The Divine Feminine in LittleFox’s latest single, “VESUVIUS”
Vancouver’s Multi-Instrumentalist Folk Singer-Songwriter LittleFox has a brand new single called “VESUVIUS,” out now.
Alison Jenkins shares,
“I wrote Vesuvius after going down a YouTube rabbit-hole about volcanoes, as one does. I remember being a little kid and reading the National Geographic articles about the eruption of Mount St. Helens. Unimaginable power and destruction.
But I was also grappling with tricky thoughts about honesty, and power. Was it better to always be honest in love and friendship, and risk getting hurt? Not to mention: What does it feel like to be an older woman in a business where youth equals beauty and power?
To be honest, I feel more powerful now than I ever did as a young woman. I know my worth now. I am unflinchingly honest. And sometimes I can only wish that I’d know how much power I could have always had, if I believed in myself harder.
So Vesuvius became a song about honesty, missed opportunities, and female power. Oh, and volcanoes. Which, it turns out, are a really good metaphor for all of those things. Who knew?”
First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Alison, but I create music under the name LittleFox. I was born in Toronto but I’ve lived in Vancouver since I was 14 years old. I’ve been playing in bands for years, but LF is the first one that just plays my songs. I’m also an actor and I teach music at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
“Vesuvius” was supposed to be a funny song about missed opportunities but it kind of got away from me and became more about feeling female power but also frustration as I got older. It starts out as a story about a girl who just wants to tell her crush that she loves him, but the second part is about the divine (and destructive) force of love and anger. I was also watching YouTube videos about volcanos when I was writing it, which is how the Vesuvius metaphor incorporated itself.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
The main thing is, if I have an idea I try to get it down right away, either by jotting notes down on my phone or recording a voice memo. If something’s nagging at me enough to make a note of, it’s usually going to turn into something at some point. My rule is: Make Time, even if it’s just a few minutes.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
My friend John Murphy directed a music video for “Vesuvius” and I’m so proud of it! We used shadow puppets created by Tim Gosley and Sophie Fuldauer and they’re gorgeous. I can’t wait for people to see it. And of course, we’ll be playing as many gigs as possible around Vancouver. You can check out our gig calendar at onelittlefox.com
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
A lot of my shows are in noisy bars, and I’m always thrilled when people start really listening to the band because we’re starting to sound so tasty. Every time we get people singing along or dancing, it’s a win. Audiences are slow to warm up to songs they don’t know, so I’m proud that they find my songs catchy.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
I played a show with Madelyn Read recently and she’s a beautiful singer and songwriter. Plus she’s a Sarah School alumnus so that’s cool too!