covers to writing their own music around 16 years old. “I don't know why music is the outlet. Partially because I’ve been so private about it, so embarrassed about the fact that I sing or want to sing,” they reveal. “But something in me still really wanted to sing and just working through that.”