New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The contemporary folk sound of Los Angeles based and New England raised singer-songwriter Abby Litman is, among other attributes, thoroughly modern. Thus the contemporary designation for a composer, singer and advocate of the storied Laurel Canyon folk scene in L.A. makes perfect sense, and Abby's sense of how past and present intertwine in song and in life comes through on "Lose Myself," the third single track and video from her forthcoming EP Steady, set to release in February 2024.
Listen to "Lose Myself" from the forthcoming EP Steady - https://soundcloud.com/abbylitman/lose-myself/s-vqWpoAWQ5LJ
"Lose Myself" represents the beginnings of a relationship with someone, the song has a slow tempo, light fluttering piano parts to show the comfort and excitement of being in a new relationship while still questioning if you're going to take the relationship to the next level. There's an easy going feel to the song, the feeling of wanting to be open and not overthink entering a new relationship, which is contrasted with the lyrics, "moving slower than I want, hiding away," being afraid of letting go.
"Sequoia" and "Lose Myself" are classic relationship songs that are about being your own person, and she wrote the songs for Steady for anyone who's gone through a love affair, or maybe just a deep friendship, and needs a voice to remind them how going through these things bring us to somewhere else, and maybe even freedom. Abby has the music and the words, and she's also got the heart.
Americana Highways premiered the single track and accompanying video for "Sequoia" for its release describing the song, "with its artistically wrought melody and lyrics, "Sequoia" is about the joys of being single, with the memory of romance lingering in the background."
Listen and watch the music video for "Sequoia" from the forthcoming EP Steady:
Abby grew up in D.C. adjacent Bethesda, Maryland, and got into Bob Dylan via her father's record collection and his Martin guitar. She listened to Dylan's records and commandeered the guitar, the better to learn the great singer's licks and turns. In high school, Abby was in a process of profound discovery, taking in favorite poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, Joni Mitchell, the exquisitely melancholy songs and brilliant guitar work of Nick Drake.
Read the Bluegrass Situation's interview with Abby Litman - https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/bgs-55-abby-litman/
After graduating from Thornton, where she studied the inner workings of pop music, Abby released her first EP, 2016's Seasons. A believer in the power of community in a music town, she founded Good Folk LA, a series of house concerts in the city that has included performances by Sara Watkins (who plays fiddle on "Sequoia" and takes the song into new levels of complexity) and many others. As Abby says, "I feel like I had something to prove in L.A."
Listen and watch Abby Litman perform "Alright" from her 2022 EP On My Mind - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1aFk9RWl08
Along her journey, she's also written a song for Steady, "This Is Where I Stand," about her experience visiting the concentration camp sites in Poland where her grandparents survived the Holocaust. Political journal Havurah writes, "However, despite being in such an intense place, she struggled with the feeling of not "experiencing it deeply" enough. Litman grappled with the dichotomy of the present and the past, acknowledging, 'I'm aware of everything that happened, but I still find myself trying to make sense of it" on the Holocaust.'" Set in a classic protest-song mode, it shows off the range of singer who can move between Joni and Joan-the personal and the political.
Listen and watch the music video for "Train" from the EP "Still on My Mind" - https://youtu.be/TCLdWdOxtmA
When music works at its highest level, the parts that make up the whole of a singer-songwriter's view of the world come from a tradition that keeps flowing through time. This is certainly the case with Los Angeles-residing guitarist, songwriter, singer and visual artist Abby Litman. The locale of L.A., with its history of innovative folk rock, informs her work. You can hear this in Abby Litman's second single from her forthcoming album Steady, "This Is Where I Stand," released April 18, 2023. Steady-set for release February 2024, with two more singles to follow later this year-builds upon the elegantly turned California pop-folk-rock of Abby's 2023 EP Still on My Mind and the 2022 EP On My Mind.
What you hear on Abby's pair of EPs and the song, "This Is Where I Stand" is the modern sound of Laurel Canyon, and folk rock that draws from the bracingly honest Joni of Court and Spark and The Hissing of Summer Lawns. "This Is Where I Stand," in particular, is about facing history: Abby wrote it as her response to visiting concentration-camp sites in Poland to explore the history of her grandparents, who escaped the Holocaust.
Folk Radio UK had this to say about Abby Litman's 2022 single "Train" - "Acoustically vibrant, lyrically poetic, and calling to mind Joni Mitchell, Abby Litman is a name you will want to remember." In her work, the timeless truths of the American experience, as seen from the vantage point of Los Angeles continue to be told.
Boomero City wrote: "These songs showcase Litman's extensive range, knack for harmony, and penchant for heartfelt storytelling. Her sonically-rich performance accompanies her honest lyrics that mirror her personal anxieties along with any other generation feeling the uncertain truths and dread of finding meaning in the world all while trying to make the most of the uncertainties that life puts on hold."
Catch Abby Litman on Tour:
October 12, 2023-Folk Alliance Far West-Woodland Hills, California
October 13, 2023-Folk Alliance Far West-Woodland Hills, California
October 28, 2023-Good Folk LA Gathering-South Pasadena, California
November 15, 2023-Open Folk LA-Los Angeles, California
November 18, 2023-Good Folk LA Gathering-Los Angeles, California
December 3, 2023-Private Show-Los Angeles City Center, California
December 16, 2023-Good Folk LA Gathering-Los Angeles, California
February 21-25, 2023-Folk Alliance International Conference-Kansas City, Missouri
*with more dates to be announced soon.
