Pivot Back To Center with Daisy Abercorn

The year 2020 presented the world with the extraordinary curveball following the global panic sourced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses and services all over the United States chose to close their doors to flatten the infection rate curve. This action left millions of professions without work, including musicians like the frontwoman of the Lafayette rock band, Abercorn, Daisy Abercorn. With venues closed and music events canceled, Abercorn decided to enter a temporary hiatus, which left Daisy at the beginning of a new personal journey and the crossroads for many decisions, including the possibility of changing careers altogether. I was able to sit down with Daisy, via ZOOM, and discuss her personal experience throughout the pandemic.

 Daisy began by saying, “The last two months of my life has been a really crazy time period but kind of needed.”, she goes on to explain further that the unforeseen circumstances became a positive catalyst for self-reflection and helped bring her back to her much loved yoga practice.

 “When the pandemic hit, I was like, “I want to help, but I don’t know what to do.” So I started doing these video blogs following my journey. I’m actually taking a yoga instructor course to help deepen my understanding.”

 When asked if she was pursuing the avenue of being a yoga instructor, Daisy explained that before the pandemic happened, Abercorn was ” kicking ass and taking names,” due to the release of their first album and revving up for their next big show. But, with the arrival of COVID-19, everything was put to an immediate halt, and without knowing when things would return to normal, it became impossible to book shows. 

 Many musicians made the shift to promoting their work virtually on such platforms as Facebook and Instagram. Daisy notes that she immediately felt overwhelmed by the social media explosion of live performances. This overwhelming sensation influenced the decision to skip jumping into the saturated method of social media promotion and placed the band on a temporary hiatus. 

 Feeling down and out, she turned to a yoga instructor course as a way to make ends meet and have something to keep her focused. Although she progressed greatly in her practice, as time went on, Daisy came to the firm realization that pursuing her music with Abercorn was still the most important route to take in her life. However, her yoga practice became the motivation that kept her moving forward during a time of uncertainty. 

In isolation, Daisy mentions how she came to terms with how she may have been being less loyal to herself than she would like. “I’ve realized that today, I can be a musician, and tomorrow I can be a Yogi. I can decide every day who I am. I can choose to change.” She goes on to explain that she is undergoing many changes to continue on that path of being true to herself. 

 One major change for Abercorn is the farewell to a beloved member who also was undergoing tremendous change and has decided to pursue their art. “I have known for about six months that it was time for him to quit and follow his dreams, but I wasn’t ready to let him go. When he did try to leave, I wouldn’t let him go. But as I went through my transformation, I was like, “If anyone is going to be in this band, it has to be because they want this band. We had a practice last week, and he came to me and said he needs to quit, and I said, “Yes, you do. You need to go to pursue your dream.” Although they still haven’t had a full practice, Daisy says, the band is becoming more concise and are more focused on having members that want to make the band’s success a reality. ” I have faith that the remaining four members are going to come together to make something beautiful. ”

Daisy Abercorn is a powerhouse. The way she gracefully confronts truth is inspiring. Her future is bright. We can only assume that with the fresh perspective she has tapped into, that the content she and Abercorn will be releasing in the future is sure to be nothing less than phenomenal. 

Sometimes, no matter how far you pivot away from your initial course, you might end up right where you need to be.