We have the pleasure of speaking with Carrie Able, a visual artist turned musician who has quickly become an influential force in the world of music and emerging technologies. Since she started making music in 2017, Carrie has captured audiences around the world with her unique blend of experimental song structures and deeply personal lyrics that explore the complexities of the human experience. Her performances, which are both visually and musically captivating, have been featured at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the World’s Fair in Dubai and the SXSW festival in Austin. Want to see her art for yourself? Check out her music NFT experience for her single The Brighter The Burn at https://carrieable.com/burn.
Hey, thanks for chatting with us. Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a multidisciplinary artist working with painting, music, performance, virtual and augmented reality art. I view all of my disciplines as being connected. I create daily as a personal psychological necessity. It is a great joy of mine that my work brings comfort to people from Africa to France to small towns in America. Working with Metaverse technologies since 2017, I’m passionate about educating artists and traditional institutions of the arts on how they can leverage future technologies. I grew up with a lot of health issues and felt very isolated in a small town. I often think about how amazing the future will be for young artists of the future in a similar situation.
Who or what inspired you to start making music? And, when did you start?
I started making music in 2017 as a progression of my work as a visual artist. I think at the time I was interested in pushing past the canvas and exploring the living arts.
What is your biggest challenge as an artist?
The biggest challenge for any artist is protecting your time to create. I always thought more success and no day job would mean more time to create, but I’ve discovered it’s still a battle as when things take off, there will be many meetings and other scheduled events. You have to always protect that time to create, though to others it will never seem like an urgent responsibility.
What is your favorite project or single you have released?
Having an exhibition up for 7 months at the Venice Biennial in 2022 was a huge milestone for me creatively. It was a remarkable experience to be in Italy and do a live performance as well as have a 6 song holograph as part of the exhibition with my oil paintings and Metaverse native art.
Who are your inspirations? What artists or bands are you listening to?
I love all kinds of music but am drawn to originality and emotion. Some of my favorite more mainstream artists are Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Jack White, the Kills, the Velvet Underground, and Rage Against the Machine.
What’s the process behind working on a song like?
All of my work is very connected so often I’ll begin writing a poem in the middle of the painting, then that poem becomes a song when I start to hear guitar riffs or piano in my head. From there I record layer by layer, adding more instruments. It’s actually quite similar to an oil painting in the process.
Tell me about your upcoming music and what inspired you to create it!
It’s a song I wrote at the start of 2023 about wanting to protect the person I love from the flawed parts of myself like PTSD and the waves of anxiety and depression that can visit from time to time. The lyrics came out in one swoop fully written in 5 minutes, and I wrote 2 guitar layers the following day.
What are your plans for 2023?
I am very excited to be a creator grant winner for my favorite virtual world in the metaverse, Somnium Space. I am also excited to be an artist in residence at ZeroSpace in Brooklyn, it is home to some of the most cutting-edge people in Metaverse Native Arts and I get to work alongside those making XR (extended reality) experiences for Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. It’d be a dream come true to build out all of my passions and I look forward to inviting indie musicians in NYC and all over the world to perform inside what I have built in the Metaverse.
Have any shoutouts?
My choreographer and dancers Pink Supakarn Niruktisart and Kate Griffler are two of the most talented people I know and they inspire me every day. When I write something that makes them want to dance, I know I’m onto something!
Carrie Able’s ability to seamlessly merge the worlds of art and music has established her as a leading innovator in the Metaverse. Through her music, she creates a deeply personal and relatable experience for listeners. With her global audience continuing to grow, it’s clear that Carrie is a rising star who is destined for great things. We can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next. Tune in to Carrie’s music on Spotify or wherever you stream music digitally. Check out everything she does at her official website carrieable.com.