Hal Savar - "27"

Review by Adam Jones - MUSIC FARMER 5

Uncovering the Painful Truth: Hal Savar's Powerful Story of Sacrifice and Heartbreak

Hal Savar’s release “27” is a soulful and emotional ballad that showcases his incredible passionate vocal performance, storytelling ability, and musical prowess. The song’s modern synth-bass line and powerful drums are reminiscent of modern alt-rock band Twenty-One Pilots, while Savar’s epic voice with its attractively raspy grit adds a layer of depth and emotion to the track similar to Elvis Presley.

The lyrics for “27” are haunting and heart-wrenching, painting a picture of a musician who gave up everything to pursue their dreams, only to find that their partner at home had given up on the relationship. The chorus lyrics, which plays with numbers, are complemented by a mesmerizing passionate melody which cements the song's message deep into the soul.

The ambient distorted guitars in the song add an ethereal quality, giving the impression of floating. The entire track is a masterclass in how to craft a timeless power ballad while maintaining modern production techniques.

---

---

Savar’s own description of the song is fascinating, and gives insight into his creative process. He wanted to write a modern power ballad that played with numbers in the chorus, but struggled to come up with a real story idea. He was then inspired by Journey’s “Faithfully”, but felt that it was a bit unrealistic. Savar’s response was to write a song that was more grounded in reality, resulting in the powerful and emotional “27”.

Hal Savar continues to create and perform real and honest music that comes from the soul - “27” is a perfect example of this. With his raw and emotive vocals, Hal Savar demonstrates time-and-time again that he is an artist to watch out for - “27” is a must-listen for anyone who loves soulful music with powerful storytelling.

---

EXCLUSIVE

👇 THE HAL SAVAR INTERVIEW👇

1. You mentioned that the inspiration for "27" came from Journey's "Faithfully" but with a twist on the traditional "supportive partner" narrative. How important is it for you to explore different perspectives in your songwriting?

Being able to explore different perspectives in my songwriting is really important to me. I feel like a songwriter is a modern-day storyteller, and sometimes it's our job to tell a hard story from a different dimension. Not everything can be happy and tied up in a bow.

2. As a songwriter, you have a unique blend of folk, rock, blues, and pop in your music. How do you think your diverse influences, such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, and Queen, have shaped your sound and songwriting style?

Since I started writing songs, I've soaked in everything like a sponge. I really do love a lot of different genres of music, and I try to take something unique from the music I listen to. For instance, I love the way Sinatra would phrase his lyrics in songs like a trombone player, or the way Elvis could sometimes sing with grit in his voice but still sound smooth like in the song "Jailhouse Rock." I'm a big fan of singers who sell a song like they deeply believe what they are saying. You can feel their soul.

3. Growing up in a military family and moving across the country multiple times, how has that experience influenced your music and your connection to your audience?

I learned very early on that the human condition is to actually feel pretty alone, but music is one of those things that makes us feel connected. It was this magical thing that brought comfort and positivity into my life and left me wanting to do that for other people.

4. You started teaching yourself guitar, singing, and songwriting at the age of sixteen. How have you seen your skills evolve over the years, and what advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are teaching themselves as well?

I wanted to sing and play guitar super well as soon as I picked up the instrument, but it took hours and hours of playing until it became like second nature to me, like breathing. But I never felt like it got old. It was important for me to find my own style and vibe. I think that helped that I didn't try to sound like anyone. My advice to anyone who is teaching themselves how to play to be a musician is to keep after it and don't forget why you picked up the instrument in the first place.

5. As an artist who has been performing 4 shows a week for several years in Las Vegas, how do you keep your energy levels high and maintain your creative spirit?

Working as a human jukebox, playing all requests for people, I got really good at making a cover song my own and doing my interpretation of the song. It helps that I never have a set list and the crowd picks all the music. It keeps me from getting bored because my shows are different every night. I love performing, and as cliché as it might sound, I really try and put on the best show I can every night. I want people to walk away feeling like they were a part of something special.

6. What's next for Hal Savar? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you're excited about and would like to share with your fans?

The plan is to release a new single every 6 weeks for the next 2 years with the hope that each song builds off the one before and people enjoy and share my music. I'm looking to play music festivals and bigger shows while I continue to create dynamic music people want to listen to and sing along with!

Check out "27" by HAL SAVAR below!👇

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1bRbgNXoLYceyXyDvgl4Iy?si=fea2cdab6b464def