I woke up this past Saturday morning ready to do one thing: run.
It might sound crazy to y’all, but I’ve been on this exercise kick to boost my mental health and actually love it. I used to dread the soccer practice sprints or the family gym visits, but something about the fresh Nashville air and resulting strength it builds really keep me running.
It has also been a great opportunity for productive, healthy, and fun time with my boyfriend. He keeps me going as well, and last Saturday morning while I was getting ready, he decided to play some pump-up music. His idea: all songs with run in the title.
He went through “Run” by COIN, “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyoncé, “Take It On the Run” by REO Speedwagon, and more. It was quite a variety, but there seemed to be a theme; each song had a lot of energy to it, attempting to make the listener’s heart beat fast and legs get moving.
And though they were right for our morning jog purposes, I found they were missing the underlying depth, pain, and reality of running. It sometimes sucks.
Harrison Storm’s “Run” reaches for that and finds it.
His lyrics paint a picture of the pain of heartbreak and the release of running. I don’t think he means it as literally as I do, but I do understand the feelings that fuel his music.
We don’t need this heartache.
We could break away, if you really want to run.
I don’t always want to run, but Storm’s aching words and ethereal music made me want to plug in and go somewhere else. He ruminates on the difficulty of love, he speaks truths about pain, he hopes for a future found in letting go. The music makes these big topics all the more beautiful and real; the acoustic guitar gets the song going and the synth tracks carry an energy throughout the song.
Harrison Storm knows how to write and make music. And I am sure glad he does. Next time I go to turn on some tunes for my exercise time, I might just turn to “Run” for a whole new experience of the pain and power of moving and moving on.
Now you’ve got my thoughts, but his are all the more authentic and exciting. Lucky for you, we’ve got them.
Read below to hear about his writing process for this song, touring, himself as an artist, and more.
But before you do that, you should follow him on
Twitter // Facebook // Instagram // Spotify
to make sure you don’t miss anything. And here’s his website.
Is there a specific story behind “Run” that you would be willing to share?
There’s not so much a story with this song, but more a feeling that I was caught up in and needed to get down. Feelings of resilience and having someone close by your side when you’re stepping into the unknown.
How did you decide to produce the song in both a melancholic and hopeful way? What specific choices did you make to portray that in the song?
I was lucky enough to work with super talented producer team Nick Atkinson and Edd Holloway on this song. I’m a huge fan of the work they’ve done. I think they highlighted something I always like trying to convey in a song. The balance of honest emotions with a pinch of hope so the song’s not too depressing haha.
What part of “Run” came first in the writing process?
The main guitar riff and main verse melody came together pretty simultaneously for this song. Once the overall structure for everything was fleshed, out the lyrics were tweaked a tiny bit! It was a fun song to write.
What is your favorite lyric from the song?
With you I see hope when before I didn’t care.
For where I was at the time, this lyric really holds a lot of meaning and weight.
I thoroughly appreciate the release of the instrumental version of “Run” alongside the original track. What was the reason behind this?
I wish I could claim the idea of releasing the instrumental version, but that is the work of my brilliant team! So props to them and their great decisions!
Who (or what) are your influences?
I love Ben Howard, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, and Billie Marten. All the B’s haha!
From where do you get your inspiration?
Usually from what’s happening right then and there in my life. There is a constant need to document, in a way, what I’m going through, kind of like self-therapy. And I spend as much time as I can in nature, which is a big inspiration for me.
What advice do you have for other songwriters?
Advice I should give myself too: Just keep writing. There’s so many distractions around, and to keep pushing through and finishing a song is a solid achievement.
Are you working on any new music?
Always! Got some new stuff coming out very soon that I’m excited about!
Are you touring soon?
I’m just finishing up a tour with Gregory Alan Isakov around Australia, and then I head over to jump on a tour opening for Ziggy Alberts around the UK and Europe. Pinching myself!
