Review by Billy Dukes, Taste of Country
Savannah Keyes is getting the chance to meet some of her idols, but meeting the artist most influential on her music is still a dream that has yet to come true. Still, the April #LetTheGirlsPlay artist of the month imagines what she might say to Dolly Parton if she had the chance …
Parton, Miranda Lambert and others like Ryan Tedder are who have influenced her singing, songwriting and musical career the most. She’s met Lambert. As a correspondent for Radio Disney, Keyes got to speak with the “Tin Man” singer recently, and the advice was to, ‘Stay true to who you are and enjoy little moments like hearing your song on the radio for the first time.’
During a conversation with Taste of Country, the Utah-raised 19-year-old talked about emulating Parton’s humility, her own ups and downs since moving to Nashville (by herself) three years ago and what inspires songs like “Talk.” That may be obvious, actually — anyone who has longed for and then given up on having a parent involved in his or her life can appreciated the ballad’s message.
Keyes’ energy is her signature. She speaks with infectious enthusiasm and sings with equally captivating emotion. As a member of Song Suffragettes, her songwriting skills have only sharpened and her confidence has only skyrocketed as she’s among talented contemporaries. Expect big things from her in 2017. If fact, a major country artist may have one of her songs on hold, but she can’t talk about it.
