VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Musician: SAVANNAH LYNNE
Music Video: “Melted Candle”
Songwriters: Savannah Lynne (SESAC) and Jackson Nance (BMI)
Video Producer: Ryan Clo and Tennille Melcher
Savannah Lynne is a bright new 17 year old singer-songwriter from Nashville who has been Indie Music Channel’s “Female Country Teen Artist of the Year” for three consecutive years (2012-2015). Her new video, “Melted Candle,” was released in mid-August and already has 167,650 YouTube views. She has a strong and growing fan base of 70,000 worldwide fans, and these fans (The Lynnear Movement) have carried her here and helped shine the spotlight on this wonderful new talent who is filled with enthusiasm and a passion for writing and performing.
Her EP, The Ghost of You, will be released next month, but the first single “Melted Candle” was released today. The song has a strong melody, and the lyrics have powerful imagery—complemented by a wonderful recording production that makes the listener want to sing along. She paints a story with her songwriting, and the well-produced video gives a glimpse into Savannah Lynne’s bright future.
“I’ve been in the music business since I was 8” says Savannah, “playing guitar since 12 or 13. I haven’t released any new music since I was 14. And before that, my previous album was released when I was 12. This new material is amazing. We’re using it to shop for a publishing deal.”
At 14 years old, Savannah Lynne released her first EP, Aloha Nashville—it reflected the leap from Hawaii to the heart of the country music scene. This new EP propels her into mainstream country, where she is poised to do well. Growing up in Hawaii, Savannah was exposed to a wide range of music, but she always gravitated to Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Reba. So after moving to the West Coast and touring for years, Savannah Lynne moved to Nashville—which she says is “home.”
We talked with Savannah Lynne about her songwriting and the journey that has brought her to this exceptional video of her first single “Melted Candle.”
SAVANNAH LYNNE Web-Exclusive Interview
with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David
How did the idea of “Melted Candle” come to you?
I had known Jackson for a while. He and I were sitting in a writing room at Warner/Chappell Nashville and he was noodling around on the guitar. This was our first time writing together. After about an hour of chatting, I brought up an idea that I had in my notebook about a melted candle. I have ideas in my notebook which I carry around with me, or on my phone—I use Google Keep. I heard a story once that talked about being lost and not being able to light a candle once it’s melted, and I thought “well, yeah … you can!” And that’s really how the whole idea started for “Melted Candle.”
What is your creative process for writing songs?
Now that I think about it, every song pretty much has a story within the story of how it was written—whether it was an idea that I thought of in the shower or in the middle of the night or some funky quote that we saw on the wall of our writing room. Sometimes I’ll go to a writing session, and neither I nor the co-writer like the ideas thrown on the table. Instead, we come up with something together.
How do you keep song ideas fresh—and continue to think of new ideas?
I keep them in the refrigerator (Laughs). The new ideas part is easy because they’re all around us every day. It’s the “how do you tell the same story from a new prospective” that’s the challenging part. But that’s also the beauty of co-writing because one of us could come up with the idea, and one of us could come up with the angle.
How has co-writing shaped your music?
Co-writing is my music. I was ten when I first started writing, and it was usually with my dad and another writer. So the thought of writing a song by myself was foreign to me for a long time. All my songs have at least one other writer. On average, most of them have three. I’ve found that strength in numbers really is true when it comes to songwriting.
Tell us one experience where something unique inspired you to write a song.
I was recently sitting in Roger Cook’s kitchen, about to start a writing session with him and my good friend, Bobby Carmichael—when I saw this beautiful hummingbird sitting on a perch outside the window. We had been kicking around ideas for half an hour, so everybody was really focused. And I just blurted out “Oh! I love hummingbirds!” Apparently I had a stupid grin on my face, and either it was a stroke of genius, or nobody could really think of a topic to write about that day. But guess what the name of the song ended up being? And to this day, “Hummingbird” is still one of my favorite songs.
