Musician Abby Nissenbaum Talks About “If You Wanted to You Would” And Teases Third EP

An artist that you need to know!

When not advocating for important social issues and working on a video game, Abby Nissenbaum is serenading us with her incredible music. If you haven’t listened to her songs just yet, her newest single “If You Wanted to You Would” is the perfect place to start.

We had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Abby about LGBTQ+ representation in the music industry, her 2026 New Year’s resolution, and more!

Congratulations on your newest single ‘If You Wanted to You Would’! Can you walk up through how it came to be?

A: “Thank you! I was really inspired by artists like Lesley Gore and wanted to create a torch song with a more modern air to it, which is how the song came about. The eponymous line, “if you wanted to, you would” felt like an emotionally authoritative lyric to build the song around… it still has an element of pining that fits into the torch song category, but it’s also strangely freeing. If someone wants to treat you well, they will, and if not, then you acknowledge that and can move forward from there.”

What’s a song in your discography that you would say best represents yourself as an artist?

A: “Probably “Perfect Crime.” It contains some of the best melodies and vocal riffs I’ve written, and I think the lyrics represent self-empowerment.”

Are there any improvements in terms of  LGBTQ+ representation that you want to see in the music industry?

A: “I do wish LGBTQ+ musicians weren’t treated as a monolith or a passing fad. Sometimes I’ll see comments expressing sentiments like, “enough with the LGBTQ music” or “there are too many queer artists now,” but I’ve never heard the same said of heterosexual musicians. We need varied and sustained representation within the LGBTQ music industry, and besides, music has always been informed and created by queer people (whether it was known to the audience or not)!”

Your advocacy efforts pour into everything all of your work, whether it’s your music or your video game projects. What is some advice you can give to others who are passionate about certain issues and want to help others?

A: “Learn as much as you can about the topic and work with organizations in your community who are “boots on the ground” and informed about what is needed here and now. I have a graduate research background in LGBTQ and gender-based violence prevention, but now that I’ve moved away from the academic research enterprise, I realize I’m not necessarily as informed on a day-to-day basis as I once was. Getting tuned in to local advocacy groups is helpful because they know what’s going on politically (e.g., new bills or proposals to support or rally against) as well as socially (i.e., what the community needs). As an artist, you can help amplify or engage from there.”

Most of our New Year’s Resolutions have already been broken by now, but we can at least set some intentions for 2026. Do you have any intentions for this year that you want to follow through with?

A: “My intention was to write a new EP, and by the end of January (actually the last day in the month as I’m writing this), I’m happy to report that it’s been written! I’ve already recorded 2 songs and will be recording through probably April or May.”

You recently revealed on social media that you are working on your third EP. Can you tease what fans can expect from it?

A: “This EP is a little more commercial-ready, and I think it represents my strongest writing both melodically and lyrically. Vibe-wise, I have one song that leans a little more Americana, but overall, I think the songs have the singer-songwriter style you’d expect from me… maybe a little more jazzy because I’ve been writing on the bass.”

Make sure to stream “If You Wanted to You Would”, available now on all music platforms!

Je’Kayla Crawford– Founder and Director– Je’Kayla has been a journalist for years and decided to start a publication of her own, New Scene Magazine, back in October 2020. When not helping her team and working on their print issues, you can find her watching a movie on Netflix or baking using a viral TikTok recipe.