Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: My name is Savannah Lauryn & I am an 18 year-old singer-songwriter based in the South of Spain, though in a month’s time I shall be moving to Cork to attend the music conservatory there (Cork School of Music), beginning a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Vocals. That’s the plan, anyway! My parents are both musicians (my mother a vocalist and pianist, and my father a producer: both of them music teachers at my former high school), so my home life for as long as I can remember has revolved around the arts. I have vivid memories of my mother getting home from a long night of gigging when I was just wee little, or hearing the tuning of vocals coming from my father’s home studio, or later flitting through photos of me in a cot in the corner of a studio while my parents worked in their indie radio station “Fame Games”. In that sense, my childhood has always been filled with new and exciting creative ventures, and that background has definitely filtered through the passions and drive I have now.
On another note though, I’ve just graduated from high school through the International Baccalaureate program receiving a bilingual diploma in Spanish and English. That multicultural background has very much influenced my artistic inspirations that I’ve drawn from since Spanish music was something I was surrounded by growing up. It didn’t necessarily feed into my songwriting choices, but it did definitely shape me as a person.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Savannah Lauryn”?
A: I’m active on social media, and so I’ve got that part covered. On top of that, I am constantly looking for live music opportunities. However, my favorite thing about creating music and inadvertently the way I’d ideally grow my fanbase is by collaboration, whether that be with other musicians or charities, I want to work with people and for people for good causes. I performed recently at a Little Smiles charity event which supports children facing difficult times, and moreover the performances were very collaborative in nature, and that is what makes me feel like my art is making a difference. My message would be to focus on the heart of the songs which I have written, and the storytelling behind it all.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: My favorite artists are forever changing, and therefore every song I write feels like it pulls from a different pool of material which keeps things interesting for sure. For “A World Spinning” the two biggest influences would’ve had to have been Adrianne Lenker since I’ve always been a huge fan of her solo work and her band Big Thief, however I’d additionally name Mom Jeans since I referenced “Scott Pilgrim vs. My GPA” for the more midwest emo vibe of the song. I find inspiration wherever my heart is at that moment, but usually my favorite songs are written as studies. In this case, “A World Spinning” was created for a high school assignment. “Something New In The Old”, a song from my first album “THE DEMOS” (2024) was an exploration of drop tunings, and so on and so forth.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “A World Spinning.”?
A: “A World Spinning” was a song I had written for the sole purpose of recording it with the help of my peers for one of my final assessments in my senior year music class. The song itself however speaks to the period of change that was rapidly approaching me (the end of high school) through the lens of a fictional relationship. The lyrics describe a longing for the partner: “I didn’t ask for your call, but I prayed it would come”, “everything I have been or will be, I’ll give it all to you”. But moreover, the song also contains a deeper context of feeling displaced: “woke up on the ceiling, looked down at the floor, consumed by the feeling and waiting for more”, “I wish I could grab at the world to stop it spinning ’round”. I suppose an ode to leaving someone or something behind.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Pondering.
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “A World Spinning”?
A: It was my first time ever recording live instruments other than guitar and vocals, and so that came with it’s own set of challenges and new skills that I had to learn, such as mic-ing a drum kit and learning to mix the individual toms, cymbals, overheads (etc). All of the production in the songs I release is done by me, and so I treat every song as a learning experience, always looking to improve my skill set there.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: It truly is different for each song I write, but the general motif for my creations is to let the listener stew in their feelings. I put on songs to process my own emotions, and it is the same with writing them. I suppose that is my goal: to connect with people in that way, to story tell, and through that storytelling allow the listener to feel those feelings we push down, or the ones that bubble to the surface. To process when real life isn’t letting you.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Talk about a hard question! I’d love to do something with Adrianne Lenker perhaps, or Jeff Buckley, or The Police (my favorite band). I could name 100 others if you have the time! But more than that, I yearn to meet a musician of my style in my time who I could collaborate with on a long term basis. Think Mitchell and Nash, or Dylan and Baez.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Collaboration is key. The most important skill as a musician is to not only be skilled enough to work with other people in the same field, but be someone that others will want to work with. All of a sudden, you’re the first person someone thinks of for an opportunity (gig, session work, or otherwise).
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way! It’s worth every second of hard work.
