By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“I don’t ever expect closure, but tonight, I just want you closer.”
Independent artist Abby Sunga recently debuted her first single “tonight,” described by her as a “JP Saxe/Us The Duo-inspired ballad about longing to be with someone for one more night.”
The Music Bugle had the chance to speak with Sunga about “tonight” – which was produced by Danny Spadaro – and more.
Music Bugle – What would you say is the biggest challenge in being an independent artist right now?
Abby Sunga – I think the biggest challenge for me is finding the connections that I need to really grow as an artist. A lot of time goes into finding producers, finding engineers, contacting music blogs, writing press releases, etc.. I do all of it myself, but I think it’s kinda fun to meet so many new people! I just wish that I had someone to guide me through it sometimes.
Music Bugle – What directly inspired your new single “tonight”?
Abby Sunga – There was surprisingly no specific idea that inspired it. It was one of the songs where I just sang random words and they flowed well enough to make a story/have a meaning.
Music Bugle – Do you feel that your young age gives you any sort of advantage?
Abby Sunga – I think it definitely does because people are usually more impressed by younger artists. I also think that since I’m young, there is still so much room and time for me to grow. I’m definitely not the best artist right now, but I’m grateful that other people can recognize my potential.
Music Bugle – How have you been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?
Abby Sunga – Music-wise, COVID-19 has actually benefited me! I started writing music during the start of lockdown in April 2020. Lockdown gave me a lot of time to think. I was always surrounded by my own thoughts and I figured that the only way to get rid of them was to write about them and I did exactly that. If COVID never happened, then I wouldn’t be where I am today as an artist.
Music Bugle – What’s something that you’ve been trying to work on about yourself?
Abby Sunga – I’ve been trying to work on not comparing myself to other artists. I went through a horrible phase filled with so much self-deprecation that lasted about a month. It wasn’t until I realized how unfair it was for me to be comparing my first stage as an artist to another artist’s 25th stage. Like I said, there’s always room to grow and I tend to forget just how much there really is.
Music Bugle – Where do you go when you need an escape?
Abby Sunga – In my room, with my AirPods blasting music at full volume. It’s really comforting to be surrounded by music because it helps me to block out the outside world.
Music Bugle – Who are you listening to right now, music-wise?
Abby Sunga – Right now, I’m loving Adam Melchor, LANY, Jeremy Zucker, Lauv and Alexander23. I’ve had all their music on repeat for the past two months. They all have a specific vibe to them and I’m incredibly inspired by how true they stay to themselves and their styles.
Music Bugle – Does social media help or hurt musicians?
Abby Sunga – I think it does both, but mostly helps them. A lot of artists are currently relying on TikTok as their main social media to promote their music and I fully support it. (Laughs) It’s honestly crazy to me how much TikTok has affected the music industry! Hopefully, TikTok can help my growth as an artist one day.
Music Bugle – Away from music, what’s something that people might be surprised to know about you?
Abby Sunga – Right now, I’m into journaling and writing out my thoughts as journal entries and word vomits rather than songs. I think it allows so much pressure to be lifted off me because I can just write my thoughts out without having to make a melody or a rhyme out of them. It’s also really cool to look back on what I write. (Laughs)
Music Bugle – What makes you the most proud about where you come from?
Abby Sunga – I was born in Los Angeles, which is super cool! I now only live in the county, but I’m always in the city because I have family there. I kinda grew up going there every month and it’s super fun to me. I have lots of friends from Los Angeles county who are aspiring artists like me and it’s so cool and inspiring to see some of them move to the city and watch their dreams take off.
*Photo Credit – Daniel Muñoz*
