Runaway June has just been announced as one of the opening acts, along with Maddie & Tae, for Carrie Underwood‘s upcomng Cry Pretty 360 Tour, kicking off in May of 2019, after Underwood welcomes her second child.
The trio, made up of Naomi Cooke, Hannah Mulholland, and Jennifer Wayne, released their debut single, “Lipstick,” in 2017. That was followed by “Wild West” in 2017, and their current single, “Buy My Own Drinks.” All three songs are from an upcoming new album, which they promise is almost finished.
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“We’re getting close,” Mulholland tells PopCulture.com. “We really are close. We just got a batch of songs back. We’re working with Dann Huff now. We’re going back with him in the studio very soon.”
“We’re thrilled with how the music is turning out,” adds Cooke. “It’s worth the wait, but it’s coming. We’re just as anxious, if not more. We’re playing some of the songs out for people, and they’re getting a great reaction. We’re real excited. And we’re very close.”
Runaway June might be relative newcomers to the country music scene, but they certainly aren’t strangers to the stage. The threesome have opened for some of the genre’s biggest artists, including Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson, along with a long run of dates with Jon Pardi and Midland. Each night, the women took plenty of notes on how to perfect their own show.
“There’s so much to learn,” Cooke says. “We watch the sets every night and we’ve definitely stolen a few tricks from some people, which is great. But we’ve learned how to really gel with our own band, and seeing what kind of works in different environments, in all different types of crowds and all different sizes.”
Cooke, Mulholland and Wayne grew up loving music, albeit not all the same styles. But though their tastes might be different, they easily agree on the sound they want Runaway June to create.
“We have the same vision for what we want to say and what we want it to be and what we want to be, so we actually have never encountered a song where one of us loved it and the other two hated it, in any form like that,” Cooke says. “There’s times when we disagree maybe a little bit on placement in the set, because our show will have a vibe that kind of goes through it, but we’ve never disagreed on songs.”
“In a trio, you have to give and take,” she continues. “It’s kind of the beauty of having three people, is that making decisions actually becomes a little easier. I think it’d be hard if there were two and it’s just going back and forth. We trust each other.”
Runaway June couldn’t contain their excitement when Underwood finally announced her tour, after months of planning.
“WE ARE GOING ON TOUR WITH CARRIE UNDERWOOD!!!!!” Runaway June share on Instagram, along with a photo of them sharing their jubilance. “We can not express our gratitude and excitement enough for this opportunity so here’s a pic of us losing our minds!!!! Can. Not. Wait. Thank you so much @carrieunderwood. This is going to be one for the books!! Tickets go on sale next Friday!!!”
A list of all of their upcoming shows can be found at RunawayJune.com.
Photo Credit: Getty images/Matt Winkelmeyer
