In this interview, we talk with Abigail Fierce, a Los Angeles–based indie pop-rock singer-songwriter and actor. She shares how her love for writing and music led her to start creating songs on her own, teaching herself guitar and writing every night. With a thoughtful approach to storytelling and a genuine passion for the craft, Abigail reflects on what it takes to grow as an artist—and why staying true to what you love is the most important part.
You have a career that spans both acting and music. Can you share a little about how you started in both fields and how much each has influenced the other?
Music is something I’ve always loved. Acting was something I definitely always wanted to do. And when I was 12 years old, I went out to LA for a week, and I got an agent and a manager. My mom was kinda like, “Well, if you’re good enough to do that, maybe we can try this,” because it wasn’t easy to convince them—both of my parents are in the science field. And when I told them I wanted to be an actor, my mom was like, “It’s pronounced doctor.” So when I started coming out here for acting, it was for a couple of months at a time, and then my mom and I just kinda ended up out here full-time. For high school, I was partially homeschooled. I kinda taught myself how to play guitar, and I started writing songs—or at least writing—every night. Eventually, it was just something I could really see myself doing. It originally started as a hobby, and I’m just lucky enough to have been able to turn it into a career.
So you perform as Abigail Fierce in the music world. How did you come up with your stage name, and what does it represent for you?
When I was looking for an artist or project name, it was right before the pandemic. Both of my grandparents on my mom’s side passed away within a couple of weeks of each other. It was a hard time, and I was cleaning out their house when I found that my grandmother had a family tree going all the way back to the 1500s or something crazy. And someone on her side had the last name “Fierce.” I was like, oh my god, that’s so freaking cool. I’d be a fool not to do something with that. It was also a way to honor her, because she never really got to hear my music. She had dementia, and once my mom played her the demo for the very first song I released, Pitch Dark, because I had just recorded it. And she said, “That’s Abigail? That’s beautiful.” So that’s a memory I’ll definitely keep with me forever.
What inspires your songwriting process, and what themes do you explore in your songs?
I always say inspiration is everywhere and nowhere all at once. So I try to sit down and play guitar every night. Sometimes I just mess around, sometimes I get part of a song, sometimes a whole song—you never know what’s gonna happen. It’s really just about the persistence of sitting down and writing. I love to read and I’ve always loved to write, so I just churn stuff out. Eventually, you sort through it and find something good.
And what artists influence your music?
I like to say my music is like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift meets Courtney Love and Alanis Morissette. I love ’90s rock so much, but I also kinda grew up in the singer-songwriter era. So I try to mesh everything I like. And I think if you listen to my discography, you can hear moments from all of those artists.
So, onto a few Make Music Day questions. What first drew you to Make Music Day, and how did you get involved?
I’m a PRS Pulse artist, and they sent out an email about participating. So I signed up on the website—I just thought it looked fun.
And was that your first time hearing about Make Music Day?
Yes, actually. When I performed at Make Music Day last year, a guy came up to me and was like, “This is crazy. I didn’t know this was a global thing.” He said he was in France one year, just walking around, and it was Make Music Day. Then that day last year, he was just walking around in Topanga Canyon, and it was Make Music Day again. He was like, “I didn’t know it was in France too.” I was like, “That’s crazy, I didn’t know that either!”
How was your experience performing for Make Music Day?
I had so much fun. Last year, I was part of the Topanga Canyon chapter, and Topanga Canyon is like a canyon right outside LA. It’s kind of an artistic community, and there are a bunch of businesses along the road. So I was just playing on the side of the road, and cars were stopping, honking their horns—it was just fun.
What’s next for you in terms of music or acting? Any upcoming releases or projects you’re excited to share?
Yes! I’m in a horror movie called Skill House. It’s produced by 50 Cent and stars some huge influencers like Hannah Stocking and Bryce Hall. It’s about influencers getting trapped in a house and dying one by one. That’s coming out July 11 in theaters—they just announced it! Music-wise, I have two songs, hopefully coming out this summer—two more singles. It’s been a minute since I last released something, so I’m really excited. I’m trying to get everything in order so it can be a solid major thing.
What advice would you give to new musicians just starting out?
You have to be willing to play the long game. You have to do it because you love it, not just because you think it’s cool or want to be famous, because it will be the fight of your life. It will take longer than you think—even if your product is really good, it’s hard to get people to care, especially these days. It’s a huge market. There’s so much out there. Even on TikTok, our brains are used to so much stimulation. The human attention span in the ’60s was eight seconds. Now it’s three seconds to grab someone. And my music style is storytelling, so it’s kinda hard to grab someone in three seconds on TikTok when I’m trying to tell a whole story in three or four minutes. So I guess my advice would be: if you really love it, hang in there. Always strive to get better and learn. I think the minute you think your stuff is really great is the minute you stop getting better. So, just always be humble and always be willing to learn.
Finally, what would you say your goal in music is?
I have so many goals. I’ve been performing live a lot over the past year, and one of my big goals is that I’d love to play a major festival. That would be awesome. I haven’t performed at a festival yet. I’m going to be playing at Musikfest, which is in Pennsylvania in August, so that’s kinda my first festival experience. I did open for a Taylor Swift tribute band last August, and they said we had a crowd of 10,000 people. That was definitely the biggest crowd I’ve ever played to. It was so fun—some little girls wanted me to sign their posters. That was just an amazing experience.