As the genre of bedroom pop continues to build momentum, Savanna Leigh sets herself apart through her compelling vulnerability. Leave it to this 23-year-old Florida native to sing candidly about growing pains, adjusting to a new city, and losing touch with one's inner child. Savanna is kicking off 2024 with the double drop of "Unfamiliar" and "Like I Used To," two songs which take a more self-reflective direction than much of her previous work. Additionally, Savanna shares powerful moments from her childhood in the music video of "Like I Used To." In her current era of music, Savanna vividly characterizes her own thoughts, as opposed to concretely describing an experience. The lyrics of "Unfamiliar" and "Like I Used To" read like unfiltered, emotionally dense journal entries, in which she removes her rose-colored glasses and encourages listeners to do the same.
Ahead of the songs' release, Playlists & Polaroids got the chance to catch up with Savanna, and she truly held nothing back. We loved hearing her raw, inspiring perspective as we learned more about "Unfamiliar," "Like I Used To," and her overall artistic journey. Keep reading for our full interview with her!
Image credit: Acacia Evans, graphic created by Karly Ramnani
YOU'LL LOVE SAVANNA LEIGH IF YOU LISTEN TO: Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzy McAlpine, Sadie Jean, Olivia Rodrigo, Lexi Jayde, Madison Beer, Devon Gabriella, Lennon Stella, Holly Humberstone
How did you first get into music, and at what point did you know that this is what you wanted to do professionally?
I come from a super musical family - my grandma owned and ran an acting and performing company out of Georgia. So I was doing plays and different performances when I was really young. And then my dad was a touring country artist. Back when I was really little, he was coming between Nashville and Florida, where I grew up, for most of my childhood. I think that was where it all clicked for me. I started singing when I was able to talk, honestly. So it's definitely been something I've known that I wanted to do for a really long time. I don't think there was another job that piqued my interest, ever. But professionally, I was able to start that process when I was 19. In 2018, I moved to Nashville, but I would say [I started] my career as a solo artist, pursuing the pop genre, in 2019.
Other than your dad, what artists did you grow up listening to, and who's on your playlist right now? How do all of these names influence your craft?
I grew up listening to super old country, that was [what influenced me] when I was really young. So Carrie Underwood and Shania Twain, and then big voices like Kelly Clarkson and Adele when I was in middle school and early high school. Now, I really love a lot of genres of music. Florida is a super diverse place, especially the area that I lived in, so there’s just a lot of different genres being played all the time. I’d say Gracie Abrams is one of my bigger inspirations, and Holly Humberstone. Lennon Stella was also one of the first artists that I'd heard in the pop space that I was really inspired by. I also listened to a lot of R&B, like Daniel Caesar and Frank Ocean. Alternative music too - probably middle or high school, I started really enjoying alternative music bands and things like that.
I know you talked about this a little bit in “Unfamiliar,” but what attracted you to Nashville as an artistic home base? How would you compare living in Nashville to living in Florida - both as an artist and in general?
I think I knew growing up that it was either going to be Nashville or LA. But I always felt more connected to Nashville, just because I would come here so much as a kid when my dad was here, and then I’d go back to Florida for school. It was like that home away from home type of thing for a really long time. And so I always felt more comfortable in Nashville, versus LA. I definitely knew I needed to be in a music city of some kind. I think Florida is still home, and I think it feels like that still. I think that’s one of the bigger things that inspired “Unfamiliar” - I’ve been here for a few years now, it's been about five years, and I still don't really feel super connected to Nashville in that same way. I definitely enjoy my time here, and I do think that the longer I'm here, the more community I seem to find. I enjoy it, but it doesn't always feel super calm. It just feels like where I work, and I think a lot of that is [because] my family and friends are still back in Florida, like the people I grew up with. It's a very different environment.
If I had a chance to have two apartments or something, I’d love to have an apartment in Florida and then keep my place in Nashville. That would be an ideal situation, but for now I just travel back as much as I can - whenever I need a mental break, or want to see people, or feel reconnected to myself and that part of my life. But yeah, work wise, Nashville is definitely the place I think I want to stay for sure.
