If you love the sound of the Dobro, that sweet, sweeping, sliding tone and its melodic fluency, then the hugely talented Abbie Gardner is essential listening. Her flawless technique and tuneful expressiveness bring the best out of her instrument, and it’s all the more impressive that she can so captivate an audience with just her voice and the guitar. The sparseness of the instrumentation simply highlights the beauty of Gardner’s Dobro-playing and draws attention to her clear, heartfelt vocal performance.
Here is a gorgeous rendition of her song See You Again, which featured on her last full studio album, Dobrosinger. Gardner’s lead playing is utterly absorbing, especially over the course of the final minute of the song when she delivers a remarkable solo, traversing up and down the neck, notes tumbling and shimmering and vibrating. Watching Gardner play the Dobro, in complex movements and intricate patterns with her melody bending and twisting, is hypnotic. Meanwhile, Gardner’s voice is sweetly sincere, and her stories unfold through her pure, earnest tones.
Gardner’s last album received a glorious 9/10 review here on AUK. Recently, Gardner was a showcase artist at the 2026 International Folk Alliance Conference, having been nominated for Artist of the Year. Last year, she was also a Kerrville New Folk Finalist. A former member of harmony group Red Molly, with which she released seven records, Gardner has shared her slide skills with a number of collaborators over the years, including Chris Stapleton and David Olney. Check out her website here for lessons on how to play Dobro. Currently, Gardner is developing new material, looking ahead to a new album in the near future. In the meantime, sit back and absorb the brilliantly intricate See You Again – it’s a song that aches with beauty.