How does where you live (Nashville, Los Angeles) or travel influence your music?
I feel that where I travel influences my music more than where I live. Because when I travel, everything is new and I am so paranoid about getting lost that I notice everything. It’s in those moments, I notice things I may not have noticed when I’m at home where everything is familiar. Living in Nashville, however, has influenced my music more than any other city I’ve lived in—simply because the bar is so high that you have to push yourself higher than you ever thought, just to get noticed. And Nashville is called “Music City” for a reason. I feel that being in the presence of so many talented music creators raises everybody’s game.
What songwriting tip would you like to offer?
Two tips: First, it’s all about the re-writes. I once heard someone say the hits are in the re-writes. And second, never be tied to a line. Just because you think it’s perfect, doesn’t mean it is. Sometimes, if you find you get stuck on a line and you can’t figure out what to write, it’s usually the fault of the line above it. So you have to be willing to ditch any line because it’s the song that comes first.
Who influenced you to pick up the instruments you now play, and how old were you?
The answer to this question is more what than who. When I was eleven years old, one of my first shows playing live was at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California. At the time, I sang live to instrument tracks, and everything was going perfect—until song three, that’s when the CD skipped. And it was so embarrassing. All my friends and family who came out to see me were reminded that I was singing to my own instrument track. I told myself that night that I would learn to play an instrument so it would never happen to me again. The next week, my parents came home with a turquoise blue guitar they bought on Hollywood Boulevard. And from that moment on, I rely on myself—to mess up my own songs. (Laughs)
Who inspired you to write songs?
My Dad was the one who encouraged me to write songs. He would set up songwriting sessions with different songwriters we met through NSAI. He bought me songwriting exercise books. At night, I would listen to the recorded interviews of hit ASCAP songwriters, and I would fall asleep listening to their stories about how some of my favorite songs were written. And I realized their journey was the same as mine, except they started before me.
Tell us about the first time you heard your song on the radio.
The first time I heard “In Disarray” on the radio was when I was fourteen. It’s a song I didn’t write, but they just liked my vocals. They heard me on the internet, maybe MySpace (laughs)—yes, it was that long ago. And the writers had me sing their song. We were emailed by the top Country radio station in Australia that it was going to be played live for the first time. So we found a live stream on the internet, and it was amazing. I think the song actually went to #2 on the Australian charts. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to hear more recent songs on celestial radio here in the States and I always lose my mind every time I hear them on the radio.
Have you either recorded or played live on stage with a musical idol, a well-known musician, or someone you admired?
I just got back from some very successful shows in Texas, where I wrapped up opening for Tyler Farr. It was an awesome experience. In the future, I would love to record or play live with some of my musical idols: Reba, Carrie Underwood or Kelsea Ballerini. I’m at that place in my life that I would love to work with anybody and everybody. I just like being able to connect musically with people. I try to write every day, or at least three or four times a week. I just want to stay creative.
Tell us about winning the Marriott Rewards Card Battle of the Bands—and being the one chosen from 3,000 entries.
It was a very special experience that required all of us to not only showcase our musical skills but also rely on our fans to help us during one stage of the contest. I was blown away by the support that my fans (The Lynnear Movement) had for me.
The Lynnear Movement really came through for you, didn’t they?
They powered me through the Top Ten stage, and I will be forever grateful to each and every one of them. And when all the dust cleared, I had the highest number of fan votes and found myself stuck in a car with my band for 14 hours—heading to Austin. The first night, the top three bands battled it out, and the winner got to open for Tyler Farr the next day. When it was announced that I was the winner, everyone came up to me so quickly that I didn’t even have time to think about what just happened. Before long, I was doing sound check, getting ready to open for Tyler Farr. The people at Chase, Marriott and ReverbNation were so nice and accommodating, and they made the experience a very special moment.
Top 5 Musicians or Songwriters who inspired you to become a musician?