"Unfamiliar" talks a lot about what isn't home and what is new territory for you, but in your other songs, like "Locked In July" and "Hanging On A Dream," you talk about what is very familiar to you. I remember you've shared on Instagram that "Locked In July" is a song that reminded you of home. How did it feel going in a new direction with your songwriting?
I definitely think this is a new direction for me - in the sense of maybe touching on the things about my current life in Nashville that are a little bit more vulnerable, I guess. Florida is a big part of my branding, and I think a lot of people know that's where I'm from. I talk about it a lot in my songs. "Locked In July" was one of those songs [about] a relationship that was a big part of my life, but it was also based in Florida. [It covered] the person that I met and dated when I was in Florida, so I just wanted that to radiate through the music and the visuals for it, so that people understood that concept.
But yeah, I definitely haven't talked a lot about Nashville. To some degree, I think people in Nashville don't talk very much about those things with me. When we're in sessions or meeting new people in the community, a lot of people are either from here or they're just super happy here. So to be that person that's like, "Yeah, I'm here for work, but I wish I could go home and live there full time, sometimes," can be a nerve wracking thing. But I just want to be as honest as possible in my music, and show people that you can still enjoy where you live, but [feel] like you're sacrificing a lot to be [there] for work and for your passions. Moving to Nashville definitely was a sacrifice in that area, so I don't want to shy away from that.
I love the layered vocals and production choices in "Unfamiliar." Could you walk us through these creative choices in the song?
We wrote "Unfamiliar" pretty quickly. It was me and my collaborator John, Arlo, and their roommate. So they naturally have chemistry, just because they live together. It was my first time writing with Arlo. I feel like we just came up with the song super fast. Maybe it was just one of those days, where creativity was flowing in a way that made it a lot easier than I thought it would be. But when I first wrote it, I definitely was challenged vocally, with the different melodies, and how much it jumps from like a lower register to a higher register. So when I was recording, I intentionally put myself in a place where I was thinking about the lyrics and why I wrote them. Because we ended up recording the version that is coming out, like, a few months to a year like after we'd written the song. So I definitely still resonated with the song, but I wanted to get myself in that headspace that I was in when I wrote it, so that it would come through on the track.I spent some time thinking about it before I went in that day.
And then John, the producer, made it a really comfortable environment where it was just me and him. I was able to redo the vocals as many times as I needed. Sometimes, I can be a perfectionist when it comes to doing vocals, and making sure that they match what I was trying to do. I definitely wanted it to be a softer approach, and feel more vulnerable than it would have if I was singing loud or belting.
Switching gears to "Like I Used To" - this is a song that can resonate universally. How do you write in such a way that so many people can see themselves in your lyrics?
"Like I Used To" was a special one. I definitely think it's full of imagery, especially in the verses. It puts you, as the listener, in a time and a place type of idea. That's something I want to do more. Doing that was weird at first, because it's not how I normally approach things right away. But the co-writers that were in the room with me started it off as that storytelling perspective - [where you] talk about yourself, but from a different point of view. Which was fun, but definitely challenging.
One part of the second verse stood out to me, where you described how you could trust so freely when you were younger. And you could literally sing like nobody was there, but now it's harder to ignore that many people are listening to you. How have you navigated that aspect of your life as you've gotten older, as you put yourself out there on the internet?
I definitely think [that] when I was younger, I was more carefree in certain areas. I'm pretty confident in who I am, and I feel like I've been like that most of my life. But there's definitely been periods as I've gotten older, especially with being somebody who is active on socials, [which I have] to be for my job. It makes you think about things differently, and you're not feeling like you have this privateness to your life anymore. I definitely try to find ways to keep privacy to some degree, so I don't feel like I've completely lost that. But you have to be intentional, [you need] to make sure that you have some things for yourself that are private, when you're an artist and you're marketing yourself online constantly. I do think being a person that's pursuing a public image for your career [makes] you think more about things, and it kind of makes you have this wall. You're seeing things in a different lens, and I just wanted to touch on that in this song. Because my fear at the time when I was writing it [was] just losing who I am to this process of trying to do music, and make it as an artist. I don't think I'll ever fully lose that person, but I'm not as in touch with [that part of me] as I would like to be.
I definitely think that imposter syndrome is something I've struggled with more as the years have gone on. But [sometimes] I definitely try to take a step back, maybe just pull off social media for a little bit. I still am active on it, but I won't like aimlessly scroll or look at other artists. I try to do things that are more tailored towards boosting my own creativity, whether that's journaling, or going home to Florida and being by the water. Just taking a step back, and getting in tune with myself, because I think everyone's unique just due to the fact that you're your own person. And you're the only person creating the things that you're creating. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that, so you just have to spend time with yourself and your art and try not to compare yourself [to others], even though I will say it's very hard.
How did you conceptualize the "Like I Used To" music video and what were your favorite parts of filming it?
The video was conceptualized by me and my manager, and then also the creative team that we have. It was a group effort for sure. I really wanted that song to have home videos playing in the background. I think I was really inspired by "Older Than I Am" music video, by Lennon Stella, but also just knowing that the song was talking about a younger, past version of me. I wanted to showcase that in a more intimate way. I mean, it was a lot of work. I definitely went through thousands of videos, cropped parts from my childhood into it, and made it into this little movie so that the team could take it from there. They came up with a lot of the shots, ideas, and lighting, and the outfits [were] done by the stylist. It was definitely a group effort, but the concept of the home videos was from me. That was just based off the storytelling of the song, to mimic it in the visual.
In "Like I Used To," you sing about wishing you could be an unapologetic version of yourself. What would the most unapologetic version of yourself ideally look like, at this point in your life and at your current age?
I definitely think it's something I'm constantly working towards. I think being self-aware is very important. Something that I'm really passionate about is just learning about who I am and what makes me, me. My personality type and attachment styles and all those things have piqued my interest, just because I always want to make sure that I'm trying to be the best version of myself. I think there's a lot of things that that happen in life, that can alter someone's personality - whether it's childhood issues or different things you've been through. I always want to stay in tune with myself and with those things, so that I can be an unapologetic version of me.
I think when you're younger, you're naturally like that, because you don't have a lot of life experience and you don't have that natural guard up. I definitely think that's a learned thing, [based on] whatever you've experienced. I know as an adult I can't forget about those things and I can't unlearn them; I can't change what I've experienced and I think that goes for any person. Sometimes, coming to terms with that is hard, so I think it's more of just accepting who you are now as an adult. Like looking back on your experiences [and not thinking] "I want to be this person again," but maybe like, "This is a moment in time and I see that. I love and respect that version of me and I may never be exactly that person again, but I can definitely be a better version, and just find peace in it."
So [instead of] trying to be like who I was when I was younger, I'm [taking] parts of that person that were healthy, and then bringing [that] into the person I am now, to just keep healing and learning and growing. To me, that would be the most unapologetic version of myself - someone who just can be fully me, and not really worry about anything else, like what other people think. I definitely care about what my friends and my close family think - you know, my inner circle - but I try to remember that people are people, and you can't please everyone. That's definitely something that I've always thought, but I think in this industry it gets a little hard to think like that, so I'm just trying to keep being who I am and the rest will work itself out.
What are your thoughts on using TikTok as a way to grow your fanbase?
TikTok is definitely a helpful platform, in the sense of discovery as an artist and finding music that you never would have found otherwise. But I do think it can be difficult in certain areas. It's one of those platforms that's grown immensely in the past couple years, and I think it has turned into a really big source of where people find music now. I think that that's a good thing, [but] occasionally a bad thing because there are some artists and people that write music based off trying to be viral on TikTok. Which I think completely ruins the idea of art and songwriting in general. I think [as long as you] try to stay true to your art and what you want to say, don't worry too much about If it's gonna be viral or not. It's super important to just be a genuine artist. I definitely can understand the pressure of that and why people do it - but I definitely think it's important to not just write for virality.
