At just sixteen, Ava Valianti already writes with the kind of emotional clarity that most artists spend decades chasing. Her new single, “Running on Empty,” the centerpiece of her debut EP petunias, captures that quiet ache of realizing someone has drifted away — not in one dramatic exit, but through a series of small, fading moments. It’s the kind of heartbreak that sneaks up on you, and Ava translates it into song with a mix of raw honesty and melodic grace.
Written in a hotel room after back-to-back gigs in New York, “Running on Empty” feels both immediate and timeless. The verses hum with late-night vulnerability — her voice soft but steady — before opening up into a chorus that feels like release, all shimmering guitar and echoing reverb. There’s an intimacy here that recalls artists like Gracie Abrams or early Phoebe Bridgers, but Ava’s perspective is distinctly her own: youthful, self-aware, and quietly resilient.
Thematically, petunias is about finding beauty in what’s often overlooked, and “Running on Empty” fits that perfectly. It takes something familiar — the slow unraveling of a connection — and finds grace within it. The song never wallows; instead, it lingers in that space between sadness and acceptance, where growth quietly begins. Across petunias, Ava explores the fragile, luminous moments of teenage life — love, confusion, self-doubt, and hope — with the touch of someone who truly feels what she’s writing. There’s nothing forced or polished for the sake of it. Even at her youngest, she’s writing music that doesn’t just describe growing up; it sounds like growing up.
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