MARVIN Exclusive: The Runarounds’ Zende Murdock on “Bleachers,” the Minivan Tour, and Life After the Small Screen
There’s a particular kind of momentum that can’t be faked — the kind that builds in sweaty club rooms and mid-sized theatres before it ever reaches a streaming dashboard. The Runarounds have that momentum right now, and Zende Murdock knows it. The band’s infectious energy, first introduced to audiences through their TV show, has outlasted the screen it debuted on, spilling into venues across the country where fans are showing up not just to mourn what was, but to celebrate what’s still very much alive. With new single “Bleachers” already road-tested and road-approved — TikTok deconstructions and all — and the Minivan Tour turning unexpected cities into personal highlight reels, The Runarounds are in the middle of something.
MARVIN: “Bleachers” is dropping, and crowds have already been going off to see it live. What made you decide to road-test it before the release?
ZENDE: I think it’s always smart to road test songs, see how they perform. People have really been connecting with Bleachers when we’ve been playing it live. I’ve been seeing people making TikToks and like deciphering the lyrics and dancing to the song like regardless of it being like a live recording of there so yeah I think road testing is always smart and it worked out for us on Bleachers for sure.”
MARVIN: The song’s got this high-energy, party-ready feel to it. Is that a sign of where the band’s sound is heading, or is it more of a one-off moment?
ZENDE: I think so! We’ve kind of been known to have a little bit of a lighthearted kind of fun energy, especially on the first album. We’ve experimented with a couple of different things, but I think we understand what our lane is and where we are happiest and what our fans enjoy listening to. I think this is definitely a sign of what’s to come on the next album for sure.
MARVIN: The Minivan Tour — whose idea was that name, and is there an actual minivan in the picture or is it strictly a vibe?
ZENDE: I forget exactly who pitched the idea of the Minivan Tour-I think we threw a couple different names around but that was definitely the one that stuck out from the pack. Because of our song “Minivan” and we have the minivan in the TV show etc. It all kind of feels connected, so yeah, it felt right. We don’t have a minivan on tour right now but we were in a sprinter for a part of the tour if that counts!
MARVIN: You’ve been hitting cities hard on this run. What’s the city that’s surprised you the most — the one that went way harder than you expected?
ZENDE: The city that surprised me most was Madison, Wisconsin. I feel like anytime you think about somewhere in the middle of the country like that, you don’t always expect it to be the craziest vibe but they went absolutely nuts! It was probably my favorite show on the second leg of the tour. I feel like I kind of have a similar answer for both parts of the question honestly. Just being in Wisconsin and seeing everybody going nuts and seeing how many people came out was quite special.
MARVIN: The show’s been cancelled but you’re still out here touring. Does hitting the road feel different now that it’s purely about the music?
ZENDE: I think so, it definitely has a little bit of a different vibe, but in a good way. I think people are kind of banding together. I think it’s very rare, after a TV show to get canceled, for people that loved it to be able to gather in a place and kind of talk about it – kind of help each other feel better about it etc. So that’s something that we’re very lucky with right now that we get to hang out with the people that enjoyed watching it and just kind of chat and have a good time together. So yeah, there’s definitely a feeling of camaraderie, when we’re out there hanging out with people and yeah it’s really warm and fuzzy.
MARVIN: Cast members have been popping up at shows, the crowd energy is insane — how do you keep a live set feeling like a real rock show and not just a fan convention?
ZENDE: I think that is exactly what makes it feel like a rock show. I think if everybody was kind of mellow and in the seats, it might not be quite as much fun, but people love to dance and have a good old time and we’re putting on a very high energy performance. We’re not up there just chilling, we’re jumping and we’re putting out a lot of output so yeah it’s a proper live rock show when you come to a Runarounds show!
MARVIN: Where does this tour go from here — are we talking bigger venues, longer runs? What does the next chapter look like for The Runarounds on the road?
ZENDE: Well we’re gonna put together a new batch of songs, and we’re gonna try and get that out, ASAP. I’m not exactly sure what the next leg of the tour might look like but we’re definitely gonna wrap this one up in June and get a new tour going and fresh merch and all that good stuff So yeah it’s kind of it’s a little bit far away to be able to tell what all that might look like but I’m very very hopeful for the next album and I think it’s gonna be great!
By the time June rolls around and the Minivan Tour wraps, The Runarounds will have done something quietly remarkable: turned a cancellation into a catalyst. Zende isn’t losing sleep over what comes next — he’s building toward it, song by song, city by city, with a fanbase that shows up like family and a band that knows exactly who they are. The next album can’t come soon enough. Keep your eyes on these guys.
