On August 4, I had the opportunity to interview and photograph Runner Runner. Head to the replies to read the interview and check out the photographs. If you haven’t heard of Runner Runner you can check them out at Facebook.com/RunnerRunner.
Photos: Click here
Me: For the record can you state your name, what you do in the band, and what your bands name is?
Nick: What’s up? I’m Nick and I play guitar in Runner Runner
Me: What’s the origin of your bands name?
Nick: The name Runner Runner is actually a poker term, it comes from Texas Hold Em. Basically if you and I were to be playing cards and the flop comes out and you have me beat with the hand that you have, I would need the perfect two cards to come out to win. And essentially that means Runner Runner. So the name means playing against the odds and we applied that to music because, you know, there’s a lot of great music out there, a lot of talent. And we hope to beat the odds and really break through and have the world hear our songs.
Me: Right, so did play a lot of poker growing up or is that just for the musical aspect?
Nick: Actually our singer Ryan is an avid poker player he grew up in New Jersey and would always go play cards in Atlantic City and he’s actually done really well for himself playing poker. We played a couple celebrity tournaments as well. We played, a Brad Garrett hosted tournament and we played with all these actors like Jason Alexander from Seinfeld, and Cheryl Hines from Curb your Enthusiasm, Hank Azaria from The Simpsons, Ray Ramano from Everyone Loves Raymond, and there was I think 250 people. We performed at the tournament, and then we got to play…
White Tie Affair: Get the fuck off my shit!
Nick: Ryan made it to the final table, and he almost won the whole tournament. It was pretty awesome. Sorry about that. He’s actually a great poker player and we’re hoping he can go play on ESPN in one of those World Series of Poker games. Excuse Sean P from The White Tie Affair, he’s a pretty crazy guy. I will have to kick his ass later for talking that way.
Me: Who were your major influences?
Nick: We actually have a range of influences, Runner Runner is influenced by a lot of 80’s bands that we were listening to like The Cars, Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello, and we take bands like that and we mix them with new school bands that we listen to like The Killers, and Lady Gaga, and Third Eye Blind, so were kinda like a mixture of stuff we grew up listening to that influenced us, and the new songs we hear on the radio and still love that influence us today.
Me: That’s pretty cool. How did you guys all meet? And how long have you known each other?
Nick: We all met through our previous bands. I was in a band with Peter and James, Ryan was the singer of another band, John was in a band and we all ended up touring the world together with our bands and we kinda just gravitated towards each other, we were all passionate song writers and we love playing music and we all kinda became really good friends with each other even though we were all in these other bands so, you know, one day we kinda just decided to start writing music together and it just felt so fresh and so new we decided to start a band together and that’s where Runner Runner was born. And that was in the summer of 2008.
Me: Do you guys have any main theme going across all your songs, or does it tend to vary?
Nick: It’s across everything, you know. Obviously we are very are very inspired by girls and relationships, but were also all family guys, we all love our families. We are very close with our parents and our brothers and sisters. And so that’s all obviously an inspiration for us, and there are a couple songs on the recording coming out about just being young and confused. And sometimes it’s just kinda hard to find yourself when you’re growing up. You have a lot of choices to make, and we have a couple songs, ones called Falling and ones called Running Away, that are kinda just sending a positive message that its ok to be confused as long as you just really be yourself. And actually we have a song that’s not on the record but it’s a free download right now on our website called Dedicate, and that’s about a cousin of mine who committed suicide and I used to look at him… [Random people walking by disrupting interview]… But other than that it’s about falling in love
Me: Can you briefly describe the music making process?
Nick: The music making process… It all starts in the bedroom with an acoustic guitar. We’ll sit there and work on melodies and lyrics and a rift and from there we build it. We sit down and jam it out to the band until every member has his final piece.
Jon: remember last time we were here and we did an interview?
Nick: Right here
Jon: in the hallway
Nick: He was just asking me about the process of writing songs and I told him that it starts in the bedroom on the acoustic guitar where we work on the melodies and then everyone kinda adds their own piece to the song. We’re constantly writing and working on music so there’s no right or wrong, or rhyme or reason to it. But typically we do start on an acoustic guitar with lyrics and melodies and the rest kind of blossoms into their.
Me: Do you guys have set rehearsals or is it spontaneous whenever you guys feel like getting together to do it?