Only five? (Laughs) If I was going be stranded on a deserted island and could only take 5 who inspired me, I would take Taylor Swift, for her ability to connect with the audience through her songs; Brandy Clark, for her brilliant and crafty songwriting; Kelsea Ballerini, for her overall performance and presence; Reba, for her strong personality and sense of humor; and Prince, not for his musicianship (which is out of this world), but for his attention to detail—for always making sure his fans have a unique experience.
What instrument/equipment can you not live without—that helps you write, record or perform?
They say that in every business, it’s the half dozen things that make the most difference. For me, the half dozen things would be my Taylor 914ce. You won’t see me in very many places around Nashville without it. Sitting right next to my guitar, in the case, is my Heil PR 35—that mic captures things in the bottom end that I haven’t found in any other stage mic. And my custom Kyser capos—that have never let me down. I recently added a super cool new mic stand from On-Stage stands that is lightweight and easy to travel with.
Any musicians or songwriters you’d love to work with in the future?
I’d love to tour with Brett Eldredge, although I’m not sure how good my performance would be since I would be staring at him the whole time. (Laughs) I would love to work on something with Kelsea Ballerini. And the songwriters I would love to have a chance to write with would be Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, Ashley Gorley and Maren Morris.
How does SESAC help a songwriter/artist like you?
SESAC was supportive of me even before I became a member. I met Tim Fink and ET [Brown] before I moved to Nashville. They made the transition to Nashville much smoother, and they even helped set up some co-writes with SESAC songwriter of the year, Anthony Smith.
What are your Top 5 favorite albums of all time?
Pet Sounds (1966) – Beach Boys
1989 (2014) – Taylor Swift
Rumours (1977) – Fleetwood Mac
The First Time (2015) – Kelsea Ballerini
Revival (2015) – Selena Gomez
These are my top five go-to albums. I’m always in the mood to listen to them.
Best advice someone has given you.
I was so fortunate to meet Jim Ed Norman on my first trip to Nashville. He told me that if I wanted to make it in this business, I had to be here—because Nashville has a very short memory. The moment I leave, it’s on to the next act. I wanted to prove this was something I was serious about, so I moved here with my family. It’s still the best advice I’ve ever been given.
Best advice you’d like to give.
You’ve got to be passionate about this—because there will be plenty of times when it’s all you’re gonna have. And my bonus advice: you don’t have to get it right the first time—just the last.
Your music video had 167,300 hits within a month of its release on August 19. That’s amazing. You must have a strong fan base. I heard it was 70,000 fans worldwide?
I have a fan club called The Lynnear Movement, they never cease to inspire me on a daily basis. Whether it’s a tweet or a message or a picture, they always remind me that it’s bigger than just me. And as long as I stay true to them, they stay true to me. And the Movement gets bigger and bigger and bigger!
These new recordings must be really exciting for you.
I’ve been in the music business since I was 8—playing guitar since 12 or 13. I haven’t released any new music since I was 14. And before that, my previous album was released when I was 12. This new material is amazing. We’re using it to shop for a publishing deal.
Any radio airplay yet?
We drove down to Indiana and played “Melted Candle” live on the radio. I was in the studio when they played the song on the air. I also played two other songs live on the air on KORN Country 100.3 FM.
What’s next?
I’ve been so busy this past year—amazing how fast it’s flown by. It really is true—time does fly when you’re having fun. I’m finishing up my sophomore album, The Ghost of You, which I’m really proud and excited about. I’m always writing, mainly for myself, but I would love to also write for other artists—and hear them on the radio. Not quite as much as I would love to hear myself on the radio but in this business, you take whatever victories come your way. I’m currently putting together a tour starting at the beginning of next year, and I’m excited to see what is in store for the year ahead.
Where can your new fans get more info and stay updated?
SavannahLynne.com is the best way to stay updated with my music and link to all of my social media
comment closed