ABYSS

Congratulations ABYSS for winning this year’s Lipstick Radio Indie Music Awards Best R&B Artist Female. The award is well-deserved.

ABYSS has been involved with Lipstick Radio for about a year. “It’s been great. Khymberlee Carlyle is such a great person. She does so much for us indies, to get us heard and to get us exposure. I really appreciate it.”

As you know, this year’s Indie Music Awards winners were selected by their fans. When I asked ABYSS how she got her fans engaged and voting, she laughed and explained: “I just went to Facebook…a lot.” She posted about the awards show and sent messages to her fan’s inboxes. “I just asked for the vote, for them to help out. It makes a big difference when you get your fans involved.”

ABYSS takes advantage of many social media forums to keep her fans engaged and to connect with new ones. “I’m literally all over the internet. I build relationships with people one at a time. That’s the best way to build a fan base. I ask them questions: What do you think about my music? What can I improve?”

In 2007, ABYSS began her career in indie music. She started her own publishing company, hired a manager and hasn’t looked back since.

Music is ABYSS’s passion. She’s a natural-born talent. “I feel like it’s a gift that I’ve been given and I just want to share it with the world. I started singing when I was about four years old. I love the stage. I love the feeling. I love the limelight.”

ABYSS sang Lena Horne’s Stormy Weather in talent shows when she was young. She credits the following musical influences: Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Bahamadia, Lauryn Hill, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, KRS 1, Anita Baker, Toni Braxton, Patti LaBelle and Stevie Wonder. “Lauryn Hill is a big influence, because she does the hip hop along with the R&B. She’s so great at both. Queen Latifah does that too.”

When it comes to collaboration with other artists, she first looks at the artist’s work ethic. “This is not a hobby for me; this is my life. I look to see if they’re affiliated with a publishing company, like BMI or ASCAP. I look to see if they are really trying to take their music to the next level, not just do this here and there. I like to give people great music.”

What’s up next for ABYSS? She’s working with a marketing strategist. “We’re setting up a lot of interviews and shows and appearances.” ABYSS also has a new EP that will be titled Rhythm and Business coming out this summer. “It’s the R&B side of ABYSS. I want to do something different for my fans. They’re used to me doing hip hop, so I want to give them a different side of me.”

ABYSS advises, “Stay at your craft: practice, write and exercise your vocal cords. You can never have too much practice. Invest in yourself. Get behind what you’re doing and put the money into it, if you have it. Promote yourself. You have to do shows. Mingle with people. You have to get involved with people in order for them to know who you are. You can’t just be talented.”

Excellent advice! I can see why ABYSS is so successful.

To watch our complete video interview on the Amused Now YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/66HdOe8n7fM

2014 Indie Music Award Winners Series

ABYSS
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Cynthia Kahn, Founder of Amused Now    
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If you missed the awards show, you can watch the 2014 Indie Music Awards Show anytime on the Amused Now YouTube Channel: http://youtu.be/bC1eXdqoaZA

Read about the 2014 Indie Music Awards Show on Amused Now:
https://amusednow.com/blog/2014-indie-music-awards/

Read the Khymberlee Carlyle’s back story behind the 2014 Indie Music Awards show:
https://amusednow.com/blog/khymberlee-carlyle-2014-indie-music-awards/