Checking In: Abhi the Nomad Maneuvers the Situation

Last ACL Fest, second-weekend-only rappers Abhi the Nomad from Austin and Houston’s Megan Thee Stallion overlapped. Like any self-respecting local, I sheltered in the Tito’s Tent for a Modern Trash reckoning from the kinetic local MC skewering millennial culture. Then I fumbled the mic, leaving early to catch MTS, who never exited her downtown hotel.

Abhi at ACL Fest, Oct. 13, 2019 (Photo by Jana Birchum)

Austin Chronicle: Where are you sheltering and under what circumstances? Who else is there and how’s that going?

Abhi the Nomad: I’m sheltering with my fiancé. We’re currently housesitting at my buddy’s place and taking care of two cats and two dogs (the cats being ours). Having this many animals in our surroundings at all times definitely keeps it interesting, haha. I’m working on a lot of stuff.

AC: At what point did C-19 shut down operations for you, and what went down with the ship, so to speak, both personally & professionally?

ATN: Well, I was in Mexico attending a wedding back in early March and by the time I got back, everything was cancelled, turned off, and shut down. We had several college shows lined up, an album rollout, and a full national tour. I was so excited to get back on the road by the end of year, but we all know how that turned out.

Personally, our lives haven’t been THAT different, seeing as we both work from home, but we are trying to be creative with entertaining ourselves. Lots of games.

AC: As a global culture, people employ music for every purpose imaginable, obviously spanning religion to entertainment and everything in between. What happens to communities like ours when people can no longer access it in person?

ATN: Hopefully, what happens is, people stay creative and maneuver the situation. I’ve seen some people attempting to play drive-in shows and socially-distanced concerts, which is amazing to see. At the same time, I think in-person live music just has to take a backseat.

Music is the heart of this city, but it’s because of all the talented people here, and we don’t want to lose them. Stay home, build a better online following, live-stream a concert, roll with the punches.

AC: Everyone’s had to shift or drastically alter their work situation. What does that look like for you?

ATN: Personally, I’ve been streaming every week on Twitch and Youtube Live, and I think it’s only going to make the stage return that much better. I’ve had a lot of time to work on the most incredible music. Being holed up is a blessing for me.

AC: What’s your soundtrack for the apocalypse and what role does music play for you as a fan and scholar of it in times of hardship?

ATN: I love this question. I think I might just have to have Mars Volta’s Deloused in the Comatorium as my apocalypse OST.

It’s inspiring to see how bigger artists and peers have adapted to the times and are releasing music differently now. It only shows people that you don’t really need to run the whole nine yards to successfully build a catalog. These big names are releasing music that is mixed, recorded, and produced in their bedrooms.

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