Savanna Leigh Keeps Love At A Distance On Hypnotic New Single “arms length”
Savanna Leigh
“You know when you're trying so hard to keep your ex at a distance, but you never fully cut them out of your life so it still feels like at any moment they could just reel you back in?” Savanna Leigh asks online. “I can relate sadly, so I wrote this song about that.”
The 22-year-old singer-songwriter who is becoming increasingly known for her raw, authentic and unapologetic lyricism, spent most of 2022 crafting a world where the pain of heartbreak can be transformed into a portal for relatability, unity, and connection. From piano ballads to acoustic reimaginings, Savanna is an artist who taps into her pain, pairs it with captivating modern production, and rallies together broken hearts around the world through her music until it feels like they’re no longer hurting alone.
On her brand new single, “arms length” Savanna does the exact same thing, only this time, the track’s sonic experience is one of her most thrilling and divine sounds yet. With a pop flair, she continues to tackle the art of heartbreak storytelling. “Somewhere in between now and then, my sadness turned into letting go,” she writes in a TikTok, and yet for all the in-between, she opens up as an artist in the most authentic way, sharing her healing journey and taking her fans along for the ride. Savanna opened up to Amplify Her Voice about her “arms length” below.
Savanna! “arms length” is SO good. I love this hypnotic, ethereal sound for you. What’s the story behind it?
After my ex and I broke up we reconnected almost a year later, and started hanging out again. We tried to say we were “just friends,” but we weren’t acting like it. It was really confusing and I felt really alone because at that time I was too scared to tell my friends I was seeing him again. We had like a secret relationship going on for a while and it wasn’t healthy for me. I wasn’t allowing myself the space to truly heal and move on. Being in a situationship with someone you used to be in a committed relationship with is very confusing haha.
When did you first fall in love with music? Can you remember what inspired you to decide to become an artist? Which artists or songs inspired you to become an artist?
I fell in love with the music at such a young age, honestly, I was singing from the moment I could talk. Watching my dad live his dream of being a touring artist and growing up in such a musical family/environment I think showed me as a kid that being a musician and making a living doing the thing I loved the most in the world was actually possible. Shania Twain, Kelly Clarkson, and Taylor Swift are artists that heavily inspired me growing up.
2022 was such a creative year for you, especially with the release of your last album, the way i see it. Do you think this new era is a continuation of the stories you told on your last album, or is this a new chapter for you completely?
This new era is 100% a continuation of the stories told on the way i see it. With my last project it leaves listeners feeling like this person and I have cut ties and like a chapter has closed. This new wave of music lets people in on the fact that sometimes it’s not as simple as a clean break with someone you truly love, especially your first love.
Sonically, “arms length” is one of your poppier, upbeat-sounding tracks, despite you writing about heartbreak in your signature captivating way. Where did the inspiration for this sound come from?
We honestly were just hanging out and talking for a while in the session, having fun, and the producer showed me and my talented co-writer (Asia Whiteacre) a guitar riff he’d been working on and we just wrote the song from there. I wanted to show a different side of me in this track, lyrically a song can be meaningful and have a lot of depth and emotion, meanwhile, the production on that same song can feel light and easy allowing you to feel whatever way, sad or happy and still enjoy the track.
Can you pick a lyric from “arms length” and explain your interpretation of that line?
“Whenever I come back and we fake love, I leave the door cracked and my heart shut.” This line was my way of saying, whenever I flew back to Florida to visit home and I’d see my ex, I wouldn’t ever truly open my heart back up, I’d spend time with him, act like we used to when we were together, but never truly let him in emotionally.
You’re so talented at writing heartfelt lyrics, telling a story, and having everyone relate to it. When did you first get into songwriting? Would you say it helps you to process your emotions when you’re going through something?
Thank you so much, that means a lot! I started writing songs when I was about 6 years old. I wrote on and off most of my life, not super consistently though until I stopped getting in my own way. For a long time, songwriting scared me because it forced me to feel feelings I tried to avoid or forget. For a long time, I wasn’t able to use songwriting in a therapeutic way like I do now. But with time and practice, it has become a vital part of my life in processing what I go through.
I know a lot of your fans have identified with so many of your songs about heartbreak. Do you have a story about one of the most memorable connections or messages you’ve received from a fan about your music?
Often I’ll receive DM’s or comments under my videos with fans sharing their stories back with me and telling me that my songs have made them feel seen and have helped them through that heartbreak in some way. Honestly, there are just too many memorable messages and comments because when somebody takes the time to be vulnerable with me like that, it just encourages me so much. My hope in all of this is that my music connects to people in a genuine, real way, and it lets people know they aren’t alone in what they are experiencing, that my songs make an impact.
Do you ever come across writer’s block? If so, what do you do to get out of it?
I experience writer’s block often. I think there is a lot of pressure as a creative to constantly be producing great music while doing a million other things that artists have to do nowadays to push their careers forward. Whenever I start to feel blocked, I listen to other artists and songs I love and am inspired by, I take a few days or weeks off or songwriting and focus on journaling or writing poetry, and I try to just be present each day and get in touch with myself through alone time in nature, or prayer, or whatever allows me to block out the noise.
In relation to being an artist, your creativity, and your career, what’s the thing you’re most proud of so far?
I’m most proud of my growth as a songwriter over the last couple of years. For a long time, it was something I thought I’d never be good enough at. I always have struggled with being proud of myself for what I have accomplished or for the progress I make. I always strive to be the best I can be, so slowing down to appreciate how far I’ve come is something I’m working on doing.
Do you have any advice for women who want to become an artist like you?
I’d say to find your “why” - why you want to pursue this career, why you want to make music, what impact you hope to have, and remind yourself of that constantly because your “why” is what fuels your passion, and what gets you through the low moments or the time you think you should give up, it’s what keeps you going. Your “why” is what makes it all worth it.
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