Hayley Orrantia Leaves Homesickness Behind with ‘Give Me Back Sunday’

Moving away from home can be a tough transition for any young person and can easily lead to feelings of being homesick and a desire to return to what they know. For country newcomer Hayley Orrantia, turning her feelings into a song was one of the ways she was able to cope with leaving Texas at the age of 19 and starting a new life in Los Angeles. That’s where her new single, “Give Me Back Sunday,” comes in.

“I actually wrote it awhile back about when I first moved to LA and I really was homesick. I was really excited at first to move out there and I really had never been outside my hometown,” Orrantia recently told Sounds Like Nashville during a phone interview. “I had visited places but being away from my parents, who I’m so close to, was hard. I kind of had a switch in that first year where I was like, ‘wow, I really miss being back home’ and the things about home that make it feel like a small town.'”

With a couple of lines already in her head, Orrantia took the concept to Jason Saenz and Todd Clark, who loved the idea.

“I was just telling Todd and Jason I want to write a song about how I miss home and here’s some lines that I have. They just were able to immediately pick up on the feeling and resonate with it and we just started writing,” she recalled. “I feel like it really didn’t take that long. I mean, it was just one of those experiences where everyone kind of immediately got in tune with the idea.”

The song will get its chance to resonate with fans as it is being played on Radio Disney Country, something The Goldbergs actress tells SLN is a dream come true.

“I’m still in shock that they want to do this,” she shared. “Growing up, I listened to Radio Disney all the time and I know my parents were so sick of hearing, at the time, what was Aaron Carter and Hilary Duff over and over again. To be in the family, specifically with Radio Disney Country, I think it’s awesome and I’m so thankful that they’re giving me the opportunity.”

As well as being played on radio, “Give Me Back Sunday” also gained a new life when Orrantia and some friends filmed the accompanying music video.

“I shot half of the video in LA and half of the video in Dallas. My roommate [has] a production company and they do music videos and so they were nice enough to collaborate with me on doing this one,” she said. “It ended up working out and I really think it made the video that much more beautiful and real for me. We had a lot of fun doing it. It was a small shoot and it was just really fun and I think it came out really well.”

Fans can check out the brand new music video above.

Catch Orrantia as Erica Goldberg on ABC’s The Goldbergs on Wednesdays at 8/7c.