Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your musical journey and background?
My name is Savanna Woods and I’m a singer-songwriter based out of Stanwood, WA, a small country town outside of Seattle. My Dad is a singer, songwriter and performer who got me involved with music right out of the gate, singing with him and two of my sisters growing up. Music has always been a very integral part of my life. I wrote my first song when I was just three years old and started performing around six. Growing up, I would sing at my church, talent shows, choirs, musicals, and anything else I could do that involved singing. I even went to FFA (Future Farmers of America) state and national competitions for singing! When I look back at my upbringing, there wasn’t a time when music wasn’t a foundational part of my life.
I started my first gigging band around the age of 20 and have been in many bands since then, evolving musically and also within the business side of the music industry. I am now a full time musician/performer and am very proud of how far I’ve come!
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound and style?
This is an interesting question for me and always sort of hard to answer since I didn’t listen to much music while growing up. I listen more to audiobooks and podcasts, even as a child. Growing up I mostly just listened to music secondhand… My mother listened to artists like Norah Jones, Melissa Ethridge, Dido, Brandi Carlile, and the Violent Femms, while my Dad listened to more the style of old standards. Although I didn’t listen to much music, the songs that I did end up learning to sing were songs that were suggested to me by my parents or music teachers. They would tell me songs that they thought I would sound good singing and I would try it out.
Since I didn’t gain my writing or singing inspiration from any musicians or specific bands, this allowed me to discover my own sound and truly find my own voice, without trying to replicate anyone else.
Can you share a specific artist or album that has had a significant impact on your music?
Although I didn’t listen to music growing up, I have started discovering music that I want to listen to in the past few years. I find inspiration in almost anything that I listen to, but I suppose I am currently influenced the most by the sounds of Brandi Carlile and Willie Nelson. Brandi has a wonderful an unique voice that I love, while Willie has a style that has me forever nostalgic in the best way. I love, and am very inspired by that old, classic country folk. Simple and true music.
What’s your creative process like when you’re composing or writing a new song?
I feel that the best/most impactful songs are the ones that just pour out of me and are directly an expression of the strong emotions that I’m feeling at that moment, though there isn’t one way that this happens.
I approach every song differently. Each song seems to have a life of its own, and it is my job to find the best way to allow each song to be born into this world, from feelings to melody.
Sometimes, a song will just pour right out of me in a matter of minutes.
Other times, I start with poetry and match that to a melody.
Sometimes, I find a chord progression on the guitar or piano first, and then the melody comes.
Other times, I write one little chunk of a song, and it sits for a year before it finds its missing pieces.
Writing a song is very much like a puzzle. Sometimes, you start with the corners; sometimes, you start in the middle. There is no ‘right way’ to put together a puzzle!
I keep an ongoing note in my phone for lyric ideas, which is helpful to finish missing lines in songs or to get inspiration for entire songs. I write down things that catch my ear in conversation or lines that pop into my mind throughout the day. I also use the voice memos app on my phone a lot — if a melody dances through my mind, I can capture it before it’s gone. You always think you’ll remember something later, similar to a dream once you wake up, but after a while, it disappears into the abyss.
Among all the songs you’ve created, do you have a personal favorite? If so, what makes it special to you?
That’s a hard question to answer… My favorite song is usually the song I’m writing at the moment. When I first write a song I will listen to it over and over again every day, because it feels so emotionally relevant and is a fresh new creation. I just love new songs so much, they light me up and seem to close a cycle of energy. I write music to process things I have going on inside, and then to listen to the song I’ve created, it really helps to finish the processing of the emotions.
Can you share the story or inspiration behind that particular song?
Sure! To give an example of this… I have an original song called Tame the Dark. I wrote this song years ago while sitting on my bed. I was feeling really down in the dumps, and like I wanted to crawl out of my skin… In these times I have nothing else I can do except grab the guitar. My fingers immediately started plucking something and words started coming out of my mouth along with a melody. Immediately my mood is turned around as my emotions started to create something beautiful. In an hour or so I had a full song finished. This song has evolved with a couple different bands and I have two recorded versions of it out, and is still a crowd (and personal) favorite!
Let’s talk about your latest song. What’s the title, and what’s the story or message behind it?
My latest song is called Wildfire. I have yet to record and release it, as I wrote it quite recently.
I was driving home at a time when wildfires were hitting Washington… The sky was hazy, and there was a small crescent moon glowing red in the sky. The lyrics danced into my mind, “The haze settles in to the landscape and my lungs, red sliver of a moon, volcanic sunrise.”
Share a memorable or unique experience from one of your live performances
I have had so many amazing live performance experiences! One of the most memorable was probably when I performed on NBC’s The Voice. I had a few performances on that show, but my first one stands out. I sang Zombie by The Cranberries, for the coaches John Legend, Blake Shelton, Nick Jonas, and Kelly Clarkson. Nick and Kelly turned their chairs for me in the blind audition, and I ended up picking Team Kelly.
This was such a wild experience, and I grew so much from the whole thing. I met so many amazing people, many of whom are still my friends years later.
Beyond music, do you have any hobbies or interests that you’re passionate about? How do
they influence your music?
My biggest passion outside of music is travel! I have traveled to 27 countries, many of which I have returned to several times. I also have a camper van so I do quite a bit of road tripping inside the USA.
Traveling allows me to step outside of my comfort zone and everyday life to get a broader perspective on everything. I am able to more deeply introspect and reflect on my inner and outer world. Most of my songs were written while traveling.
Is there a dream collaboration you’d like to pursue in the future?
I would love to collaborate with Brandi Carlisle. I think our voices would pair really well together, and I love her style.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting their journey in the
music industry?
To make it in the music industry you don’t just have to have talent, it takes a lot of ambition and drive. If you just keep showing up, success will happen. I love the quote, “Don’t quite five minutes before the miracle.” You never truly know when something will happen to take you to the next level. Don’t expect to hit it big right away, instead find the joy in the journey. It took many years before I was able to actually make a living playing music. I played so many shows for free and played with so many different musicians, and every experience made me better.
When I was first starting out, I committed to going to open mics every single week. That is where my career truly started. I started making connections and everything started expanding from there. Commit to growth instead of an outcome and you will find your way.
Lastly, stay true to you! Authenticity is your superpower. The more unapologetically “you” that you are, the more people will connect with you and your music. Write your songs from the heart, what you are truly feeling, don’t feel like you need to hide the truth of you, or write for a particular genre. When you perform, allow yourself to shine and express emotion through the song you’re singing. It’s not about looking pretty, it’s about singing like no one’s watching.
Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or new music you have in the
works? What can your fans and listeners look forward to from you in the near future?
I am always working on many projects! I just released my first song of 2024 on January 1st, and I am going to be releasing acoustic singles throughout the year, recorded in my tiny home studio.
I am also going into the studio in the next couple of months with my rock band, Eden. We released our debut album in July of 2023, and are already itching to release more!
I am also almost finished with a rap collaboration track that I am doing with a rapper on the East Coast. I am always doing lots of different things in different genres, so make sure you follow me on social media and on your streaming platforms! A LOT of new music to be released by me in 2024.