Abbie Gardner

Her background is as varied as the songs she writes. Gardner has listened to the sweet sound of high lonesome harmonies since her first bluegrass festival at the age of three. Her father, Herb Gardner, is a swing jazz and stride pianist and Dixieland trombonist. Watching him laugh as he went off to “work” every day was her first introduction to the joy of being a musician. Gardner’s first full-length recording, My Craziest Dream (2004), is an album of jazz standards featuring her father on piano, and it earned her an entry in the 2009 Hal Leonard book “The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide.

Gardner didn’t get into music school on her original instrument (classical flute), so she rebelled against her musical family and went into health care. After graduating summa cum laude with a degree in Occupational Therapy, Gardner found her way back to music through Boston’s folk music scene. Soon after quitting her day job, however, she ended up with tendonitis from playing guitar. Continued heartbreak didn’t discourage her for long, though. She found that playing a lap-style slide was more ergonomic and easier on her hands than a regular guitar. The dobro resonated with her on a deep level. She had the instrument just under a week when she formed Red Molly and soon traveled to Colorado and Nashville to study with experts Rob Ickes, Sally Van Meter, and Mike Witcher.

Red Molly made seven records and toured the world for over a decade before the band focused on individual solo careers. In this space of transition, Gardner recorded Wishes on a Neon Sign (2018), a soulful examination of love and heartbreak, pain and strength, and the transformative power of hope. “The record feels like a love letter to New York City,” says Gardner. “I love the contrast here – how darkness makes Times Square shine brighter, how New Yorkers can seem so gruff but will help you the instant you fall… And here I am, a contrast myself, a female singer/ songwriter playing the dobro, a traditionally male-dominated bluegrass instrument, taking the instrument pretty far from bluegrass and doing it in the city.”

Already an award-winning songwriter, Gardner took her writing to a new level on Wishes on a Neon Sign. She collaborated with kind-hearted outlaw Chris Stapleton (on the wistful “Bad Leaver”), Nashville regular David Olney (on the deliciously slick “Empty Suit),” and bandmate Molly Venter (on the deeply true “Cold Black Water”).

Gardner traveled across the country as a solo act, but when everything shut down in 2020, she had the opportunity to make the record she’s always dreamed of making. Using a tiny closet recording studio in her home in the shadow of NYC, she gathered a collection of songs. She recorded them raw – singing and playing without a band, without separating the voice from her instrument, and without any studio tricks to hide behind. The result is intimate – you can hear every breath, every chuckle as if you are in the room with her.

Since her previous record, Gardner’s vocals and dobro playing have matured to a place where they share the spotlight equally. In this case, the stage is a tiny recording studio, and the spotlight is a candle.