Welcome to Southern Tinseltown

Savannah Campbell on Greetings from a Southern Tinseltown, Creative Independence, and Building a World on Your Own Terms

Visuals by Savannah Campbell

Interviewed & written by Bridget Plate

Some artists make music. Others build worlds. Savannah Campbell is firmly in the second camp.

The independent singer-songwriter and multidisciplinary artist treats every element of her work as part of a single, cohesive vision: songs, artwork, visuals, videos, all of it. Her latest project, Greetings from a Southern Tinseltown, is the fullest expression of that instinct yet, a universe where old Hollywood glamour tangles with Southern nostalgia, mysticism, and the thick heat of summer.

Savannah grew up in Nashville and now calls Pensacola home, and her music carries both places in its bones. She draws from classic cinema, vintage Americana, The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, Dominic Fike, and RAYE, a range that makes her sound difficult to pin down but never difficult to feel. What ties it all together is the storytelling, which stays honest even when the aesthetic gets dreamy.

In the conversation below, she talks about building the world of Greetings from a Southern Tinseltown, what complete creative control actually feels like, why she left Nashville for Florida, and the belief that a big vision doesn’t have to wait for a big budget, industry backing, or anyone’s permission.

“Greetings from a Southern Tinseltown” feels incredibly cinematic and immersive. What was the original vision or idea that sparked the project for you?

I feel that I am an extremely multi-faceted person with many interests and I really wanted to create a project that better explained and visually encapsulated that. I’m the type of person who truly listens to a little bit of every type of music, reads a little bit of everything, watches movies of every genre, creates art in every medium, etc. I genuinely enjoy all of it! The idea to create a literary made-up world to kind of show bits and pieces of all my interests in an immersive and compelling way was very interesting to me. I was able to look at all my influences, interests, and passions and expand or exaggerate them as much as I wanted to. Once I got this idea, I started to see how all these details could fit together to make one world that others could immerse themselves in if they cared to.

The album explores themes of identity, transformation, nostalgia, and mysticism. Did creating this record reflect a particular chapter or transition in your life?

I think so in some ways. It wasn’t necessarily intentional, though. I wrote a lot of this album right before I moved from Nashville to Pensacola, and I think having such an environment change on the horizon definitely prompted some themes in my writing. This is also my second album, and I felt much more confident and eager to dive into certain feelings and topics than the first time around. I wrote my first album when I was sixteen, so there’s really so much growth between then and now in every aspect of my life. I definitely wanted this album to start a new chapter for me and my music career, showcasing that growth as an artist and what I’m capable of.

You describe the project as “old Hollywood meets Southern charm.” What artists, films, places, or aesthetics most influenced the world surrounding the album?

Like I mentioned, this album is kind of the combination of all my interests/influences so the list could go on for days! I’ll try to keep it semi-brief. I grew up in the south and have lived here pretty much my whole life, so I really wanted to honor some of my more southern roots in a fresh way with this project without making a “country” record. I wanted to implement the very genuine and charming sides of southern or country culture, taking inspiration from old, classic country music. Again, as I mentioned, I was about to move to Florida while I was making this album, so I had a lot of coastal/summer themes on my mind. This album feels exactly like summer to me. As for the Hollywood aspect, I really like the general aesthetic of old Hollywood and found myself really enjoying combining it with a more DIY, less glamorous vibe to create a whole new thing. I’m very inspired by old movies’ opening credits and title scenes, sparkles, feathers, lights, film grain, and just extra little flares that classic movies have to offer. My top four music artists/inspirations are The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, Dominic Fike, and RAYE. The Beatles' more whimsical and fantastical work, like ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ or ’Sgt. Pepper’s was a big inspiration for this project. I love how weird, slightly off-kilter, and free those albums feel. My favorite Arctic Monkeys album is ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’. There’s a touch of ethereal, spacey mystery on my album that was inspired by that Arctic Monkeys album. I’ve always loved Dominic Fike’s writing style and the relatability of his work. I always hope to carry some relatability through my songs. As for RAYE, her last album should be explanation enough. Her attention to detail, messaging, and visual aesthetic are so very inspiring to me.

You created not only the music, but also the visuals, album art, and music videos yourself. What does having that level of creative control mean to you as an artist?

It’s very important to me and makes my art/projects that much more special and meaningful. I don’t have to worry about anyone cutting corners on my visions, and I don’t have to worry or waste time trying to explain a strange idea to doubting people. It gives me a lot of freedom in my art, for sure. I am ultimately a fan first, and one of my biggest pet peeves as a fan is when I see a disconnected album rollout, or I go to a show, and the performance is good, but the visuals are trash. It’s really important to me to have an equally compelling visual counterpart to my music, no matter how small or big I am as a music artist. Even though I’m small now, I want to go ahead and set a standard for myself and my music. It does take a lot of time and effort to learn the skills and then make all the material, but I find it to be very fulfilling when I get to look at the finished project and say, “I made that! I did it the way I wanted to and said what I wanted to say, and it looks exactly like I envisioned.” I plan on keeping full artistic/creative control, no matter how far I go in this industry.