Nick: We have set rehearsals before a tour, but when we’re writing and off of the road, a lot of our music is written in the studio and a lot of the drums and shit are programmed and through the programs. I think before a tour, rehearsals are very important, but off the tour we’re mainly writing and recording.
Me: What do you guys think is your biggest challenge as a band?
Nick: Biggest challenge as a band? Living out of a suitcase is kind of a challenge…
Jon: it’s not really a challenge it just gets…
Nick: I was joking! Challenges are, there are many. It’s really how you look at it, were a very positive band. We really try to be thankful every day and be appreciative of the things we have. But you know, getting homesick is a normal thing that happens to everyone. That’s a challenge because it’s not like a normal job where you clock in and clock out and have a normal life at night. You’re somewhere different every day. You have to really make exceptions, but I think it’s worthwhile. I don’t really know if there are too many challenges, maybe doing interviews in really small hallways and people walking past.
Jon: Yea, that’s a challenge.
Nick: And uh, sometimes all night drives, those are challenges.
Jon: When we have to drive. When I’m not driving it’s not a challenge for me, I just sleep it off.
Nick: Unless you’re driving and I’m trying to sleep. It’s not a good combination.
Jon: What are you trying to say Nick?
Nick: Nothing
Jon: That I’m loud? That I yell at myself to stay awake?
Nick: Nor do you swerve all over the road…
Jon: ahh. Hey! I’m a safe driver! I might swerve a little…
Nick: I’m just kidding, actually any challenge that presents itself we’re ready to stare at it in the eyes…
Jon: Kick it in the face
Nick: Grab it by the shirt and throw it out of the way.
Me: If you could tour with any band whether they are still together or not who would it be?
Jon: Besides from The White Tie Affair?
Nick: The Police
Jon: Or The Cars
Nick: The Cars! It would be awesome to tour with The Cars
Jon: I want to meet Ric Ocasek!
Nick: Yea I would love to tour with Katy Perry, I love her new record and I think it would be a really fun tour. Would you come out if we did?
Me: I would come, I think she would be interesting to see.
Jon: Yea me too
Nick: Some crazy guy in the hallway, it’s so weird
Me: What’s your ultimate direction for a band?
Nick: Our band?
Me: Yea, what is your ultimate direction?
Nick:Â we want to write songs that millions of people will hear. However it takes to get there, we will do it. We will do what we gotta do.
Me: As piracy becomes a major issue in the music industry how do you guys plan on taking it?
Jon: There are still pirates out there? I thought that was ages ago!
Nick: yarg matey!
Jon: yarg! I’m stealing your music
Nick: You know it’s definitely an issue because people aren’t buying as much music. But we’ve come to accept it. It’s definitely normal now. Regardless if someone buys something or gets it for free people still want and need good music and good songs. That’s never going to go away no matter who’s buying what and who’s stealing what. Good music will still fuel people and give them a good life. That’s why we’re here; we want to give people a reason to be happy, a reason to feel good. So hopefully we can get some sales out of it. But it’s really all about writing songs that make people happy. However we get it, we can’t be too bummed.
Jon: If you did steal our songs, at least come see us live and buy a t-shirt.
Nick: There you go.
Me: Do you guys ever think you will release a free record with it becoming more popular in the recent months with multiple bands doing it?
Jon: Nothing’s impossible.
Nick: Nothing is impossible, right. Wow, this sounds like one of those motivational posters.
Jon: It’s like the picture of an eagle spreading its wings.
Nick: You know, obviously something like that would have to be strategized and marketed just right. But you know we’re hoping for anything.
Jon: We definitely have been giving out a free version of Obvious at one point, you know so… We already are giving out free music.
Nick: If the powers at be decide we should give out a free record, we will do it. Create a free record is what we will do.
Me: Do you guys have any last words?
Nick: Last words. Yes! Please check out Runner Runner on Facebook. Facebook.com/RunnerRunner. We have a Twitter too, Twitter.com/RunnerRunner. Our single So Obvious is on iTunes now, please pick it up. We love talking to our friends
Jon: Don’t be afraid to hit us up online or wherever. We love interacting with fans
Nick: Yea we love interacting with people so please hit us up. We will be on tour the rest of the year and keep an eye out on Runner Runner cause were taking over.
Me: alright thank you
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