Rock and Pop: Interview - Gabby Young
Published: 27 January, 2011
by ROISIN GADELRAB
Song is a gift of the Gab
Gabby Young sounds like she’s smiling over the phone.
Her stories have happy endings and she sees the brightest side of the very darkest tales.
The eccentric flame-haired singer’s positive nature casts an effective veil over a history that could have ended her musical career before she even began.
At just 22, her fledgling path was halted for a year as she fought thyroid cancer in her throat, while medics warned her she may lose her voice.
You wouldn’t know it now.
Gabby’s rich vocals are stronger than ever – so strong that she, and her band Other Animals, share the bill with 10-piece “performance orchestra” The Irrepressibles at The Barbican on Saturday for Disruption, a fashion and music event inspired by the gallery’s exhibition, Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion and the diversity of East London.
Purveyors of “circus swing”, Gabby Young and Other Animals are emerging as a live phenomenon.
Gabby, who will be wearing a dress made entirely from newspapers, said: “We’ve got a spectacle planned. We always try and do something different each show.”
From her pictures you’d never guess Gabby grew up “in the sticks” of Wiltshire. Her mother trained racehorses, and she would often share a home with the Australian equestrian team.
But Gabby rejected the outdoors in favour of music.
She said: “I rebelled against any sport and always wanted to be the musician. We had a little pink piano and my sister and I would write songs.
“Whenever Mum and Dad had friends over, we’d insist on giving them a concert, make them queue outside and pay to see us. That’s probably my earliest musical memory.”
Her parents now run her label, while Gabby lives in Kentish Town with boyfriend Stephen Ellis, frontman of Revere. Gabby also writes a style blog and runs pop-up store Gabbydashery, selling the kind of accessories she likes to wear.
She said: “We live right next to Hampstead Heath and I’m obsessed with the place. I’ve lived in lots of different parts of London, west, south, Chelsea for a bit, which I didn’t like, but the moment I got up north I thought this is where London is for me. I love the creativeness, you can do your own thing, don’t have to worry about being judged, everyone seems helpful and friendly. I love all my neighbours.”
Her memories of being diagnosed with cancer still upset her, Gabby is grateful for what it brought.
She said: “It was a huge life-changing experience to be on a path, knowing my goal and to have a huge stop sign on that. But I’m so thankful because everything that has happened to me that’s been positive has been almost a direct result from that. Moving to London was a catalyst – I had to change my life. The most terrifying thing was the operation.”
She added: “I’ve written some material about that which I’m really proud of – Too Young to Die on the album is about it.
“It’s changed the way I think about absolutely everything.
“I’m a lot happier because I feel I’ve got a get-out-of-jail-free card and a real chance to do something different and have a story that might help people through hard times.”