Abby Anderson calls just a bit late and the voice, the energy on the other line is just as infectious and just as big as the country singer’s home state of Texas. It’s just a few days after her first gig opening for Grammy winner Rob Thomas on the Matchbox Twenty’s singer’s solo tour, Chip Tooth Smile. The experience of opening up for a pop rocker like Thomas might be lost on some, after all, Anderson, who’s debut single “Make Him Wait” helped her nab a mention on Rolling Stone Magazine’s “10 new country artists you need to know.” 

Her newest track, “Good Lord” is firing its way on the country charts. 

It’s not lost on her. Anderson, 22, credits her “very creative” management and booking team for the opportunity to support Thomas on the more than 44-city tour. Her first show with Thomas, in Red Bank, N.J., had her feeling like a “nervous mess,” but she said the audience welcomed her with open arms. 

Anderson, a former gymnast, spring board diver and 10-meter diver composed herself quickly. 

“I get nervous because I care,” she said. “I always know it’s going to be a great show when I got a bit of the jitters. I always do really deep breaths called diaphragmatic breathing and I just say a little prayer to God to help me remember my purpose. Remember my ‘why.’”

Thomas, a multi Grammy winner for the iconic collaboration with Carlos Santana on “Smooth,” even came out to the crowd to introduce her. The gesture still gives her chills, she said. Thomas and her corresponded via social media prior to actually meeting. 

“I’m a hugger, I was like ‘Rob come over here and give me a hug!’” she said about their first face-to-face. “He’s one of the most genuine people I’ve gotten to meet and I’m thankful I get to learn from a genuine soul like him.

“I listen to Matchbox Twenty records now and I think if those were out today, they may be considered pretty country. Their instrumentation is just very natural, stripped-down, just beautiful. Amazing. Hopefully I put out great music – and great music is great music. This crowd doesn’t care if I’m country or not, my job is to entertain them for the night. That’s my only job.”

The self-described ‘tomboy’ grew up in a family of seven kids. She credits playing youth sports like football (yes, football), gymnastics and diving for giving her discipline and focus. She often thinks back on the days of waking up at 4:30 a.m. for practice, and retuning to the gym after school as a huge sacrifice. 

Anderson says she has an “adventurous spirit like my mama.” She moved to Nashville at age 17, sacrificing her senior year with her friends. 

“Obviously in Texas, country music is everything,” the Dallas- born singer said. “I grew up listening to country’s greatest artists…we were raised on a steady diet of a lot of love and lots of music.”

When asked about her songwriting influences, she quickly names Carole King (“Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “You Make Me Feel,” among many others). But, she’s also quick  to point out it’s not always about her own self-penned tunes that make for a great song. 

“I listened to a lot of Carol King, but I also listened to a lot of Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley – but they didn’t always write their own songs, they cut great music – I’ve learned that  to be an artist, I’m not always going to write the greatest song and I need to know when to record the song that is better than mine for the sake of bringing great music into the world that needs to be heard.”

Anderson co-wrote “Good Lord” with Josh Kerry and Jordan Minton. The sun kissed chorus is a perfect summer tune: Good Lord, you’re a heaven-sent/ Hallelujah, can I get an Amen? /Every long kiss, every slow dance/Got me raisin’ both my hands/Good Lord, I got a good man/ I thank the good Lord/I got a good man.

The recording experience went smoothly and finding the energy and passion in the studio didn’t prove problematic. 

“We wrote this song on the tour bus, on the back of the bus,” she said.  “My producer Josh is brilliant. And that song really did sound like that from the original demo. Any time Josh and I are working together, energy is not a problem. I’m so annoying in the studio and get so excited. He fuels the fire and really amps up the excitement for me. We’re just two kids in a candy shop making music.

“I always tell my co-writers, ‘okay, will this get the crowd going? Can I dance to this? Can I sweat to this? The live performance is the center piece to the music I make.”

Her fans, especially the more than 45K Instagram followers and counting are paramount to her career. She enjoys connecting with them on a daily basis. 

“I never shy away from attention,” she said. “For me specifically, my listeners, my followers are the reason I get to create music. I read every single message they send me. I love fueling that fire and their passion just blows me away every day.”

When she’s not on stage and not in writing mode, Anderson fully admits to being “the biggest foodie.” She and her band have a rule to not eat at any chain restaurants while on tour. 

“I like to think I’m a healthy person, I’m not shy to show off my tummy, I eat pretty much whatever I want. I think I owe it being 22, but I’m always in search of the best taco in whatever city we’re in,” Anderson said.  

For a few more weeks, Anderson will be on the road with Thomas and she’s looking forward to getting back to writing and catching up on some sleep. The experience has her feeling like her writing will have many new experiences to share with her fans. 

“I’m 22 dang it and I’m emotional as crap,” she said. “I got to get all the feelings out. If anything it’s humbling.”

Abby Anderson will be performing at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, FL, opening for Rob Thomas, on July 5th.