Title: “Smoke”
Artist: Savannah Haim
Album: “Young Love” (2019)
Release Date: February 16, 2019
Length: 3:56
Format: CD Single, Digital Download, 7” Single
Recorded: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, Tennessee – October/November 2018
Genre: Country, Pop
Label: Southbound Records
Writer(s): Savannah Haim
Producer(s): Savannah Haim, Brandon Caulfield
“Smoke” is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter 'Savannah Haim', it's her third official single released following on from previous singles 'Young Love' and 'Talk Is Cheap' both of which managed to break into the top three of the singles charts. The track will be released through 'Southbound Records' on February 16, 2019.
The release of 'Smoke' sees the momentum continue for Savannah as she begins preparing for the release of her debut album. She's one of the only new artists currently putting out work as the industry is seeing a flow of returning acts like Brittany Knox, Sabina, Suzie and Andrea dominate the music landscape at the moment.
The latest single was written and recorded between October and November 2018 during studio sessions for her debut album, it's a change up in theme slightly to her previous singles as we see a slightly more sultry side to Savannah's songwriting, with suggestive lines like the songs chorus, “Baby do you smoke?/Cause I smoke too/Maybe you could use a bad habit/And I could use you.” and the slightly more literal, “Warm drink on my breath/Just how you like me/We'll find a quiet place with the top down/We'll be fucking in the backseat.”
In a recent interview, Savannah spoke about the upcoming track and it's lyrical content and inspiration behind it, saying, “I think this new song is a definite change from my previous two singles. It's from the same place emotionally as the previous two songs. But where you had the nostalgia for “Young Love” and the defiance in the face of judgement with “Talk Is Cheap”, you've just got somebody who's all in physically this time around with “Smoke”. It comes from a very real place, I spent the years of 17 to 22 floating around from place to place, experiencing different parts of the country and meeting different people, friends and lovers along the way. I spent like five years as a complete nomad, sleeping in cars and motels and temporary homes.
This song is just a small memory from that period of time, one that's stuck with me through these years. That excitement of not knowing what the next moment was about to bring. Travelling from town to town, through the busy cities, the countrysides and the desert just to sing some songs for whoever was willing to listen. This lifestyle almost forces you to be able to make connections fast and those connections can become pretty useful in your bid to survive. This song is just about a guy that I met along the way, I was entranced by him. I sang some songs at a bar and we got to chatting outside the bar and there was an immediate fire between us. Really exciting and troubling at the same time. It was the beginning of a whirlwind romance for around four months. It was always destined to burn out pretty quickly but for some reason, those are the ones that stick with you.”
“Smoke” begins with a distinctive electric guitar strumming pattern, giving the song an immediate outlaw country sort of feel to it, the pattern continues repetitively throughout the opening verse, we also occasionally hear a solitary drum beat occur every now and then in order to emphasize certain moments in the song, it's a rather slow and sultry song that wouldn't feel too out of place at a dive bar. Another strong vocal delivery from Savannah as she sings, “Leather jacket, blue jeans/One glance at me and I'm coming apart at the seams/You're like Jim Morrison, to me/Got that brooding silence, you're such a mystery/Watching your every move/Oh, I think I'm entranced by you.” which sets the scene for a song very much about infatuation.
The drum beat becomes more consistent towards the end of the first verse and into the chorus and it's refrain, the electric guitar pattern again continuing with that same straight to the point riff giving the song that lyrically reads like a pop song more of an edge with traditional rock n roll and outlaw country vibes, Savannah breathes heavily into the microphone prior to the songs chorus and asks, “Baby do you smoke?/Cause I smoke too/Maybe you could use a bad habit/And I could use you.” which indicates an undertone to her words that mean a little more than stepping outside for a cigarette, place those words with the song rocky nature of the guitar and drum tone and you can see this track being a jukebox favourite, she follows the chorus in a similar fashion, “Since that first touch/I just can't resist/I've got a taste for blood tonight/I know that this is it.”
Again with the same combination of lead guitar riff and drumming backbeat, the song continues to rise, this time picking up the pace as we arrive at the second verse, Savannah's vocals again accentuated in the studio to deliver the sultry vibe that the track calls for as she sings, “We could make these nights a little more special/You can have me on your lap and your feet to the pedal/We could have a fun old time/Baby I'm yours, you will always be mine/Warm drink on my breath/Just how you like me/We'll find a quiet place/With the top down/We'll be fucking in the backseat.” which in a way is the line that delivers the pay-off to the strong rock instrumentals of the song, finally giving the song a little bit of the edge that the lyrics needed to match with the guitar and drum combination. We're then given the songs chorus and refrain once more before the song comes to a halting end.
"Smoke"“Leather jacket, blue jeans
One glance at me and I'm coming apart at the seams
You're like Jim Morrison, to me
Got that brooding silence, you're such a mystery
Watching your every move
Oh, I think I'm entranced by you
Baby do you smoke?
Cause I smoke too
Maybe you could use a bad habit
And I could use you
Since that first touch
I just can't resist
I've got a taste for blood tonight
I know that this is it
We could make these nights a little more special
You can have me on your lap and your feet to the pedal
We could have a fun old time
Baby I'm yours, you will always be mine
Warm drink on my breath
Just how you like me
We'll find a quiet place
With the top down
We'll be fucking in the backseat
Baby do you smoke?
Cause I smoke too
Maybe you could use a bad habit
And I could use you
Since that first touch
I just can't resist
I've got a taste for blood tonight
I know that this is it”
Sound Alike – InstrumentalMiranda Lambert – Gunpowder and Lead
Personnel;Savannah Haim – vocals, lyrics, composition, production
Caleb Rhythm JR – lead guitar, composition
Jared Wyatt – drums, composition
Brandon Caulfield – production, engineering, mixing
