Abby Sunga
Abby Sunga has just released her debut single titled “tonight” and it is one of the beautiful songs I’ve ever heard lately.
Abby has one of the most stunning voices. Her songwriting is honest and her melodies are captivating. She’s a promising talent for sure and I’m glad I got to interview her for her first release. I am hoping to hear more songs from her this year, but for now, I can only wish her the best and support her as much as I can.
Go stream “tonight” ! :)
Photo credit: Daniel Muñoz
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi!! My name is Abby Sunga and I’m 17 years old and I was born in Los Angeles. I currently live in a little city in Los Angeles county. I’ve been singing for fun ever since I can remember. I landed my first solo when I was in choir in the 2nd grade. I completely butchered it and didn’t sing in front of a crowd for the next 10 years of my life.. I recently began putting myself out there again after joining choir in high school. I eventually grew to love singing. I’ve also been playing piano since I was 6!
When did you start writing songs?
I wrote my first song at age 12 and it was actually a rap hahahah. I wrote another song at 14 and it was horrible. I kept practicing and practicing for YEARS and I became good enough at it to start taking it seriously at age 16.
What made you want to write in the first place?
I always knew it was something that I wanted to do, I just never knew how. I’ve always admired songwriters and their ability to write so authentically. My most noteworthy “awakening” was probably at one of my first ever concerts. It was Taylor Swift’s reputation tour. I remember seeing her on stage and just thinking “I wanna be like her and do what she does.” That night, I made a promise to myself that I would never let myself tell my kids that I didn’t chase my dream of being a songwriter/performer.
When did you know you could sing?
My parents were always singing in my house as a child so I was pretty influenced by them. I always sang for fun as a child but in second grade, my teacher who was also the choir teacher, encouraged me to audition for choir and I got in! That was pretty much where it all started.
What did you grow up listening to?
I thankfully grew up having my own choice of what to listen to which gave me a wide variety. But I mainly listened to pop like Taylor Swift, One Direction, and Justin Bieber. (boring, I know lol) I honestly didn’t form my own music taste until around 2020 which is CRAZY to me considering how much my music is inspired by other artists.
When did you decide to become an artist and release your original music?
Becoming an artist was something I’ve wanted to do for the longest time. I always loved to share my music on my socials because I loved the reactions I would get. People would tell me how relatable my songs are and how they make them feel less alone. The immense support I got from everyone convinced me to put my music out there in hopes of helping even more people around the world to feel less alone.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
The first person to believe in me was my friend Bianca. (We hate being sentimental towards each other and I know she is gonna read this so I’m gonna try to make it as casual as possible haha) We’ve been super close friends since we were 7. She’s always the first person I call to show whenever I write a new song, and she always gets the bounces of my music as soon as they get sent in. I’ve spoken about being an artist to her for years now, and she’s never once doubted me.
"tonight" is your debut single - how's it like to release your first single ever?
So many feelings such as gratitude, pride, doubt, and shock have been washing over my body since the song was finalized. It is honestly just so crazy to me that this is happening. I haven’t fully fathomed the fact that I have my own music coming out and that it’ll be there for the entire world to hear. It is definitely a beautiful thing for me to experience because I’ve dreamt of this for as long as I can remember. I really really hope people like it.
When did you start writing this single? Could you describe the songwriting/production process? Who helped you create it?
I wrote this song by myself in late November and the whole songwriting process took a little over an hour. When I write a song and I realize it’s gonna be a good one, I like to finish it as soon as possible because that’s when my emotions are at their highest. Once I had the layout and structure of the song done, I went back and nitpicked little things that I thought could be better.
Finding producers had always been a huge struggle for me who’s an independent artist that’s barely starting out. I remember being bored one day and googling how to find producers. I’m pretty sure Wikihow told me (which I think is so funny) to contact producers that produced songs that I like. So in December, I reached out to a producer named Danny whose work I really admired and he ended up producing this song for me! We met around February and I recorded vocals with him and I was honestly so nervous but he was super understanding. After recording, we texted back and forth for the next few weeks about what we liked and didn’t like about the production ideas he was sending. The final master was sent to me in mid March. I’m so grateful to have worked with someone like Danny for my debut single. He’s the best.
What did you feel when writing this song?
There are some songs I write that just come so easily to me, as if they were heaven-sent. That sounds so dramatic haha. I wrote the first verse, pre-chorus, and chorus in about ten minutes and I just knew that this song was special. Everything just flowed so well. And the lyrics were so many things that I never thought I would be able to put into words, let alone open up about them to anyone. Writing this song felt so freeing. Towards the second verse, I used a bit more specificity in the lyrics, and I was just so proud of my own storytelling.
What made you want to release "tonight" as your debut single?
I’m still finding my sound so a lot of my songs are very different styles. I think the style of “tonight” is probably the most generic of them all (which is a good thing, because it can reach many audiences). So I’m basically taking it safe and releasing a song that I think most people would enjoy. That’s what I plan on doing for now, at least until I find my true sound. I’m also doing it for myself because it’s one of the songs that I am most proud of!
What can you tell us about the artwork?
In the artwork, I’m wearing the hoodie that I wore in my Instagram post of this song from the day that I wrote it. The 5 polaroids are supposed to represent the 5 main lyrics in the chorus which are “just lay with me tonight.” I like how it’s simple but cute at the same time. My friends Bianca and Katrina actually helped me shoot it which makes it even more special to me. All the polaroids were taken in their house and the backdrop is Bianca’s white blanket that we put on Katrina’s bedroom floor haha. They also did the lighting for me with their phone flashlights and it was such a struggle lol.
What is the goal for this first single?
After recording the vocals for this song, I went through a phase where I thought I was the worst singer in the entire world and that everyone would hate the song. On the day that the final master was sent to me, my producer told me “Amazing things happen once you step outside your comfort zone.” so my goal for this first single is to take the leap and realize how amazing it will feel to put myself out there!!
What does singing make you feel?
Happy, relieved, seen, heard, alive, and free. Basically every single adjective that describes a good feeling!!
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
Hard work pays off!! It may not seem worth it in the moment, but it’ll sure as hell be worth it in the long run. When I wrote my first actual song, (not the rap) it was honestly horrible haha. I remember not writing any songs after that for a year because I had no faith that I would get anywhere. Now after years of practice, here I am releasing my debut single which is everything I could have ever imagined! So just keep trying. You never know how far you’ll get until you try. :)
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Kinder people.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
The most important thing in life should be to be yourself!! I know it seems scary because it’s a crazy freaking world out there and people can be judgmental but ALWAYS make sure to remind yourself that what people think of you is only a reflection of themselves as a person. Life is too short to be someone you’re not.
I also want people to remember that they are so loved <3
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