Years back, Pate — who co-created Netflix’s hit series Outer Banks — envisioned a show featuring a teenage rock band. “But I realized that typically, actors are cast to portray musicians, and the music is often faked,” Pate shared; “I thought, ‘Why not do it differently?

Let’s explore who is out there.’”

Pate Reached Out To Outer Banks Stars Chase Stokes And Madelyn Cline

To discover who was out there, Pate sought assistance from Outer Banks stars Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline; the actors reached out on social media, calling for young musicians. “We essentially said, ‘We’re going to form a band in Outer Banks, send us your high school band,’”

Pate explains; spoiler alert: It was a success.

“In just a week, we received submissions from 5,000 bands-” gradually, they began to identify the musicians they preferred and assembled a brand-new band.

They chose William Lipton, Axel Ellis, Jeremy Yun, Zendé Murdock, and Jesse Golliher-“They were still in high school,” Pate notes, and indeed, he included them in Outer Banks.

I thought these kids would be amazed if they had never experienced cameras in their faces before,” he adds, “They were just regular kids, so I did include them in a scene.

The Band Has Been Playing Ever Since

Since forming the band-initially filming the pilot for The Runarounds in 2022 — they have been actively creating music; “They’ve truly evolved into a band and composed a multitude of songs” says Pate. They just performed at their inaugural festival in Charlotte,” Pate shares;

“Now that they’re out of high school, they’re completely legitimate in their musical pursuits-it’s fantastic.” Now, Entertainment Weekly presents an exclusive first look at The Runarounds, a fictional narrative loosely inspired by a real band.

“At the beginning, the kids weren’t actors (other than Lipton), so we would have these sessions that felt like therapy: ‘Share your life with us. Who are your parents? What are your interests?’ We aimed to craft characters drawn from their actual experiences,” Pate explains.

The Kids Got A Little Help From An Acting Coach

With some guidance from an acting coach, they managed to create ‘The Runarounds’, which depicts a group of young adults after high school as they pursue a music career in Wilmington, N.C. Things get quite meta, to say the least; “The show’s debates — should we attend college or join a band, that’s the real question, the genuine choices they face,” Pate explains.

The series features the band along with Lilah Pate, Kelley Pereira, Brooklyn Decker, Maximo Salas, Marley Aliah, Hayes MacArthur, Mark Wystrach, and Shea Pritchard in a narrative that Pate believes has great potential.

“We have a complete plan for over five seasons that outlines their journey, they graduate, they welcome a new member, and suddenly they don’t seem so bad,” Pate describes the story’s start.

“They begin performing at house parties and small events, and throughout the summer, they eventually experience a bit of a viral moment.”

The Show Is Centered Around What Happens To The Kids
According to Pate, the show is really about “what happens to these guys” and those around them. It’s a narrative that many young musicians can connect with, and it’s a story Pate has been eager to share for some time.

“There’s this incredible artistic community in the Carolinas that many of us belong to, which includes filmmakers and musicians,” he explains.

“One of the members is Greg Humphreys, who was part of a fantastic band called Dillon Fence. He had more talent than anyone I had ever encountered when I was younger-Dillon Fence did secure a record deal, but their sound was somewhat jangly pop.

The Series Premieres In The Fall

Still referring to Dillon Fence, as soon as they emerged, grunge took over, and they seemed a bit out of sync; I thought to myself, ‘Life is incredibly unfair. This guy truly deserves to succeed;’ and that marked the start of it all-that’s how it all began.”

Of course, General Hospital viewers recall William Lipton performed on the show as Cameron Webber, with his two on-screen brothers at times.

At the point when “Outer Banks” started is when he left the ABC soap, although he makes it back for an appearance from time to time.

Whether The Runarounds will share a comparable narrative, in the series or in reality—remains to be determined, but the show aims to enchant viewers when it premieres on Prime Video this fall.