A few weeks after the world learned of the departure of Runaway June member Naomi Cook Johnson, the remaining members of the country trio played a few shows together as a duo.
And it felt good.
“We definitely loved it [Naomi] And she wanted to do what was on her mind — her passing was sad for us and I think we went through a grieving process,” Wayne, 40, says in a new interview with People. “But at the same time, [remaining member] Natalie [Stovall] And I got to the point where we really believed that we could do it just the two of us.”
But still something was holding them back.
“We still like the three-part harmony,” Wayne continues. “We grew up in The Chicks. Natalie and I knew we could do this together, but it would be better if we found someone else.” She stops. “We both agreed we weren’t going to do it unless we found someone who would make us better. We didn’t. have to do Find someone. we wanted To find the right person.
ACACIA EVANS
And that perfect fit came in the form of lead singer Stevie Woodward.
“Jennifer and I actually got to know each other a few years ago,” explains Woodward, 29, who now serves as the newest member of the chart-topping all-female trio, which formed in 2015 and is best known for hits like “Bye.” My own drink.” “We wrote some songs together and kept in touch. So when they were looking for a new lead singer, Jane contacted me. It felt like it had to happen. There was so much musical chemistry that was instant.”
“It felt like we were sisters singing together,” adds Wayne, who gave birth to daughter Lily earlier this year. “It feels like it’s been like this the whole time. Change is always hard, but at the end of it, there’s always something beautiful.”
ACACIA EVANS
And now, as the reformed country trio prepares to close the door on a year they describe as one of “restructuring,” all three are moving forward with new music, including the new holiday tune “Cowboy for Christmas.” ”
“I’ve never been more proud of anything I’ve ever recorded,” says Stovall, 40, of “Cowboy for Christmas,” a song written with producer Paul Sykes and members of Runaway June. An incredible violin playing song by a Tennessee native. “It was one of the most painful violin plays I’ve ever done. It took me days to do those string parts, and my arm hurt, but I was determined to get it right.”
This perfectionist type of trait is something that all the members of Runaway June admit to seeing, hearing and feeling on their current single, “Broken Hearts (Do Broken Things).”
“We want to make sure everything we put out is 100 percent ‘us,'” Wayne explains of the song, written by Mandi Sagal, Steve Fee and Sarah Lake. “That’s why we spend 12-hour days in the studio, just trying to figure it out and get it right and make it real and authentic to us. We always want to create something we’re proud of.”
And now, things seem to be back in sync for Runaway June.
“We’ve had such a whirlwind of a year making new music together and being on the road a ton,” says Stovall. “I mean, we got to play so many incredible festivals and dream venues that I’ve always wanted to play. And then to release some of the music that we’ve been working so hard on and creating together this year. It feels like everything is really coming together. And it’s starting to coalesce.”
