Runa: Tracks That Shaped My Sound

Hailing from a quaint town in southern Italy, Runa emerges as a captivating indie artist with a magnetic presence that has transcended from the intimate corners of her small-town origins to the bustling metropolis of Leeds, one of the UK's largest cities. Drawing inspiration from luminaries like Florence and The Machine and P.J. Harvey, Runa has swiftly become the talk of the town, earning the title of Leeds' most intriguing witch. Her artistic journey unfolds like a vivid tapestry, weaving together tales of her early departure from her homeland, the complexities of love, and the relentless pressures of coming of age. With her debut single, "Let You In," resonating on BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio USA & UK, Runa delivers a potent blend of raw, intimate lyrics infused with a distinctive sensuality, leaving an indelible mark on the indie music scene.

As Runa continues to carve her path in the musical landscape, her latest single, "Are You Lost?" released through Launchpad+, serves as a poignant chapter in her evolving narrative. Unveiling her deepest insecurities, the song paints a vivid portrait of the artist grappling with the shackles of self-doubt and fear. This track represents Runa at her most vulnerable, exploring the profound emotions tied to dreaming ambitiously, to the point of drowning in jealousy and succumbing to the pervasive fear of failure. "Are You Lost?" is a tale of frustration and forgiveness, showcasing the artist's willingness to bare her soul through her music.

Open window- Warhaus

I Think “Open Window" is the clearest reference when it comes to “Are You Lost?”, musically. I have always been a big fan of drama, theatricality, the romanticisation of carnality, which led me eventually to connect with Warhaus’ music on a very deep level. The choir at the end of this song is what inspired the main hook of “Are You Lost?”, I wanted something that resembled feelings of pain with a twist of sensuality and to me no one speaks with such delicate roughness as him. I found familiarity in the mea-culpa tones of his music: we write to forgive ourselves for our own sins, out of selfishness or desire to be comprehended I guess, but that’s what “Are You Lost?” ended up being about, and I think this song definitely had something to do with it.

No Choir- Florence And The Machine

The way I have been approaching writing about my feelings in the past has been completely revolutionised after the album “High As Hope” by F.A.T.M came out. In “Are You Lost?”  I wanted the vocal melodies to resemble a Florence-type solfeggio but with a funeral march tone.

The voices are not liberating or cathartic or even forgiving, they represent the whispers of my insecurities accompanying me through life in such a delicate way that I almost didn’t mind them, they needed to have a melancholia and kind of pity-ness to them and without songs like No Choir I would have never approached the idea of digging deep enough to write about these themes. Lyrically and vocally she is my guiding light.

Nude- Radiohead

The sounds and melodic work of one of the guitars in “Are You Lost?” are inspired by this track. One of the guitarists in my band, Aidan, who is one of the most talented musical geniuses I have ever met and worked with, wanted to replicate the delicate, soft guitar tones of this song. And obviously Aidan’s touch was added once the part was written, which truly is inspiring for me: to work with a group of people who already have such a distinctive sound belonging to them that inspiration stays where it is supposed to be and doesn’t become a copy and paste of someone else’s work. The whole band is made of incredible musicians and “Are You Lost?” wouldn’t exist if they didn’t add their own little references to each song I write and bring to them. 

All I Need- AIR

When it came to actually writing a demo for the song that wasn’t just me and my guitar in my bedroom, I called my producer Dan.  We wrote down a handful of references and one of the ones that resonated the most was “All I Need” and we based the bass and drums parts on it. Muted bass, the chill 70s yacht rock inspiration; the disco strings that the song has, we found they had a certain cinematic effect, dramatic, which is what I’m all about in the end.

The song wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for Daniel Marshall, who is an incredible producer and musician and it was important for me to mention him and his references for “Are You Lost?”, because he is quite literally one of my artistic soulmates. I cannot imagine my music in the hands of anybody else and nobody else would understand it the way he does. I went to him, told him I had an idea and he beautifully shaped it with me. And just started writing.

Check out Runa's Music Here: