Nashville native Savannah Conleywas born into a musical family; her mom a background singer and her dad a busy touring and studio musician. She released an ep independently in 2017, the year after receiving the John Lennon singer-songwriter award. Grammy winning producer Dave Cobb took notice, signed her to his Elektra Records imprint Low Country Sound and they released Twenty-Twenty her major label debut in 2018 when she was just 21 years old. Savannah’s been in the studio working on her next project and has released one song called, “Never Want To Be In Love” with another coming next week.
AnaLee: “Never Want To Be In Love” is your new single and while I’m still hearing your indie folk side in this song, it feels like you’re stretching out a bit and reaching into a more alternative pop realm. Tell us about writing and recording these new songs.
Savannah: Yeah, it’s definitely a little bit of a shift from what we were doing, but it felt very natural. The production of these songs just seemed to fit the way I was writing at the time. I hope to always be growing in that way.
AnaLee: Is there a new album or ep on the horizon?
Savannah: There’s a group of around six songs that we’ve been sitting on for a while that will build up to an EP as we trickle them out. I’m stoked for it!
AnaLee: You packed a lot into the three years following your self-released debut ep, 18th & Portland. I am fairly confident in saying a pandemic wasn’t in your plans when you started working on these new songs. How, if at all, has all of this downtime influenced your process for writing and recording these songs?
Savannah: Oh, it has impacted it greatly!! I feel like I’m seeing a lot of people on social media saying that this is the most productive they’ve ever been, or they’re finding themselves, etc. That is so great, and I am happy for them, but it has definitely not been that way for me. I am the most prolific when I’m busy. If there’s no time, that’s when I’m the most inspired. Not the most efficient trend by any means, but I’ve always been that way. Since the world has kind of pressed pause, it has been hard for me to get out of the funk that comes along with that. I’ve written a few I’m happy with, though.
AnaLee: The black and white acoustic video of “Never Want To Be In Love” beautifully showcases the mournful feel of this song. Thanks for sharing it with WMOT and for chatting with me today!
Savannah: Thank you so much Ana Lee!! You have been such a great presence since the beginning of this for me! Your support always means so much. Thank you, thank you.
Ana Lee is on middays at WMOT, and is also the host of The Local Brew Hour, which airs Sundays at 7am and Mondays at 7pm on 89.5 WMOT and wmot.org.