Cc Witt has fronted the Savannah-based country band Lyn Avenue since 2010, and now the still-young singer songwriter has released a solo EP, Down Memory Lane, which is available for purchase as a download or a signed CD via Bandcamp. (The record’s cover photo is by regular hissing lawns contributor Jon Waits.)
I’m really impressed by the quality construction of Witt’s pop-country songs and by her warm, charismatic stage presence. If you want to catch her next gig, you might want to follow on Facebook.
CC Witt at The Jinx during Savannah Stopover 2016
We sent a few questions Witt’s way. Here’s our quick q+a:
hl: So you’ve got the work with Lyn Avenue and this new release of your own. What’s the relationship between the two projects?
CC Witt: Well I’ve been playing in a band the entirety of my musical career and just performing as a solo artist on the side. I definitely put all my energy into Lyn Avenue. Our lead guitarist, Patrick Ellington and myself write all of Lyn Avenue’s songs. But there were a lot of songs that I had written over the years that were either too personal or just not a good fit for the band that I always wanted to get recorded. So I finally did. This EP has been kind of a self-discovery project in finding myself as a solo artist and defining my sound … standing on my own two feet.
hl: How did you first get into music?
CC Witt: Well, a lot of my family sings. My aunt, Nancy Witt, is a local singer-songwriter and amazing pianist here in Savannah. My father sings, plays guitar, drums and piano. So I always really loved music. But it wasn’t until I turned 13 that I picked up my dads old guitar and since then, there’s been no looking back.
You’ve played some high-profile solo gigs lately — at the singer-songwriter showcase at Trinity, at Stopover, etc. Have those experiences taught you anything?
CC Witt: Yes, definitely. I’m new to doing real shows as a solo artist, performing my original songs so it’s a little bit of a learning curve. But I think its definitely important to my growth as a musician.
hl: Songs like “Little Big City Town” seem like they could be very popular to me — I could totally imagine hearing that song on country radio stations. What’s your plan to get the music out there into the world and get more people paying attention?
CC Witt: Well, I/we have been booking more shows out of town –- in Athens, Augusta, Macon, etc. — and I feel like that will definitely help to spread my music and extend our reach. I also plan on trying to get my songs published, and doing more songwriter showcases.
hl: You obviously love Savannah — at least it seems so from the songs — but could you see yourself heading to Nashville?
CC Witt: I love Savannah. I was born and raised here. “Little Big City Town” was my tribute to my experiences and the people here. But Nashville? Absolutely. That’s the plan. It’s only a matter of time before I get there.
