Mike England,
Bluegrass Unlimited
"Abbie is leaving her mark by trailblazing a new path. She has fused her dobro playing, singing, and songwriting into a seamless vehicle of musical expression.
If you have never seen Abbie live you owe it to yourself to do so… and if you have seen her live… you know what I am talking about."
Ron Olesko,
Folk Notebook
“DobroSinger is a masterclass in how to deliver a song, taught by an artist who is at the top of her game”
Blair Jackson,
Acoustic Guitar Magazine
"The playing and singing are both impeccable and loaded with personality. You can hear every
nuance of the slide, smooth one moment or rattling slightly at the end of a phrase like punctuation; and her intimate, pitch-perfect vocals - wistful, playful, confessional - sound like they’re dancing with the guitar."
Jonathan Byrd,
Songwriter & Performer
“DobroSinger is a naked little roller coaster of an album, when we get to hear how good Abbie Gardner really is. By turns awkward, raucous, fragile, and forceful, it sounds like Abbie is in the room with me, maybe sharing a stage and, honestly, I don’t want to follow her. Nobody wants to follow her.”
Braeden Paul,
Bluegrass Today
"It’s not typical for a dobro player to sing lead, especially when the musician in question is a soloist. However, that is exactly what Abbie Gardner of the Americana trio Red Molly has done on her latest solo effort, DobroSinger. The end result is extraordinarily good."
Lee Zimmerman,
No Depression
“an album that’s both introspective and expressive, with the accessibility factor weighing in heavily on each of its entries”
John Platt,
WFUV
“Abbie Gardner gives the grit to Red Molly with her Dobro playing. On her new solo CD we get to hear not only her instrumental and songwriting prowess, but her marvelously versatile voice, which can convey pain or playfulness or pure bad girl blues power.”
Short Bio
Billboard charting artist Abbie Gardner is a fiery dobro player with an infectious smile. Whether performing solo or with Red Molly, her acclaimed tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, are propelled by her impeccable slide guitar playing. She channels Lucinda and Bonnie, but remains pure Abbie.
The Longer Story
Abbie Gardner is a fiery dobro player with an infectious smile. Whether performing solo or with Americana darlings Red Molly, her tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, are propelled by her impeccable slide guitar chops. As an award-winning songwriter, captivating vocalist, and a world-class lap style dobro player, she has an unmistakable sound all her own. This is masterfully captured on her 2022 CD "DobroSinger." The record made it to #11 on the Billboard Blues Charts and #2 on the Folk DJ Charts, receiving rave reviews in Bluegrass Unlimited, Acoustic Guitar Magazine and American Songwriter. It’s a raw intimate recording full of blues, ballads and the ache of the unknown. It’s quite a contrast to her previous CD, which featured a co-write with Chris Stapleton and leaned on full band production. Abbie stands strong as a solo act and has opened for Lori McKenna and Martina McBride.
Acoustic Guitar Magazine says, "sheer brilliance and power ... her evocative guitar is a second voice throughout, sometimes singing in unison, in harmony other times, or answering as in a conversation with the singer. The playing and singing are both impeccable and loaded with personality. You can hear every nuance of the slide, smooth one moment or rattling slightly at the end of a phrase like punctuation; and her intimate, pitch-perfect vocals—wistful, playful, confessional—sound like they’re dancing with the guitar."
Her background is as varied as the songs she writes. Her father, Herb Gardner, is a stride pianist and dixieland trombonist. Abbie didn’t get into music school on her original instrument (flute), but graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Occupational Therapy. She gradually found her way back to music in Boston's folk music scene.
During the pandemic, Abbie started teaching free Woodshed dobro lessons in her backyard and posting them to YouTube. Helping other people fan the flames of their creativity has always been a nice balance to performing. She has taught in person at Nashville Dobro Camp, ResoSummit, Kaufman Kamp, Rockygrass Academy, and Roots Music Camp. Then for Songwriting, she's taught at New England Songwriters Retreat, Swannanoa Gathering, Summer Songs, and Moab Folk Camp. Students can check out her month-long, small group virtual songwriting classes and her downloadable "Dobro from Scratch" course.
"Not only a first-rate Dobro player but a songwriter to be reckoned with." --John Platt, WFUV