The Runarounds: From Screen to Stage
Not every band from a TV show is a real one. During the production of their show, The Runarounds became a real band and family with an indie rock vibe and a coming of age tone. The Runarounds speak to their audience through their relatable songs that make you remember what it was like to be 17 and uncertain.
Written by Brooklyn Slie
Photo courtesy of Jackson Lee Davis/Prime
Imagine being a young band of misfit high school seniors intent on making noisy music, ignoring graduation, and vying for stardom in your small coastal town. As seen on TV, The Runarounds are a high-energy, guitar heavy, indie-rock band that came together after “Outerbanks” creator Jonas Pate’s chose them for his newest show on Amazon Prime Video.
“The Runarounds” series consists of a group of high school graduates that come together to form a rock band in North Carolina, bonding over their shared love of music. They make friends, make music, and grow up, all while fighting against an inevitable graduation date. The show got popular after its release in September 2025, and has only gained traction as fans realized their band isn’t only for show, but makes real music.
The Runarounds’ sound wasn’t created out of thin air. In an interview on the Zach Sang Show, the cast discussed their upbringing and how they were found for the show. Pate found each of the members early on while a lot of them were still in high school. Guitarist and vocalist William Lipton has been childhood best friends with lead guitarist Jeremy Yun since they were six years old. They played together and would post videos of themselves on YouTube, which led to casting directors Lisa Mae and Craig Fincannon discovering them for the show. The other members of the band, bassist Jessie Golliher, drummer Zendé Murdock and singer-guitarist Axel Ellis, round out the band with their cohesive sound.
After finding all of the members five years before the show aired, the band spent that time writing their own music. They came together for jam sessions and started playing together as a band and not just a cast, said in Melodic Magazine. While the show was being created, time allowed the band to grow as both songwriters and musicians. Among the five years spent in production, each member found their voice as a person and musician. At 14-years-old, Lipton and Yun grew from making at home music videos and being a Kiss cover band. Now, they sing indie-rock songs about graduating high school and being in love. Ellis sings and strums his heart out in The Runarounds and the band, Ax and the Hatchetmen. Golliher rocks out on bass, while occasionally singing about not knowing your purpose and the unknown. Murdock takes after his father. He slams his sticks on the drums, matching beats and melodies with passion that is unmatched. Each member has their specialities and talents, but most of all, they make each other work harder and be better. Being in a TV series is special on its own, but what’s more intriguing is creating a band from scratch.
In contrast to most shows about bands, Pate wanted a band first and a cast second, as said in the Zach Sang Show. The band worked together to find their sound, and had free rein with their music for the show. The members said they had written at least 40 songs in the beginning and finished with 16. Pate would work with the band to write a script based off of one of their songs, and vice versa.
When the band members came together, they immediately found their groove as a band. Each song heard throughout the show somewhat correlates to the order that the band wrote it. The growth of the band exists throughout the show and in their songs. “Senior Year” presents their talent in vocals, strum of electric guitars, and the clash of drums. Their voices are uncertain, yet clear. Each member sings with a purpose, jumping on stage, playing the guitar, and singing like their lives depend on it. Tracks like “Funny How The Universe Works” lets the audience feel and hear how far they’ve come. Between the precision of the drums and guitar, the song is an excellent representation of how the band’s talent has increased. The lyrics seem more heartfelt, the singing more precise, and aimed to let the audience feel. It’s fast-paced. The vocals sung with purpose and drums hit in a rapid motion. Each song plays easy on the ears, but as the band’s talent blooms, their music does as well.
While finding their voices, the members listened to different bands that influenced their tastes and sound. Ellis listens to bands like The Backseat Lovers, Hippo Campus, and The Strokes. The light-hearted, bouncy groove that can be heard in each of these bands is a part of Ellis’ sound as a musician. When he sings, he’s passionate. Ellis sings each lyric with purpose, which is prominent in his vocals in songs like “Arrythmia (I Hope You Stay)”. Golliher is keen on bands like Modern Baseball and Title Fight. In tracks like “15 Root Beers,” the similarity of vocals and tone of the track can be seen in Golliher’s music inspiration. He has a deep rasp and a post-hardcore punk vibe. Each member has their own taste, but generally they land in the indie, pop punk rock genre that combines a mix of all of their tastes.