There’s a strong storytelling quality throughout the project. When you write music, do you tend to approach songs more like personal reflections, scenes from a film, or something else entirely?

Writing can always go different ways, but my typical process starts with writing a story-lead poem of sorts. I rarely start with music; I often begin with a song’s title and build a whole storyline around it. I’m a very visual person, so I immediately see a whole movie in my head when I’m writing. I see what time of day the song is, what season it’s during, what kind of people are starring in it, and even if it’s in full color or black and white. I normally write a song not thinking too much of its connection to me, and then when I listen back, that’s when I’m like “Wow, that actually connects to my life on a really personal level”. I just have no idea when I’m doing it. Songwriting can sometimes be kind of creepily magical in that way. You’ll write a song that doesn’t mean much, and then six months later, it all makes sense. Overall, though, I just really like making up stories and telling them, and seeing where they take me.

You recently relocated from Nashville to Pensacola. Has the change in environment influenced your creativity or perspective in any way?

I think so! The Nashville area has gotten a lot different over the years. It’s now really, really focused around this synthetic pop-country sound that I find quite inauthentic and don’t have any interest in. Not to say there aren’t a lot of artists doing their own thing in different genres there, it’s just so oversaturated with the fake country thing. When I was living there and told people I was a singer/musician, I was almost guaranteed to get one of two responses: “You gotta go sing on Broadway” or “You must want to be exactly like Taylor Swift”. If you even kind of know me, you know I have no interest in doing either of those things. A lot of people tell me I did things backward by moving out of “music city” after starting my music career, but living there honestly just made me feel really pigeonholed right out of the gate. Pensacola has been great so far, and I’ve honestly been more impressed with the local support of live music and independent music here than in Nashville. Artists, including me, are doing their own thing here, and others are supporting it. I feel like there’s more space to breathe here right now.

One of the most inspiring aspects of your submission is your emphasis on independent artists being able to “world build” even without massive budgets or teams. What advice would you give to younger creatives trying to bring ambitious ideas to life independently?

If you have an idea or creative vision, just get out there and do it. No one is going to do it for you, and if you keep waiting for this perfect time to come around or for someone to sign you or for more people to follow you or for your single to go viral or whatever it is that you think is going to change your life, that might not ever happen. You have the choice to keep your art shelved for years or to put it out in the world. You can’t control the algorithms, people, labels, and the industry. All you can do is your best with what you have. And the best part about it is that it’s fun and realistic to do! I feel like the music industry, social media, and the world are telling artists constantly that 1. They can’t do these things if they are small and don’t have money. 2. This is your job, and you shouldn’t get joy out of it. All of my clothes that I use in my videos/photos and my props are from estate sales, antique stores, or T.J. Maxx. I’ve used a lot of ninety-nine-cent party decor from Hobby Lobby. Shoot locations can be your bedroom, garage, or a random field. My album cover, for example: That big pink elephant is outside of some antique store on the side of I-65 somewhere. I knew he was absolutely perfect to be the star of this project when I first saw him, so I put on my cheap feather boa, grabbed my Goodwill martini glass, and got the shot. I truly believe that if you have a vision or an idea, you can execute it, you just gotta get creative with it. Do it with your friends! I dragged my mom and dad all over the place with me to take random pictures and videos over the years. Go get out there by yourself, but don’t drag your feet and don’t wait for some perfect time that might not come.

When listeners finish the album, what feeling or impression do you hope lingers with them the most?

I hope they leave feeling refreshed and thoughtful. I hope listeners sit with it for a moment. Maybe some of the tinseltown magic will linger with them in their daily lives like a little bit of glitter. I truly hope they leave feeling inspired to make something, go somewhere, do something. I consume just about every art form, but listening to music has always been the most special. Listening to a new album from front to back for the first time is truly a sacred experience that I’m so happy to be able to bring to people. I hope they leave knowing how genuine and intentional my words are and maybe feeling inspired to make something heartfelt of their own. I hope the sound or words make them feel nostalgic and warm, like summertime. And obviously, as the creator of this album, my biggest hope is that something in the 10 tracks, whether it was the whole project, just one track, a chorus, a guitar riff, or just one line, will grab your attention enough to make you want to listen through again and again

---

Follow Savannah on Instagram 

Stream her music on Spotify or Apple Music