By Zach Collier
“A lot of these songs I never wanted to release ever, ever, ever.”
When I caught up with Las Vegas native Savannah Sgro, she was on her way home from a long day at the studio in Los Angeles. Unlike true Californians, she had no idea where she was or which of the many, many freeways she was on. I’m confident that even cardinal directions were hazy.
“Dude, I don't know,” she laughs, exasperated. “I'll tell Siri to take me wherever and then she does, but I don't know, I have a horrible sense of direction.” It’s the early evening, the sun’s starting to set on the west coast, and she has to go prepare for her album release show at The Hotel Cafe the next night.
Savannah and I go way back. We met in Vegas five years ago at a late-night SoFar Sounds show, and I’ve watched as she’s gone from a sad indie girl writing songs at home to an industry professional. Her solo music has accumulated millions and millions of streams. Behind the scenes she’s a frequent collaborator and co-writer, which is what she was doing all day at the studio with friend and producer Aidan Hogg. All the music she’s had a hand in has landed several high profile media placements – most recently on season 6 of the Netflix show Love Is Blind (#JusticeForAD).
When I texted her I didn’t expect her to respond – let alone immediately hop on a call. “I wasn’t expecting an interview today either, but dude, if I don't do it now then tomorrow's gonna be crazy and I don't know when it's gonna happen,” she laughs again.
Savannah’s always been a chill hang. The smiles come easy and the vibes are peaceful, even if a little shy. But she’s incredibly self-aware, and her mind is a wellspring of poignant insights.
She may not be able to find where she is on a map, but she can navigate the labyrinthine halls of her own mind with ease.
The way she ruthlessly articulated her deepest fears and feelings about abandonment and codependency on her debut single “Phobia” was enough to make me a lifelong fan. And I say that as an introvert who could spend weeks alone in a library and never feel lonely.
Savannah Sgro fans have come to appreciate those deep, relatable internal explorations, as well as the way she’s able to paint intricate interpersonal dynamics in broad strokes. Average humans can barely navigate awkward parties or feeling out of place in a new town. We don’t know why we won’t believe compliments from people we trust the most; why we hate the only body we have; and why we self-sabotage when what we want is right in front of us. But Savannah tackles all these concepts and more on her new EP, This Is Growing Up.
Albums in the age of streaming are fascinating to me. Streaming services encourage frequent releases, and releasing regular singles has become standard practice. Savannah herself has done this, releasing many of these tracks in advance of the EP. But not every single she’s released between this album and 2023’s this is my love life made it into this collection. The limited track listing is very intentional.
“Conceptually, they just went together,” Savannah explains. “There's just a bunch of songs about family and different stuff about life. I just wanted to make songs that weren’t about a dumb boy anymore. There’s a lot of family stuff.”
The 6 tracks on This Is Growing Up are unlike any I’ve heard before. Although I’m a sucker for both, I appreciate music with lyrical depth beyond love songs and breakup songs. Savannah Sgro’s latest tracks give sonic representation to underserved topics. For example, “Just Hook Up” will make hopeless romantics feel okay with not hooking up because they get too attached. “Secrets” is for anyone at odds with parental expectations, living with the weight of double living. “Closer” is a soundtrack for long drives home after visiting a loved one with chronic illness.
And if you have an existential crisis about your own mortality and unrealized potential every time your birthday rolls around, boy do I have a song for you.
“A lot of these songs came from 2020 when we were in lockdown,” Savannah says, the sound of cars whizzing past her audibly in the background. “I was writing a bunch of these with my friend Katie over Zoom. And some of these were like the first songs we ever wrote, which is funny that it's coming out like, over four years later.”
Savannah told me that these songs wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Zoom. If it weren’t for that physical distance between her and Katie. “I think there's something to being through a screen instead of in the room with a new person,” says Savannah. “I can say whatever I want. You know, get different songs out. I feel like I'd be too embarrassed – feel too weird – being in the room.” Having physical space to herself – while still being collaboratively connected – allowed Savannah to open up in new, deeply personal ways.
“A lot of these songs I never wanted to release ever, ever, ever. But, I don't know. Dude, they've been on my computer for four years,” she says. She couldn’t let them go, but also couldn’t simply throw them out into the world without context. “I couldn't put a song about me being scared of my grandparents dying on this is my love life,” she laughs. “It had to make sense and go together. But then I'm like, oh my gosh, then I'm just gonna have a super depressing EP! But whatever. That's what it is. These songs fit together. I think I just got over being scared. So here they are. If someone could relate to them and they could help them at all, that would be really cool.”
After repeat listens, I’ve become a champion of this album. If there’s a dark, unexplored corner of your mind or a side of your soul you can’t make sense of, This Is Growing Up will provide the cathartic illumination you’re looking for. Savannah’s latest EP is a slice of life. Real, painful, delicate, forgiving, honest. But it’s also got biting humor. Lest you think this album won’t be any fun, I’ll close with a quote from Savannah herself on the song “Just Hook Up.”