a tender reflection on loss, resilience, and the quiet ache of growing up

running on empty by 16-year-old singer-songwriter ava valianti, friend of the blog, stands as the emotional centerpiece of her debut ep petunias – a soft, aching meditation on love fading not in flames, but in slow, quiet moments. written alone in a hotel room after her first back-to-back gigs in new york city, the song captures that haunting space between connection and distance, when someone you love begins to disappear from your life without warning.

built on gentle acoustic tones and hushed, intimate vocals, running on empty distills raw emotion into something beautifully understated. valianti’s songwriting feels like a diary entry sung under fading light – vulnerable, observant, and profoundly real. her words don’t chase grandeur; instead, they linger in the ordinary heartbreak of time passing and memories slipping away.

rooted in indie folk and contemporary pop, the track highlights a young artist already fluent in emotional truth. with running on empty, ava continues to define herself as one of pop’s most honest new voices – one who finds meaning not in perfection, but in feeling.

thank u for making this ava valianti 🌷