MP3 Abi Moore - The Aftermath of ´96

Intelligent and observational lyrics wrapped neatly in an accessible package: an inviting blend of contemporary British acoustic folk/ jazz/ rock delivered in a unique and original style.

10 MP3 Songs in this album (45:22) !
Related styles: FOLK: Alternative Folk, POP: Pop/Rock

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Details:
Abi Mooreâs career in music is not one that follows the rulebook.
âI wasnât brought up in a musical family and the only way I got to do the job Iâve always wanted is to put my nose to the grindstone, work ridiculously hard and teach myself about an industry I knew nothing about. And of course, that has meant that Iâve made mistakes and had to learn from them.â

Abi Moore was born in 1983 and her parents, a Hungarian nurse and a teacher from Yorkshire, moved to the rural county of Lincolnshire when she was two. She spent the majority of her childhood here and showed an early talent for the arts, taking keyboard lessons at the age of five.
âWhen my teacher put the music in front of me, I hadnât got a clue how to read it. He told me the name of the song and I just played it to him by ear. I did that for two years before anyone noticed! It still confuses people now that I do everything by feel. To me, written music is just maths and I hate maths.â

Abiâs talent was more of the natural kind. Singing was her first love, and although she didnât have lessons until the age of fourteen, she had so much experience singing in choirs, bands, musicals and studios by that age that she was already a well developed vocalist and passed all her grades in a very short time. As she grew up, she learned the violin and played in the countyâs Concert and Symphony Orchestras and string quartets as well as taking drum lessons.

By the time she was seventeen, she had decided singing was to be her career.
âIf Iâm honest, Iâd known that since I was three or four. But I went to a strict grammar school and the arts were frowned upon, so I did what they wanted and got good grades. I was accepted to do an MA in foreign languages at uni but Iâd no intention of ever going.â
In fact, Abi had already secretly signed with four or five agents and was gigging professionally all over the country whilst also studying for her A Levels. It was a hard slog and at this stage, she was singing cover material on the notorious pub and club circuit.

Abiâs âcabaretâ career was earning her good money, but little satisfaction. She became very streetwise and learned early on about dodgy managers and unfair record deals. Having been stung by both, she was getting wise to the showbiz life and although her reputation as an outstanding live performer meant she was sometimes entertaining audiences of up to 15,000 people at venues such as the London Palladium and Huddersfieldâs Galpharm Stadium, she was beginning to realise what was wrong.

âI wasnât being me. And that is so important at the end of the day. There was no challenge in what I was doing. I needed to write. Iâm a very quiet and introspective person in real life. I didnât want to make a show of myself and have to dress in sequinned outfits, plaster makeup all over my face and sing other peopleâs songs. And there were so many emotional things going on in my life, I was dealing with death and bereavement at every turn, growing up too soon and I had so much responsibility for so many things, that it became laughable pretending to be someone I wasnât.â

At heart, Abi was a wordsmith. Sheâd been writing songs since her childhood, and, although she had kept it quiet, her poetry and short stories had been printed in a number of literary publications. It was now that Abi made a decision to go back to that â to concentrate on writing and to continue singing in a way that suited her personality. She bought a guitar and piano and taught herself to play them, sought out backing musicians to gig with and did some research into the folk and acoustic scene. It was a strand of the music world she knew even less about.

In 2002, she hit the acoustic world with her very first show of original material and was surprised at how quickly she was embraced by her new audience. Her live shows âmesmerised her listeners with wise-beyond-her-years lyrics and a voice that oozed honesty and passionâ (The Troubadour, London) and her knack for writing âheartrending lyrics wrapped up neatly inside a package that leaves her audiences in aweâ (Lincolnshire In Focus) soon became her trademark.

Support slots for other artists beckoned and as Abi was working on her first album she opened for Midge Ure and Jim Moray. She started playing the festival circuit and in 2004, played at the Summer Sundae Weekender with the likes of Nick Harper, James Morrison and Amy Winehouse. Her acoustic set âwas the highlight of the Rising Stageâ where âshe had the audience cheering awayâ (www.virtualfestivals.com).

On the 16th June, 2006, Abi released her debut album âThe Aftermath of â96.â Chronicling her thoughts on family dysfunction, questioned morals and life experiences since the death of her best friend in the summer of 1996, Abiâs album was a success with both fans and critics alike. The Lincoln Chronicle described it as âan impressive and emotionally involving introduction to a bright new talent,â and Abi had not only written and arranged the songs, but also played the majority of the instruments and recorded, edited and mixed the album with âprofessionally executed productionâ (Musicianâs Union).

BBC radio and T.V soon got word of Abiâs talent and she now plays regular slots in between touring throughout the UK and teaching music workshops to children from 3-18 years throughout Lincolnshire.

Since her debut album, Abi has gathered a whole new army of listeners around the country and a huge following throughout her home county, with a massive amount of Lincolnshire bars, restaurants and cafés playing her CDs to their customers.

Lincolnâs Old Bakery Restaurant says âAbi Moore is the finest performer in the county of Lincolnshire.â And Lincoln Drill Hall agrees, saying she is âfast becoming something of a legend... beautiful and passionate songs, superb arrangements and thought-provoking lyrics. Abi's on stage style and honesty also leave you feeling as though you've actually got to know her during one of her gigs. Highly recommended."

She continues to open shows for other artists: more recently she has played with LAU, the Coal Porters, Jonatha Brooke, Dave Swarbrick, Steve Tilston and 10CC.

So it is no surprise that demand for a follow-up album has led Abi to record her second studio album âThings We Shouldâve Said,â due for release on March 7th 2009.

READ "THE AFTERMATH OF '96" REVIEWS

It is no coincidence that the cover of Lincoln singer/songwriter Abi Mooreâs debut album is a diary.
Inside is an honest and sometimes courageous chronicle of the past decade, of relationships and incidents and most notably the death of her best friend ten years ago, which forms the basis of Holding On.
But there is a freshness, even an optimism about âThe Aftermath of â96,â mirrored in the quiet strength of several of these tracks, the independence of songs like When The Devil Calls, (âAll the lessons that I learned in life, I learned them on my ownâ) and the very fact that Abi herself has written, played, sung, recorded, mixed and produced pretty much everything here.
Her voice is central to its appeal, reminiscent of Texas chanteuse Sharleen Spiteri at times and beautiful throughout, underlined by gently persuasive melodies and excellent arrangements, notably on opener Circles with its jazzy guitar and the rolling piano and gospel energy of Let It Go.
Yet the setâs standout track is not autobiographical at all but inspired by The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Prophecy (Part I) showcasing the breadth of her nascent musical vision while also capturing a sense of wonder and the storyâs implicit spirituality. An impressive and emotionally involving introduction to a bright new talent.

Mike Lyon, Editor of Lincoln Chronicle.


Lincoln singer/songwriter Abi has produced an accomplished collection of self- assured songs that clearly demonstrate her ability to create, arrange, perform and record songs of memorable quality. Kicking off with Circles, a driving acoustic number, her confident voice rides the professionally executed production. In partnership with lead guitarist Adam Schofield and drummer Martin Collins, Abi goes on to impress with the wistful vocal harmonies of Holding On and dark piano and moving sax of Let It Go. Having already supported Midge Ure and played alongside Amy Winehouse, Air and Super Furry Animals, Abi has a bright future: she can only build on the impact sheâs made.

Musicianâs Union