The three members of Running Lights are no strangers to the music industry and several aspects of the business, with Mike having worked as a touring guitarist and keyboardist for the likes of Melanie Martinez, Nick having been an engineer at Electric Lady Studios and Steve having lent his drumming talents to assist indie artist Pronoun at live shows, but it’s the music they’re making together that’s really establishing them among music fans and their artistic counterparts and acquaintances.
Much like everybody else, the trio have had some of their plans for the year disrupted by the Corona Virus but that hasn’t stopped them from being creative and continuing to pursue and share their passion for music, as showcased by the video for new single “One In A Million”, which PopWrapped are delighted to premiere. PW caught up with the band to find out about the challenges that came from making a video with no studio space or film crew, and what the months ahead have in store.
Tell me a little about your new track “One In A Million.” Is there a particular story behind it?
Mike: I think anyone who’s fallen in love knows that story! The song is meant to sound like a first kiss feels, no matter what situation it occurs in.
What is it about the song that made you feel it was the right choice for release as a single?
M: We wanted to release something with a positive, nostalgic feeling. In a world clogged with fear, information overload, and bad vibes, “One in a Million” is a reminder that there is still magic out there. As long as you have someone to love, you can make it through anything.
The video for the track was made with the help of your NYC neighbors. In what ways is this video different from the others you’ve made in the past, and given the restrictions in place, how easy or hard did you find the creative process?
M: It was definitely challenging! We couldn’t hire a film crew or rent studio space so we had to figure the whole process out ourselves with zero budget. It was originally meant to be a full-on performance video because we were sick of playing limited acoustic live streams. We managed to piss off a few neighbors but it gave us a hilarious storyline idea.
Nick: Thankfully mine and Mike’s parents, sister, brother-in-law, and niece were willing to play the roles of our neighbors. Huge thank you to them for stepping in and taking this video to the next level!
How has the Corona Virus affected both your personal and professional plans, and how have you been keeping busy/creative over the last few months?
M: Professionally speaking we’ve missed a few really fantastic performance opportunities. We were set to headline Bowery Ballroom in NYC back in July and it would’ve been our largest show to date. Losing that really hurt but just living with the uncertainty of when we’ll be able to play live in concert again is way more difficult; you get the feeling that being in a band is pointless without going onstage.
N: Luckily there’s a ton of ways to be seen nowadays without only being on stage. That said, we’ve been really diving into TikTok during the lockdown and just having fun with the platform. It’s pretty much the wild west of social media so it’s been interesting to say the least. Additionally, we’ve been doing some IG live appearances and story takeovers to stay active!
Steve: Personally, for all three of us, we won’t let the situation beat us and we’re determined to come out of this a stronger unit. If anything, we’ve kicked things into overdrive behind closed doors.
Given that this year is a write-off for pretty much everybody, particularly artists due to cancelled tour dates and the like, are you looking ahead to 2021 at all yet or are you just waiting to see how well the music industry, and the world in general, recovers from this pandemic over time?
M: I figure the best way to deal with the unknown is to take it as it comes. That being said we’re always planning for the future, constantly writing new material and creating new content. There’ll definitely be a few more surprises from us not only in 2021 but before the end of this crazy year as well! Stay tuned.
Check out the video for “One In A Million” below and for more information on Running Lights, visit their website, give their page a like on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Header photo credit: Rob Farella.
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