Runaway June is a female country music trio comprised of Stevie Woodward (lead vocals/guitar/harmonica/piano), Natalie Stovall (vocals/fiddle/guitar), and Jennifer Wayne (vocals/guitar).
As stated in my original feature of Runaway June in 2018, the trio first came across my radar when they opened for Trace Adkins at 3rd and Lindsley in 2016. They were spectacular. I still remember hearing the poignant “Wild West” live, which Jennifer Wayne called “one of my favorite songs I ever written.”
In 2019, the girls opened for Carrie Underwood on her Cry Pretty tour. That was also the year their now mega-hit “Buy My Own Drinks” went viral, which firmly planted them on the country music map.
Honored as a coveted “New Face” at the 2020 Country Radio Seminar, the BBR Music Group / Wheelhouse Records trio’s Top 5 single, “Buy My Own Drinks,” was the highest charting song by a female group since The Chicks in 2003.
But when COVID-19 shut down the world in the spring of 2020, all the momentum the girls had created came to a screeching halt. That tumultuous time brought some personnel changes within the group.
Natalie Stovall (from Season 13 of The Voice) worked on country music television. In March 2020, she was scheduled to be on 40 shows when she found all work was canceled due to the pandemic. When Hannah Mulholland left Runaway June, Stovall, a long-time friend of Wayne’s, was an obvious choice for the replacement.
The timing was right because Stovall, who also hosts The Grand Ol Opry on streaming/television, had time to commit to a new project since she wasn’t working otherwise. The energy she brings to her television hosting gigs is evident as she performs with Runaway June. Her fiddle-playing is unmatched. She can cover Charlie Daniel’s magnificent “Devil Went Down to Georgia” solo note for note.
By August 2021, the trio released their EP backstory and opened for Luke Bryan in St. Louis. The song “T-Shirt” was a big hit, especially to all the girls who could personally relate.
In April of 2022, the multi-instrumentalist and uber-talented Stevie Woodward took over as lead singer, creating the band's most dynamic version to date. They can put on a helluva show, and their songwriting proves their synchronicity.
Original bandmate Wayne shared, “I feel so lucky to have these girls in a band with me and being able to write with them and make music with them. This new music we're about to release is my favorite music I've ever been a part of.”
This high-octane version of the band brought us the sassy, rockin’ singles “Broken Hearts (Do Broken Things,” “He Ain’t My Problem,” and “Make Me Wanna’ Smoke.”
However, their latest single, “To Be Yours,” is quite a departure from their previous releases. Serenaded by Stovall’s elegant fiddle playing, the simply produced song showcases the girls’ impeccable harmony.
Woodward came up with the idea and melody. She explained, “I was talking to my boyfriend at the time. We had a conversation, and we were talking about kids. He was like, ‘Do you want children one day?’ And I said, ‘Maybe, maybe not. But if it happens, great. And if it doesn't, it's okay. I would be happy just to be with you and yours.’ And so, after that conversation, I went into my bedroom and started writing the first verse, half of the first verse, and I brought it in. And the girls immediately were like, ‘We have to write that.’"
Stovall added, “It was fun to see Stevie's perspective when she brought that song in because we all know where she is in her relationship. I've been married for 16 years. It took me back to that moment when I had those feelings for the first time and realized I was with the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life.”
The trio has been working on new music and was originally going to release a different single, but when their team heard “To Be Yours,” they knew it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day.
When the verse states, This kind of love's the kind that makes you want a family/ Our babies could have babies/ And we'll watch 'me all get married/ Or dance just the two of us/ Like we've always done before/ But I would be happy just to be yours, you see why it’s the perfect song to celebrate true love.
As one of my earliest Spotlight features, I have been a fan of Runaway June for many years. But as the saying goes, “You’re not getting older; you’re getting better.” That tagline perfectly sums up the ever-evolving trio. Just when you think they can’t possibly get any better, they prove that, indeed, they can.
You can follow Runaway June on their website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and X.