I'm also super excited to hear the EP that you're putting out later this year! What are some ways that you continue to explore your artistry in it? What can fans expect of your new era?
I definitely think this project is a little bit more personal than anything I've put out before. I think people can expect to be thinking about their own perspectives in life a little bit more [after listening to it]. There's just a lot of self-discovery and self reflection, but through the lens of a relationship. I think I went through a lot of different emotions last year, and a lot of life changes. I'm 23, but I was definitely experiencing a lot of different things over the course of a few years. So it's a project [that covers] what I discovered about myself in that time - whether that was through a partner, or a friendship, or family differences and family changes. Just like a lot of early twenties type of topics, but I definitely think I spent a lot of time writing about my experience in those things. [I didn't] really flip the narrative to being about the other person, or [make] it like a normal, typical breakup song that I've done before, where I'm reminiscing on our relationship and romanticizing it. It's a lot more about the realities of what the relationship truly was. I'm looking at myself, what I was holding on to during that time, and why I was holding on to it, whether it was a healthy thing or not. I'm just admitting my own experience in it. I don't think that you hear a lot of pop songs about relationships where the person is taking responsibility for their part in it, but this project's definitely a lot more introspective in that way.
It's definitely not just about relationships, it's a lot more about me - which makes me very uncomfortable, but it is what I wanted to do, I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, and I wanted to update people on where I am now as a person, as a young adult, and also where I am with that relationship that I have written about in so many of my songs. It's a reoccurring theme but with a different ending this time.
Finally, the P&P classic! What’s a lyric from each of your songs - “Unfamiliar” and “Like I Used To” - that stands out to you? Walk us through the process of yourself writing it, and how does it speak to you personally?
For "Unfamiliar," I think my favorite lyrics are "I can't smell the salt in the air when I breathe in / I'm still not used to the changing of seasons" and "I chose to come here, but what was the reason?" The way it speaks to me now, and what it means to me, and what it meant to me at the time was kind of what we were saying earlier. It's the idea of [making] a sacrifice and a choice to pursue your dreams. I obviously chose to come to Nashville to do music, but I think sometimes when [I'm] feeling alone or looking back on [the] experience, sometimes I get trapped in that negative headspace. I'm starting to see a lot more negatives than positives, and I think at the time, that's how I was feeling. That's why I was like, "I chose to come here, but like, why?" Sometimes you just forget that the midst of all the craziness. Mentioning salt in the air was a reference back to Florida, of course. And I [was] not used to the winter, snow, or changing of seasons. I was just used to what I [was] familiar with, and like none of this feels that way.
My favorite line of "Like I Used To" is probably "I used to sing out loud before I knew they would listen, and I used to dance around before I cared about rhythm." Those lines were written in the room with everybody, but I remember the co-writer that was there in the room, her name's Kiana, she wrote the first line about the singing out loud before I knew they would listen. Then my brain instantly thought about the next line, which was the dancing around before I cared about rhythm. Those lines are still so true to me now, and I just think it is a way of just talking about what I think every person experiences, which is growing up, getting older, having things happen, and experiences [that] change your views. I think [I had] that childlike innocence, [but] now I just care about everything very deeply, and I take everything really seriously in this career. Sometimes, you can lose that spontaneity and fun energy [to the career of] an artist. I'm always trying to find my way back to that.
Aided by an intimate creative environment, symbolic choices in terms of vocals and production, and a passion for singing her truth, Savanna is setting powerful precedents in the music industry. She's already establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with in the indie pop scene, and we have a feeling that she'll become a household name pretty soon. Hopefully, by now we've inspired you to dive deeper into her world - so while we wait for that EP to come out, get to know her discography better with this playlist we've curated!