Storey Littleton is Bringing Back Lilith Fair and The Art of the Music Video
Storey Littleton is a singer-songwriter with big ambitions of uplifting female artists and providing them with resources and venues to succeed. Her Lilith Scare event is an invention of her and her team that supports charities associated with reproductive rights, immigrants rights, and more.
Where are you from?
I’m from Woodstock, New York.
How has your hometown influenced yourself and your art?
All of my songs are about Woodstock in one way or another. I’m obsessed with where I’m from.
What inspired you to get into music?
Seeing Stevie Nicks play “Silver Springs” at Madison Square Garden when I was twelve and getting a guy’s whole beer spilled on me as I tried to push through the crowd to get a better view.
How would you describe your sound/genre of music?
I hope that my next album is more rock and roll than the last one was.
Who are some of your biggest inspirations for your sound and storytelling?
Three songs that have been really inspiring to me lately are “Greetings from the Sugar Lick” by The Spinanes, “The Worlds a Mess; It’s In My Kiss” by X and “Poor Baby” by Elsa Joiner.
Describe the process of shooting the “Quit It” video. How did this end up as a four year project?
I started working on this video in 2022, with a team of amazing friends led by Rose Reiner, Jacob Maren and Abby Collins. I wound up not putting my album out for another four years, and by the time it was released, the video didn’t feel like me anymore.
That’s when my friend Livia Reiner (we front the band M0NOGAMY together) suggested that we film a new video, where I’d watch the old one and react to how things have changed and stayed the same since then.
The lyrics for “Quit It” read “I’m not free yet, but I’m gonna be someday.” What do these words mean to you?
The lyric “I’m not free yet but I’m gonna be someday” was written from a somewhat naive and hopeful place. When we were filming the video this year, Livia asked me if I felt that the lyric had come true for me yet. Considering that question has become what’s most interesting to me about the song each time I sing it.
What do you hope audiences take away from your debut album “At A Diner”?
I hope that people start a Reddit thread trying to figure out what I was talking about. Just kidding!!!
Tell us a little bit about your Lilith Fair-esque benefit concerts. What inspired you to start organizing them? Why the Lilith Fair theme? Why are these events so important to you?
Lilith Scare is the brainchild of myself, Cally Mansfield and Jojo Sommer. Cally and I have been putting on benefit shows together since we were in high school, fundraising for reproductive rights organizations and immigrants rights organizations.
When the Lilith Fair documentary came out last year, we watched it with our brilliant friend Jojo and all felt super inspired. There’s a fun tradition of Halloween cover shows, so we thought it’d be great to do one for Lilith Fair but it’s grown beyond just Halloween since. We donate all ticket sales and raise extra money through raffles. This year our show is gonna be at Rubulad on October 21. I’ll let Cally and Jojo say a bit more!
CM: We initially started this event because we all had a deep love for the women who played at Lilith fair and wanted to pay tribute to them while also highlighting that there is space for all women to expand upon the legacies of these performers while also showing their own take on the songs.
JS: We all feel like there is a lack of femme spaces in our New York indie scene, and we wanted to create a recurring event where femme artists of different genres could meet each other and perform the work of women they love. As NYC transplants, we also think it’s important to use our energy to organize for those in our community who are in need of aid. This October we will be donating 100% of proceeds to families facing incarcerations or deportation through the NYC-based organization Families For Freedom.
How can music heal people and bring them together?
Can’t say it better than the song “Largo” by Fiona Apple does <3
We love that you donate to different organizations in conjunction with these concerts. Some non profits include: Brooklyn Community Pride Center, the Washbourne House and The Grace Smith House. What made you decide to support these organizations?
My mom has been producing annual Christmas benefit concerts since 2013 with Amy Helm, raising funds for The Washbourne House. It’s the only shelter for survivors of domestic violence in Ulster County, where I grew up. Grace Smith House is nearby in Dutchess County.
They are both incredibly important and vital places in our community. Brooklyn Community Pride Center provides a community space, programming and resources for LGBTQ+ people in Brooklyn, where we live. They’re beloved by the local community and we admire their work so much!
It has been a crazy last few years, and we expect at least three more. How do you stay positive in general about the unknown and motivated as an artist?
The only thing that has been working lately when I get really upset is the Vimeo series “555” by Kate Berlant and John Early.
What can we expect next from you short term in your career?
I’m going to be opening for Ida on tour in October and I’m recording some new music that’ll come out soon.
What is your motto in life?
M0NOGAMY FOREVER ;)
To learn more about Storey Littleton, please check out the links below
Instagram: @storeylittletn
Instagram: @lilithscare
Photography Credit: Daniel Dickerman
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