Trio replaces founding member Hannah Mulholland

A day after announcing the departure of founding member Hannah Mulholland, Runaway June has been made a whole again with the arrival of Natalie Stovall. Naomi Cooke and Jennifer Wayne have shared that the vocalist and fiddler has joined the trio.

“Everyone meet the newest member of Runaway June, Natalie Stovall!!” they share. “We couldn’t be more excited for the future and we can’t wait to perform again soon. We love you all more than words could ever express and we thank you for the outpouring of kindness, love and support in these wild, crazy times. It has kept us going, kept us positive and motivated to give more, go further, push harder. We are ecstatic to share this new chapter with Natalie and cannot wait for you all to adore her as much as we do. See you all as soon as possible and in the meantime please stay home & healthy! We miss and love you!!”

The new trio made the announcement on The Bobby Bones Show on Friday where they also confirmed discussions for a Christmas album are underway. Cooke explains Mulholland wants to be in California with her husband of two years and the separation is amicable.

On Thursday (May 14th), Mulholland announced that she was leaving the trio after five years and one album together. She didn’t state a reason, but asked that fans, “continue to follow my creative endeavors and share in what the future has to hold.” She said the decision was “bittersweet, but I am excited to continue to evolve and grow, while keeping these memories near and dear to my heart.”

Stovall has performed as a solo artist and as frontwoman of Natalie Stovall and the Drive. The band was previously signed by Warner Bros. in which Wayne repped before becoming a performer.

Last year marked a breakthrough year for the group as their single “Buy My Own Drinks” raced up the country charts making them the first all-female trio in over sixteen years to score a Top 5 hit. The milestone was not only a chart triumph for the band but was also celebrated as their first Top 5 hit as songwriters.

Last summer, they released their debut album, Blue Roses, on Wheelhouse Records. The album gained critical acclaim resulting in the album claiming spots on many end of year lists of the best country and Americana albums including Paste and Rolling Stone.

Since Cooke, Mulholland and Wayne formed Runaway June five years ago, the trio have scored major tours with some of the biggest names and icons in music including supporting seven-time Grammy winner and Pollstar’s three-time top female country touring artist Carrie Underwood on the Cry Pretty Tour 360 – recently performing 55 arena dates across the US and Canada.