For this Women’s History Month feature, I sit down with Abby Clare. She’s constantly tackling new avenues, adding to an already impressive industry résumé. Abby immediately became an inspiration to me. Continue reading below to see why!
Hey Abby! Let’s start by briefly telling our readers about yourself and what you do!
Hey Dan! My name’s Abby and I’m an artist manager/publicist at DIMM Entertainment in NJ and I’m also a freelance photographer, videographer, and writer!
So, what got you into the music industry? Did a specific event kickstart your passion for covering music?
My parents have been taking me to concerts since I was about 10, and because of that I fell in love with live music. I remember going to my first club show back in 2011 to see All Time Low and The Summer Set, and from that moment on I knew that I wanted to work in music in any capacity. Back in 2018 I was asked to photograph a Waterparks show for the website I was running at the time and that experience kickstarted my love for photography.
I see that you’re a 2019 Syracuse University graduate. How did your time there influence your career path?
I am! I would say that working at the student-run radio station WERW was definitely a highlight of my college career. Through that, I was able to have my own radio show where I could introduce other students to the bands I loved and meet other people just as passionate about music as I was. It also gave me the opportunity to go to on and off campus concerts and write show reviews/take photos.
My sophomore year I was a part of the PRSSA Edge program at Syracuse where I was lucky enough to be the account executive of a music and food truck festival called Beats and Eats. The experience of finding sponsors, sending out press releases, and working the festival day of also helped solidify my career path of working in events/publicity.
Currently you’re a Publicist and Artist Manager at DIMM Entertainment! What does your job consist of?
Working at DIMM is great because every day is always different! Some of my tasks include social media management, running press campaigns, corresponding with record labels our artists are signed to, photo/video shoots, and anything else that we find needs to get done that day!
Why do you enjoy managing/promoting artists? Do you feel connected to the band/artist in any way?
The best part about managing/promoting artists is that I get to spend my entire day talking to people about something that I’m passionate about! It’s super exciting to watch a song/project grow from the ground up, especially at DIMM because we have such a close relationship with our artists and are able to see the entire creative process come to life in front of us.
You are obviously exposed to many new artists in what you do, what artists are slept on and need to heard now?
Oh, there are so many! Our entire roster is full of so many talented artists including Christian Sparacio, Pollyanna, The Vaughn’s, and America Part Two. Highwind, gloss, and Wyndup Kid are other incredibly talented clients we have for PR. As for non-DIMM artists, I’m a huge fan of Heather Grey and Rich People, who are also NJ/Philly based bands.
Looking thru your website (abbyclare.com), you’re incredibly skilled at so many facets – photography, journalism, marketing, etc. Besides music, what other subjects do you typically cover?
Thank you so much! I love cooking! I watch the Food Network religiously, so I love sharing new recipes I come up with. I’m also big into influencer culture; I watch a ton of Youtubers who do clothing hauls and daily vlogs. I love seeing how they’re positively impacting a younger audience of women through their content whether it be body positivity, mental health awareness, or something simple like clothes and makeup. I try to use my blog to post about those topics as well, not just music!
Abby recently started a YouTube channel. You can watch one of her videos here:
Tell me about your creative process! In a nutshell, how do you normally approach a new writing or photo project? What helps get you inspired?
Pinterest is always a great starting point for me! I usually scroll through that and TikTok to get ideas and inspiration for the shoot I want to do. Once I have an idea, I’ll write a list of what I need for the shoot, what day the shoot is, and where/with who. I love using my subjects as inspiration as well. It’s important to me that I capture the energy and personality of whoever I’m shooting with!
In honor of Women’s History Month, what powerful women have inspired you and continue to do so?
There are so many! Natalie Bisignano, who formerly worked at Equal Vision doing Publicity, was a huge mentor for me in college; she’s always willing to talk all things music industry/PR (and Syracuse Basketball) with me. Kate Russell, who does social media for Fearless Records is another hardworking woman in the music industry who has been a great mentor and friend over the past couple of years. And of course, all the hardworking ladies I work with at DIMM like Jill from Pollyanna, Anna from the Vaughn’s, and Alex Lyon (Pollyanna’s photographer), who I’ve learned so much about photography/videography from.
What is your advice to other girls looking to enter the music industry? And what’s your outlook on the industry becoming more diverse and equally opportunistic some day?
Be confident and know your worth!! You deserve to be in this industry just as much as anyone else. Never let anyone tell you that you aren’t capable of something or that you aren’t deserving of an opportunity because of your gender. Surround yourself with other hardworking people who will lift you up because having a support system who you trust is so important! I’m extremely hopeful that post-pandemic, the music industry will be a more inclusive place for woman, especially when it comes to touring positions.
Lastly, let’s leave off on a look into the future! What’s on your horizon? Any exciting projects?
I have a couple of music videos I’ll be doing Behind the Scenes photos for! Other than that, I’m excited to do as many shoots as possible and work on crafting my style as a photographer. We also have a lot of amazing releases coming out from DIMM/DIMM PR in March and April that I’m excited to get to work on!
If you’d like to follow Abby or DIMM Entertainment, travel to the links below!
