Zende Murdock from The Runarounds

In this episode of Loyal To The Craft on Idobi Radio, Mike sits down with Zendé Murdock of The Runarounds to talk about the real band behind the show, getting cast through an Instagram audition, proving themselves live, and what happened after the series did not continue into another season. Zendé shares how The Runarounds came together as an experimental idea: instead of casting actors and teaching them to play music, the creators wanted to cast real musicians and teach them how to act. What started as a music-driven TV project became something much bigger a real band with real songs, real shows, and real fans. The story begins with an Instagram casting call connected to the creators of Outer Banks. Zendé saw the post, sent in an audition tape, and later learned that the drum covers he had already uploaded to YouTube helped show the team who he was as a player and performer. It is a perfect reminder for young musicians: the videos you post today might become the resume someone finds tomorrow. This conversation also gets into the pressure of being seen as a “TV band.” Zendé explains how the show recorded the music live on set, how the band worked for years with acting coaches and directors, and how they wanted their live shows to prove that The Runarounds were not just something made for the screen. Zendé also opens up about why the show was not renewed, how the band chose to focus on gratitude instead of disappointment, and why the end of the show did not mean the end of the band. The Runarounds could still tour, write records, connect with fans, and build something that lives outside of the TV world.