Runaway Angel Shares On Their Latest Single, “Growing Up”
For over a decade, Runaway Angel has captivated audiences with their hook-filled harmonies, high-energy performances, and heartfelt lyrics. The trio—comprised of CCMA Discovery Artist Nominees Stacey Zegers, Ann Chaplin, and Cadence Grace—has become a fan favorite, touring both Canada and Europe and opening for chart-topping acts like Dierks Bentley, Dallas Smith, and Terri Clark. After a brief hiatus in 2019 to support lead singer Grace during her battle with leukemia, the girls reunited in 2023 with a renewed sense of purpose and connection.
Now, Runaway Angel is back with their latest single, “Growing Up,” a fun, energetic blend of country roots and pop sensibility that explores the tug-of-war between growing up and staying young. Co-written with country artist Chris Buck and produced by Adam Newcomb, “Growing Up” captures the nostalgia of simpler times, making it a relatable anthem for anyone who’s ever longed for the carefree joys of youth. With their new single, Runaway Angel is solidifying their place in contemporary country music, bridging traditional sounds with a modern flair. Let’s dive into their journey and the story behind “Growing Up.”
First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Ann – I am a singer/songwriter originally from Deep River, Ontario and now living in Toronto. I was a solo artist before my friend Cadence approached me about meeting Stacey to potentially start a trio! I love the outdoors and dream of extremely long hiking adventures.
Stacey – My name is Stacey Zegers, I grew up on a pig farm in Wardsville ON, and really wanted to learn guitar at 12 years old. I learned slowly, mainly teaching myself, and started writing songs around the same time. After a terrible Canadian Idol experience, I thought I’d never play music again but once I did, I booked myself across Canada, into the US and Europe, and basically learned as I went. After feeling a calling to create a group, I contacted Cadence, who said Ann would be a perfect 3rd and the rest is history!
Cadence – I’m a singer/songwriter from Courtice, Ontario and I also have a place in Nashville. I’ve been singing, writing, and performing music since I was a young girl. I started off in the pop world and had lots of success with licensing for film and television. I crossed over into the country because the industry itself just seemed so much more accepting. I spent a couple of years as a solo artist which is where I met Stacey, we were both on the CMT reality show ‘Karaoke Star’. We became fast friends and after throwing around the idea of a group for quite a while I finally caved and switched from solo to being part of Runaway Angel.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
“Growing Up” is a super fun and anthemic song about not feeling your age. It was one of the easiest songs we’ve ever written, because (apart from our achy joints and desire to be in bed much earlier) we certainly do not feel like we’re “grown ups”!
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
Ann – Typically we have a powwow to see if anyone has a concept or melody that they feel very strongly about. Between the three of us, someone usually will have something that they have been sitting on that they want to hash out. Once the concept is agreed upon we get to work! Sometimes it is already pretty well thought out, and sometimes it is a very “from the ground up” process.
Stacey – It’s never the same, sometimes I have a melody and that’s it, sometimes I have partial lyrics or a beat I like to work with. One of my favourite parts is collaborating with the girls to see where they take the ideas.
Cadence – I definitely have a few approaches to writing that depend on who I’m writing with and whether I have any ideas. If I’m co-writing I usually throw some ideas around with my co-writer(s) to see if anything sticks. If I have no lyrical ideas and I’m writing alone or working on song ideas I typically start with a melodic hook of some kind and repeat it until some kind of melody comes to me. I generally ramble or mumble over the melody and sometimes a word or syllable feels right for a certain spot in the song and from there lyrical ideas start coming to me.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
Ann – We have been taking a lot of footage at our live shows and hope to release a fun video that captures the joy we feel when we’re performing together.
Stacey – We’ve been able to play this summer, which has been so much fun. We’ll be creating lots of content and getting it out as much as possible.
Cadence – We’re looking forward to releasing lots of social content featuring the new tune as well as a live music video for the single featuring some of our performance footage from this summer.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
Ann – Becoming a CCMA Discovery Award finalist was definitely a huge accomplishment; even more so than we probably realized at the time. We learned so much from the whole experience, grew closer as friends, and met incredible people.
Stacey – CCMA Discovery was huge for us. Having the additional training it provides has stayed with us today and definitely took our careers to the next level at the time.
Cadence – CCMA Discovery was definitely a highlight in our careers and set us up for future success. Everyone on the CCMA team and all the mentors were so amazing.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
Ann – There are some artists that we have known for over a decade in the scene like Nicole Rayy, Elyse Saunders, Callie McCullough, and Leanne Pearson (to name just a few!) that have been working their butts off and consistently releasing great music. They deserve every pair of ears we can send their way.
Stacey – Patrick James Clark is probably one of the hardest-working musicians I know and deserves a lot of notice and credit.
Cadence – I second Ann’s comment- all of those ladies are amazing! I also really dig Olivia Mae Graham.
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