Abby Litman

Abby Litman’s music flows through time and pays respect to tradition and contemporary songwriting simultaneously. You can hear the backdrop of Abby’s adopted hometown, Los Angeles, and its storied folklore that come from the music through the Laurel Canyon sound of Joni Mitchell, Judee Sill and many others. The Maryland-born singer-songwriter, visual artist and curator of Good Folk LA, a series of house show gatherings around the sprawling city, that Abby has made into an institution that honors fresh, new songwriters on the scene. The graduate of the Thornton School of Music creates elegantly turned California pop songs on Steady, (out February 9, 2024). It’s the latest installment of Abby Litman’s classically constructed song composition and stellar production and fruitful collaboration with producer Tyler Chester.

Steady’s continuation of Abby Litman’s journey includes the love song to her singular self, “Sequoia,” featuring Sara Watkins, and “Lose Myself,” both of which have gained praise from radio hosts and critics alike including Music Mecca writing “with her delicate sound and poignant lyrics, Litman is a positive force in the modern folk world, and “Lose Myself” is the latest example.” 

She wrote the new EP’s contribution to modern folk, “This Is Where I Stand,” about visiting the Polish site of the concentration camp where her grandparents survived the Holocaust. Both personal and concerned with universal issues, Abby’s music is at the forefront of folk today. “Acoustically vibrant, lyrically poetic, and calling to mind Joni Mitchell, Abby Litman is a name you will want to keep on your radar,” as Folk Radio UK has praised the music, and it fits. “This Is Where I Stand” shows off Abby’s range as a songwriter on a song that’s never been more timely. 

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. Millay, Joni Mitchell, and the exquisitely melancholy songs and brilliant guitar work of Nick Drake.

After graduating from Thornton, where she studied the inner workings of pop music, Abby released her first EP, 2016’s Seasons. A pair of EPs, 2022’s On My Mind and 2023’s Still on My Mind, that brilliantly update the Ladies of the Canyon, California sound. A believer in the power of community in a music town, she founded Good Folk LA, that has included performances by Sara Watkins (who plays fiddle on “Sequoia” and takes the song into new level of complexity) and many others including, Trousdale, Rett Madison, Her Crooked Heart, Humbird, Courtney Hartman, and Adam Levy. As Abby says, “I feel like I had something to prove in Los Angeles.

Steady opens the door to Abby’s latest music, with confidence and newfound honesty. As Ear to the Ground has noted, “If you’re into folk music and thoughtful words, this is for you.” Along with her long-time advocacy for fellow singer-songwriters via Good Folk LA, her music comes from the L.A. sensibility while remaining universal. With her ability to channel the intricate twists of the ‘70s folk style, Abby creates something new under the sun. She wrote the songs on 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 brings us to somewhere else, and maybe even freedom. Abby has the music and the words, and she’s also got the heart.

Along with the upcoming spring 2024 tour supporting Steady – Abby Litman is at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, February 21-25, 2024 performing her new music well as hosting the Good Folk LA x Bluegrass Situation Private Artist Showcase Room.