Francesca Tarantino is Running to New Heights with “My Runaway”

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has a bright year ahead of them. A new year means new music and recipes here at Southern Fellow. We are starting things off with a fresh artist who released her first single today titled “My Runaway”. Francesca Tarantino might be a new name to many of you, but I have been working with this young rocker for a couple of years now. To be honest, I think I have been looking forward to today just as much as Francesca has. So why should you care about any of this? Let me roll up my sleeves and answer that question.

At 14, Francesca deserves some credit for simply releasing music. However, “My Runaway” isn’t anything you would expect from someone so young. Nevertheless, her first single is ahead of releases from female artists twice her age and experience level. Still, to this very day, I often forget how young Francesca is. She has to remind me that she is in school constantly. Also, selling an artist so young to venues is difficult. I’ve experienced this firsthand with a local distillery. However, once they listened and spoke with Francesca, they were sold and frequently ask about when she is playing next.

Who is “My Runaway” for? If you had asked me this question yesterday, I would have said females 14-24. However, I played Fran’s single this morning for my mother, who is 67, and she liked the track. Her reaction surprised the hell out of me. So today, I will say “My Runaway” will relate to many people for several reasons. First, if rock guitar solos are your thing, this song is for you. Mike Walker, the lead guitarist and a co-writer on this single, is simply incredible. Secondly, Francesca has excellent vocals. Especially for someone who has only just started. The last thing about “My Runaway” is, in my opinion, the most important.

We mainly review country songs here at Southern Fellow. In that genre of music, the story is everything. “My Runaway” may not reveal a complete story, but it covers a serious topic that I believe will relate to many women, and it’s something I experienced last year.

Have you ever had a situation that you wanted to run away from? We all have at some point. As a guy, it feels weird trying to pull from the female perspective, but last year in Nashville, I was there when some of my friends had to deal with a stalker. He flew in to see their show and had been their fan for a while. On the internet, things were normal, but in person, this guy was pitiful at times but turned aggressive when he didn’t get the reaction he wanted. You might think I should have kicked his ass and caused a big stink to drive him off. However, today you can’t do that. I could have ended up with felony assault charges, and he could have harmed my business or the girl’s music career with a few keystrokes on social media. This guy had done nothing illegal, but it was a situation we needed to escape. We were able to scrape by unharmed, but it was an experience I don’t think any of us will forget.

Many of you may have been in a similar position or something different. You might be trying to escape addiction, a bad friendship, or abuse. Running away from something harmful is not always easy. For those who have tried, I think “My Runaway” will be the rock anthem for you.