Readers, we are in the home stretch of August, the eighth month of the year, and both the temperatures and heat indexes are still greater than my checking account.

I may be from Savannah, but I feel like summers in southeast Georgia get worse and worse each year. Driving my car home from work in the evenings feels like operating a faulty refrigerator on wheels. In addition, I have also recently added a daily moisturizing lotion with SPF 50 to my skincare routine in a bid to not look like a USDA-recalled turnip before the age of 30.

And the heat makes you do crazy things, I have now found out. Over the weekend I spent a sizable amount of money on autumn-themed candles in an attempt to tide me over emotionally until the weather transitions to a more “Gilmore Girls”-like atmosphere. One of the candles I bought, a threewick White Barn candle described as “Freshly Brewed Coffee,” made my dad think I quit my job to become a full-time barista. I’ve had and tried worse ideas, to be perfectly honest.

With a little help from my friends

Speaking of coffee, earlier this month I had the pleasure of going to one of the many musical events put on by the organizers of this year’s Savannah VOICE Festival. The shindig was called “Here Comes the Sun,” and was hosted at the Davenport House Museum, featuring coffee, croissants, and casual opera singing. (Big thanks to Lesley Francis and Co. for the complimentary tickets!).

Being the good daughter that I am, I invited my mom to tag along. And despite the early morning rainstorm that drenched us on our trek down Broughton Street from my car, we had a great time at the concert. The singers were incredibly charming and talented, and their individual vocal performances helped to liven the audience’s mood (including my own) on a rainy summer day.

Although I am far from an opera enthusiast, it also felt nice to experience this moment with a small group of like-minded folks who also enjoy supporting the arts when they can. The applause at the end of each singer’s solo felt very genuine, and afterwards everyone chatted with each other with drip coffee and umbrellas in hand. And most importantly, my mom told me she loved the event too, which was a mild joy for me; she works so hard during the workweek as a school custodian and weekends cleaning houses, that I sometimes don’t like to bother her with these types of outings when she could, you know, sleep in, watch Korean dramas on Netflix, or do literally anything else to relax in her stunningly few hours of spare time. So I’m glad I didn’t waste her time, and that she didn’t mind the rain, and I’m also happy to have bought us both some gift shop goodies from the Davenport House Museum on our way out. That’s what daughters are for, I think.

Song of the week: On & On by swim school (2025)

Thanks to the almighty algorithm, I am now obsessed with this Scottish alternative rock band called swim school. In interviews the lead singer, Alice Johnson, has openly stated her admiration for Ellie Roswell, lead singer for Wolf Alice, another band I am obsessed with.

Obsession is a word I keep repeating here, and for good reason. Because for me, if you don’t replay a band’s album multiple times, did you really like it in the first place? Well, that’s what I am doing at the moment with swim school’s debut album, released back in October 2025. My Spotify Wrapped will be very interesting this year.

The deluxe edition of their album features the song “On & On,” which reminds me a bit of pop singer beabadoobee in its opener. (No surprise there, once I learned that this album was produced by Iain Berryman, who also has worked with her).

In between the catchy head-banging chorus, “On & On” talks about the concept of being obsessed with someone, either as a friend or a lover (or both?

Life is complicated). But of course, obsession has its downsides, and one can lose their own sense of self through becoming obsessed with wanting to be like or be with someone. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll off to go replay this song for the nth time while immersing myself in sappy romance novels.

“I hold the mirror, but all I see is you Falling in deeper when drifting out of view Wanna be, wanna be everything you are Wanna be everything and a little more Even when I’m awake, the dream lives on On and on and on Wanna see, wanna see everything you see Wanna be anyone else but me A craving that only you can feed On and on and on” On & On, swim school ( 2025)

Andrea Gutierrez is the editor of the Bryan County News. She is currently contemplating whether or not to start a rock band and go on a tour stateside, but is worried about the finances of it all, as well as her lack of musical skill.