Each track carries significant meanings that relate to listeners in a nostalgic fashion. Nostalgia is prominent in “Senior Year,” because of the sentimental memories that come with remembering life at 17 and not knowing what’s next in the future. The song is meaningful but upbeat. It has varying tempos, alternating from slow to fast. It's able to get a crowd rowdy with the passionate vocals and combination of instruments, while intertwining soft melodies and vocals. “Shoelaces,” incorporates a melodic drawl of vocals, members singing and yearning about wanting someone. Vocalists Lipton and Ellis alternate singing about wanting a person who wants someone else, then singing together in harmony in the chorus. The tune plays upbeat and fast, with varying tempos and beats throughout the single. Listeners can relate to the track because they describe a situation that most can relate to, loving someone who you can’t have. “Beautiful Stranger,” has an equally enticing, different melody. The tempo is slow, with soft vocals and mesmerizing guitar. Light taps of a cymbal, cracks of the snare, and the overlaying velvety voice lead into a melodic guitar riff. Each track is beautifully unique.
An important factor to both the show and music was authenticity. Each member of the band wanted to incorporate pieces of their lives into their characters and music. The track “Senior Year” was mainly written by Golliher, and influenced by his last year of high school. Each member contributed to the creation of the song, but Golliher implemented the ideas of moving on from a time in your life and growing from it. The track is about “messing up” and “missing out.” The lighthearted melody contrasts the lyrics discussing fearing the future. The track emits the fear or uncertainties that the members faced and it’s heard in the scratch or crack of their voices. Golliher wrote the track “15 Root Beers,” a song about struggling to find yourself and your potential. It has acoustic strums of a guitar which contrasts to the rough vocals throughout the track. This song resonates with listeners because everyone has a moment in their life when they don’t think they are special or have a purpose. It strikes the heart of each listener, reminding them of a time where they felt unsure and uncertain. Each lyric stands as meaningful, real, and raw. Golliher sings about feeling unworthy and “not being special,” which holds as relatable to young teens trying to muster through life. The evocative ballad doesn’t talk about love or relationships, but rather, shows the band’s authenticity, especially considering Golliher’s personal connection to the song With each track, like “Minivan,” or “Ghosts,” the band worked together to write a track that had all of their ideas and tastes combined. They collaborated to make songs that embody their brand, their sound, and their mindset.
The Runarounds’ music incorporates an indie rock and pop punk style. They embody bands like The Backseat Lovers, Catfish and the Bottlemen, and Sun Room with their uplifting and bouncy tempo. Songs feature smooth guitar rifts, layered vocals, and fast-paced drums while dealing with themes about chasing their dreams, growing up, and nourishing their friendships. For instance, the track “Shoelaces” starts with a guitar rift similar to the melodies in songs by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, specifically in tracks like “November,” which features crispy strums of a guitar and a melody that feels like you’re floating. The track “Arrhythmia (I Hope You Stay)” begins with a slow melody, soft drums, and raw vocals. There are bits of rough guitar in the melody and different vocals from members of the band, which makes the song special by bouncing back and forth between Lipton and Ellis. They each take turns singing a verse, along with singing simultaneously in the chorus. The bridge includes a scratchy guitar and loud drums, which add to the slightly melancholy vibe of the track. Not only do The Runarounds represent themselves in the melodies of their music, but in their performances on stage.
The Runarounds are currently on ‘The Minivan Tour’ which kicked off in September 2025 and is continuing until June 2026. Their tours represent their positive energies and melodies that are portrayed in their music. They jump, they dance, and their interactions with each other on stage truly represent the type of bond they’ve formed with one another over the years. Guitarists Yun and Ellis will rock out on during their riffs, with head bangs and shakes of their guitars. Yun and Lipton will sing together in a microphone while playing their instruments, and laugh about it afterwards. Their live shows represent their passion for music. It’s performative but raw, upbeat but meaningful. They scream and they play their instruments like it’s the only thing they know how to do.
The Runarounds are becoming a hit. Between their performance as a band in their show and on stage, they are quickly showing fans who they are and why they deserve to be here. It took them about five years to create the show, but in that time they created a solid band that learned to songwrite and master their craft. Their connection as a band is prominent in the way they present themselves to fans. They hug, laugh, and sing together with a bond that is impossible to fabricate. The Runarounds is not only a show, but a band and a family that was created in the process.