Savanna Chestnut: Prairie Fire
Savanna Chestnut is the real deal. Growing up in a small Kansas farm town, she has always had a love for the twang of a great country song. According to Savanna, she has been singing since she could talk. While this often annoyed her classmates in elementary school, the people in her small town took notice. After singing karaoke at her grandparent’s bar and hearing the fuss the locals made over her, she took it to heart. She started learning guitar at age 12 and started writing songs soon after. By the time she turned 13, she was playing local events and farmer’s markets in her hometown. Some years and a lot of shows later, Savanna has opened for Tanya Tucker, Ward Davis, Sunny Sweeney, Ned LeDoux, Granger Smith, among others. She has also been nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year at the Rocky Mountain Country Music Awards in 2017 and 2018.
It is obvious after listening to this album that Savanna has grown up and found her sound. She has a sweet, yet soulful voice that really displays the emotions of her lyrics. Prairie Fire is all about passion and getting personal. While she has been writing for years and been touring/performing for a while now, she says that she is most excited about the songs on this album, because they are so personal.
Photo By Aaron Waddell
The title track, “Prairie Fire” was written with 2 things in mind: burning season on the farms of the Midwest and that feeling you get when you meet someone you know you cannot live without. Savanna tells me she was always entranced by the burning season and wanted to incorporate that into a song. She did it well on this one with lines like, “and I knew it was you as soon as your dark eyes met mine” and “I’m gonna love you like a prairie fire.” Her voice absolutely shines on this song and is a great opener to the other 10 songs on the album.
“Sirens and Streetlights” is a catchy, sing-along type song, written after Savanna left home at 18 for the bright lights of Nashville. Lyrics like, “well these boots weren’t meant for this hard cement” and “sirens and streetlights just ain’t good for my soul,” give us a view of the small town girl, living on her own for the first time and longing for the beauty and quiet of her country home.
“Marlboro Man” is Savanna's anthem to all of us who have ever fallen in love with the wrong guy. Lots of country songs are notorious for singing about heartbreak, and Savanna does this well. Her lyrics paint a picture of the man who would “sit on the porch at night, blowing smoke into the dark” and how “it's hard to love someone when you’re so tangled up inside/ And you’ve been angry for so long you don’t remember why.” There is just something about a sad song about lost love that resonates with everyone, and “Marlboro Man” is a great version of that.
While Savanna does not see herself as a “romantic,” her song “Fall in Love With Me” begs to differ. It is a honky tonk-ish song about meeting someone who you cannot seem to forget, even though you know you should. “I wanna be the one you didn’t know you were trying to find” and other lyrics share that feeling of desperately wanting someone to need you as much as you think you need them.
“Wild Horses and Me” is a song that Savanna admits she wrote purely for herself. She is at a time in her life where she is free to travel/tour, sing her songs, and experience life on her own terms... and she loves it. “It's not the kind of lifestyle everyone understands, but it's my passion and it's always exciting.” It is a simple and beautiful song about “wild horses and me, we’re both born to run.” After listening to this song, you can almost feel the anticipation of leaving for a new adventure, with the wind in your hair.
Overall, Prairie Fire is a great traditional country music album that was written from the soul and sung from the heart. If you are a fan of true country music, I suggest going to Savanna’s website and purchasing her album. You can also see her tour dates on her website and maybe make it to a live show. I have a feeling she might be one of your new favorites.
Savanna Chestnut:
facebook.com/savannachestnutmusic/
