Runaway June releases 'New Kind of Emotion (Lily’s Song)'

QHMG/Quartz Hill Records

The trio shares an intimate, demo version of the song

QHMG/Quartz Hill Records’ Runaway June has released “New Kind of Emotion (Lily’s Song),” an early demo recording of what would become the ACM-nominated trio’s Top 5 Most Added Song at U.S. Country Radio at Mediabase, upon the single’s official impact date.

Named for founding band member Jennifer Wayne’s three-year-old daughter, “New Kind of Emotion (Lily’s Song),” is a stripped-down, more intimate version of Runaway June’s feel-good ode to falling in love.

“This was a demo recording, so no one was really ever meant to hear it,” shares Wayne. “But it’s special to me because this was the first version that my daughter, Lily, fell in love with. When she first heard it, she stopped in her tracks and started swaying and dancing to it. She looked like the happiest little girl in the world. That image plays in my mind every time we perform the song!”

“New Kind of Emotion (Lily’s Song)” was produced by hit songwriter Paul Sikes (Lainey Wilson’s MusicRow No. 1 “Hang Tight Honey”). Sikes also co-wrote “New Kind of Emotion” alongside Runaway June band members Wayne, Natalie Stovall, and Stevie Woodward.

The radio single version was produced by two-time Grammy winner Kristian Bush (Sugarland, Megan Moroney). Showcasing Runaway June’s trademark three-part harmonies, Bush’s intoxicating mid-tempo production perfectly captures the emotional rush of starting to love someone or something.

“We were talking about that feeling you get when you experience any kind of new love,” Stovall has previously said. “And it doesn’t just have to be romantic love. Of course, a lot of us were thinking about our romantic partners, but Jen was also thinking about her daughter, and I was probably thinking about my dog. I know Stevie was thinking about her cat!”

“There’s a lot of days, as a songwriter, you go into a room and it’s like you’re banging your head against the wall,” Woodward recently told American Songwriter. “That’s just part of the creative process because you’re not always going to feel inspired. But the day we wrote ‘New Kind of Emotion,’ we were all inspired. The stars aligned perfectly for it to happen.”

Runaway June’s upcoming tour dates include the York State Fair in Pennsylvania on July 24th and Concert for a Cause in Columbus, Ohio, on August 9th.