Artist: Marc-Alan Prince
Album: Runway
Release: May 5, 2026; Travel Well Records
To say that Marc-Alan Prince has been around the block is somewhat of an understatement. Hailing from Milwaukee, he has spent almost 2 decades touring the country, acoustic guitar in hand. He is a traveling man, if you will. His newest record, Runway, showcases that experience quite nicely.
The first two songs on this EP fall into a category I call outcast anthems. Track 1 “Runway” starts with some really punchy guitar that carries the song. This song is about feeling a lack of belonging and leaving town. The chorus is pretty hype. Marc-Alan’s raspy voice really delivers here and starts the album out on a good footing. “The Damned” is thematically very similar to the first track. I find myself wondering why they are right next to each other on the album. Just listen, y’all will get what I mean about outcast anthems. However, theming hardly matters when you taken into account the harmonica laid out on the track. Damn! I love it! Ultimately, I get why the song made the album. The harmonica alone sells the song for me; however, I am still left wondering why they are right next to each other in track order. It leaves me feeling a little overwhelmed with that particular theme.
“The Devil And Me” is a song about self-doubt built from a childhood that made you feel less than, the struggle to come to terms with it and the desire to love yourself. Learning to love yourself is the only way to set yourself free. ‘If there is a hell, I’ve been there. The devil is me.” It is that line that illustrates the point of the song the best. Your in hell, but ultimately you are the only one holding yourself there. Change is hard, especially when it means dealing with life long trauma. I love the analogy. Marc-Alan’s vocal performance is wonderful. You feel the struggle through his vocals in a visceral way. This is by far my favorite song on the EP.
In “Fighting Man”, the harmonica is back and once again it is fabulous. I am honestly all in on the harmonica. The song is the perfect capstone. Ending an album that is about struggle and survival with a fight song is great. The fight song is performed in a nonchalant style instead of the typical high energy you get from most fight songs. You know the type. The kind of song that is upbeat and metaphorically screams—I have finally found what I needed to keep fighting. This song isn’t that. It instead, invokes a resolute feeling that says— Of course I am going to fight because that is what I have been doing this entire time. It’s so matter of fact; it’s deeply inspiring.
Runaway is a nice inclusion to the folk punk lexicon. If you are a fan of the genre, this is an album for you check out. It’s punk, it’s Americana, and it’s timeless in a way that only folk can be.
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