​​Ghost Hounds lead singer SAVNT remembers the country music tune that took hold of him. “It was ‘Believe’ by Brooks and Dunn,” he says. “I started listening to it on repeat. I still stop doing anything [else] if it comes on to listen to it.” Watching Brooks and Dunn's performance at the CMAs years later felt, to him, like a “full circle moment.”

His father’s record collection helped his love of the genre, too. “My dad has always been super eclectic with music,” he says. “His favorite growing up was Barbara Mandrell—‘I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.’” That mix of soul, folk and country seeped into SAVNT's DNA early, though he didn’t realize it until college. “I started getting into folk, which is where Patty Griffin came up for me first,” he recalls.

People took notice of his vocal talents early on. He appeared on the singing competition show The Voice in 2011, when he was 21. “I got to the knockout round," he says. "I got all I needed from it and learned and grew from it. I’m one of the people [actress, singer and judge Jennifer Hudson] still follows, so that’s awesome.”

The Voice experience also inspired his performing name, SAVNT, short for “savant.”  “I’m not ignorant enough to say I’m the most skillful [in the way the term is often used], but I felt a redemption," he says. "Something happens when you're new to the game and start to figure it out.”

Today, SAVNT laughs at how his path came into focus. “Picture this,” he says. “I’m leaving New Jersey in 2023, thinking I need [to do] something different. Me and my then-girlfriend, now wife, said we’d do one more show. We did Sofar Sounds in New York. The previous lead singer of Ghost Hounds was in the crowd and said, ‘You’re awesome,’ and we took a picture together. I didn’t know who he was at that time and just thanked him.”

That singer, Tré Nation, became SAVNT's advocate. After Nation left the band to pursue other opportunities, SAVNT flew to Pittsburgh, where Ghost Hounds is based, to audition for its founder Thomas Tull (who, in addition to writing most of the band's songs and playing guitar, is also a part-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a movie producer). SAVNT joined the band on Jan. 1, 2024. “It’s been a whirlwind ever since," he says.

Within weeks, Ghost Hounds—known for its gritty, soulful country rock—put SAVNT on stage. “First month we did a slot at The Roxian Theatre,” SAVNT says. 

And he's already had his share of milestones. “The best birthday gift I got was debuting at the Grand Ole Opry,” he says. Ghost Hounds have also opened for a notable lineup of music legends, among them The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, Garth Brooks, Guns N’ Roses and Bob Seger.

For SAVNT, singing is about restoration. “The biggest compliment I’ve ever received: I was at this bar called Turning Point in upstate New York, and this guy said, ‘I’m not a believer, but when I hear your voice, there has to be a God, ’cause it’s that good,'" he says.

He doesn’t overthink where his voice fits in. “Anything that makes me feel something is soul music to me,” he says. “I sit with Thomas, who mostly writes our music, to understand the story. It’s all about roots music.” 

A newer front man among seasoned musicians, in rehearsals, he’s the disciplined one. “I go hard on work ethic,” he says. “I’m early, no alcohol or sweets, because I don’t want to interfere with my vocal integrity.” But he also knows when to let the moment lead. “From the band, I’ve learned there’s magic in the free flow,” he says of his bandmates. “When I watch [the band's violinist and fiddler Kristin Weber], she’ll bring in the best solos ever. It’s a thing she feels in the moment.” (Weber, for her part, has performed with greats like Chris Stapleton and Dolly Parton.)

As Ghost Hounds prepare to take the stage this weekend for a free concert at The Bay that will also include country star Brian Kelley, SAVNT is looking forward to connecting with a new crowd. He still loves performing small, open-air shows. “When you perform with the Rolling Stones, the crowd comes for them,” he says. “So you have to put on the battle gear and see if you can grab some new fans. These kinds of shows are freer and so much fun. It reminds me of the days of house concerts, where people just came because they love live music.”

As for his favorites on the set list: “‘You’ll Never Find Me,’ because I brought it to the band,” he says, “and ‘Dirty Angel,’ because it’s a heavy-hitting rock song, so I hope people are ready for it.”

See Ghost Hounds and Brian Kelley in a free concert on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 7–10 p.m. at The Bay, located at 1055 Blvd. of the Arts, in downtown Sarasota. The event is part of The Bay's month-long third anniversary celebration. Click here for more information.