Feature photo by Cadee Havard
Story by Josie James
Murfreesboro’s Hop Springs Beer Park ignited with energy Friday night. Friends, family and fans of Savannah Spann, who performs as Sav., gathered to watch the MTSU pop artist and her band Sav and the Ages. They performed a mix of covers and original music during the release show for Spann’s debut EP, “Waiting Game.”
“Waiting Game” buckles listeners into the emotional rollercoaster Spann experienced in a past relationship. She combines her songwriting prowess with pop production reminiscent of Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, two of Spann’s biggest inspirations. Murfreesboro artists and producers Blake Johnson and Ana Grosh helped Spann record and release the EP.
“The order of the songs in the EP, and the order of when I wrote them, were all over the place because my emotions were all over the place,” Spann said. “It’s kind of a story overall of the ins and outs of the whole relationship.”
“Waiting Game” consists of songs written between the beginning of a relationship in fall 2022 until its end in spring 2024. The tracklist went through a lot of transformation, elevated by collaboration with her producers and ultimately resulting in the upbeat pop sound achieved in the final product, Spann said.
“When I met Blake and started working with him we just bounced a lot of ideas off of each other and it flowed really well,” Spann said. “Our differences in styles really came together well and brought out the best parts of each other’s assets.”
The first song they worked on together, “Somewhere In Between,” was transformed from a piano ballad to a synth-pop track. Listeners have to pay close attention to the lyrics to realize the devastation of the dark romance.
Cadee Havard, the team leader for the creative services department in MTSU’s campus record label Match Records, also helped Spann along the way. Havard photographed the album cover and helped to make the release night special by assisting in the promotion of the record, organizing the event at Hop Springs and taking photos during the show.
Hop Springs glowed as the night began with an exciting funk-pop performance by MTSU artist Ana Grosh, followed by the entrancing upbeat punk of Match Record band Buzie.
Sav and the Ages followed, the mystical and vibrant performance combining with an indie rock sound reminiscent of Stevie Nicks. Spann showcased her bohemian style with a gypsy shawl around her shoulders, an enchanting green forest backdrop behind the band and a ribbon-adorned tambourine at her side. Her band includes guitarist and vocalist Anderson Judd, keyboardist and vocalist Colman Connolly, drummer Nick Boardman and bassist Wit Miller.
Spann let her vocal abilities shine. The group played through the tracklist on the EP while also incorporating songs from Spann’s artistic inspirations, including “Taste” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Good Luck Babe” by Chappell Roan and “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac.
A tender moment came during Spann’s performance of the last track on her EP, closing her eyes and letting the acoustic guitar guide her. The song is a voice memo called “New Recording 44,” a track that closes off the EP with unresolved sadness. The gentle heartbreak in her voice hushed the Hop Springs crowd.
“I’ll convince myself that it’s gonna be ok, and maybe next time I won’t stay,” Spann sang.
Fans sang along throughout the set, and Spann’s friends and family’s faces beamed with pride as she closed off the enchanting chapter in her career.
Spann wants listeners to embrace the message of her EP.
“Women should always know their worth,” Spann said. “Don’t wait around for anyone or anything in life. You have to make things happen and take care of yourself in order to succeed. Let go of the things that no longer serve you, or it will be the bane of your existence.”
“Waiting Game” by Sav. is available to stream on all platforms.
Josie James is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines.
To contact the Lifestyles Editor, email [email protected].
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