STRYKERSVILLE, N.Y. (WKBW) — A small-town singer from Strykersville, New York, is heading to Hollywood after earning a golden ticket on "American Idol."
Savannah Swatland auditioned in Nashville in October, performing a country song, which is the genre she said has always felt like home. Her audition aired in recent weeks as part of the show's current season.
Swatland's path to the "American Idol" stage began years before the cameras were rolling. In 2014, at just 14 years old, she competed in the Mountain Soul Vocal Competition in Tennessee. The event requires contestants to perform a Dolly Parton song.
"In 2014, I did the Mountain Soul Vocal Competition in Tennessee, and you have to sing like a Dolly Parton song. So I ended up winning that when I was 14, and that kind of kick-started me, maybe gave me a little boost of confidence that maybe I could do something with this," Swatland said.
Her mentor, Becky Horning, remembers the first time she heard Swatland sing. The moment that left a lasting impression.
"All of a sudden I heard somebody singing. I didn't see anybody singing. So, I looked around and I decided to find out what the microphone cable back into the corner behind an old engine. She was 12 at the time, crouched down in the corner so nobody could see her. She was singing really good. She was singing Baby Girl by Sugarland. Wow. And I reached, looked over and I'm like, 'you sound good,'" Horning said.
Country music surrounded Swatland throughout her upbringing, from karaoke gifts from her father to performing everything from "Blues Man" to her original song "Queen of the Country." She also met rising country artist Zach Top backstage, a moment that later went viral in 2025.
"American Idol" producers saw that viral moment and encouraged her to audition, along with support from family members.
When audition day arrived in Nashville, Swatland was joined by about 50 friends and family members who came to cheer her on. Despite the support, nerves took over.
"I was so nervous. I was like terrified. I was shaking during my audition," Swatland said.
I asked Swatland what was going through her mind when she received her golden ticket.
"Oh, jeepers, I did not. I didn't know what I was thinking, honestly, I wasn't even thinking about like, 'Am I going to get this?' I was just like, everything was so much to take in. It was so cool," Swatland said.
Now, with Hollywood Week ahead, Swatland is carrying a message for anyone with a dream of their own.
"My advice would be to just do it and don't listen to the people that tell you that you can't, and that you're never going to get that far because you never truly know what's going to happen or what you're capable of until you actually go and do it," Swatland said.
Horning, who has watched Swatland grow from a shy 12-year-old singing in a corner to a contestant on one of television's biggest stages, said she could not be more proud.
"Her talent is amazing and I'm just so proud of how far she's come," Horning said.
Regardless of what happens in Hollywood, Swatland said she plans to continue writing music and putting a band together.
"American Idol" airs Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on 7News.
Follow Savannah's journey on social media on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.
