Kevin McHale and Justin Thorne unveil Snapchat inspired video: ‘Summer Nights’
- Allen Foster from AXS
- Sep 24, 2015
- 4 min read
It started with the soulful sizzle of four impeccable pop voices and some seriously sweet dance moves. In 2007, the single, “That Girl,” introduced the world to the respectable talents of Travis Michael Garland, Vahe Sevani, Justin Thorne, and Kevin McHale. In the span of just over a one month, “That Girl” catapulted NLT (Not Like Them) into the coveted spotlight of opening for The Pussycat Dolls. None other than Timbaland, himself, produced the rocketing boy band’s follow-up hit, “She Said, I Said (Time We Let Go).”
NLT’s fame burned bright, but it also burned fast. However, when the members went their separate ways in 2009, their individual careers flourished. For example, Justin started working with a new group called One Call, which went on to open for Britney Spears, while Kevin wound up in a wheelchair... as Artie Abrams on the pop culture phenomenon known as “Glee.”
It is now September 2015 and Justin and Kevin have united forces once again -- not that they ever truly stopped working together. “Summer Nights” is the embodiment of all the best elements of pop. It is relevant, universal, contemporary, upbeat, and gosh, is it ever catchy! Thorne and McHale have spun musical gold.
Additionally, the video that this distinguished duo has created captures a moment so poignantly. [Click on the photo to watch.] “We wanted to do something that represented our generation. Our generation, friends, and even ourselves use Snapchat more than any other form of social media, so we thought it would be really cool to show a group of friends having a fun summer night and Snapchatting the whole night,” Justin and Kevin noted in a press release. “We shot the video super guerrilla style. We took a camera with us and had a fun crazy summer night with our actual friends doing things we actually do.”
But AXS always strives to take you beyond the press quote. The stellar pair of pop stars graciously agreed to answer a few questions about the song and the video.
AXS: Which was more fun, making the song or making the video?
Justin Thorne: Making the video was definitely the most fun part because we basically just did a bunch of fun summer things and filmed it.
Kevin McHale: Recording the song was a lot of fun. Justin and I haven’t been in the studio to work on something for a long time.
A: What was the inspiration behind the concept of this video?
JT: We wanted to do something fun and organic. In today’s world, we are so often wrapped up in our devices and constantly checking social media, that we thought it would be cool to incorporate it into the video. A Snapchat story themed video was perfect for the song, because it’s a reminiscent song about summer nights.
KM: We just wanted something that was relatable, what would we want to watch? We both have Snapchat and use it a lot, so we wanted to stay true to that.
A: When did those (often hysterical) captions come into play? Were they part of the original concept?
KM: It was all about just making it as true to a Snapchat story as possible, like one we’d share with our friends and inevitably the overlays are a part of that.
JT: We knew we wanted to do a Snapchat story with captions and things from the beginning, so we had some funny captions in mind while we were filming.
A: Do you ever worry that with Snapchat you’re missing documenting memories?
JT: I actually think it’s cool how Snapchats only last for a few moments, it’s like real life. Every other social media site/platform stays around a long time and doesn’t have as much excitement as Snapchat and “real life.”
KM: I definitely think it’s an improvement in comparison to a lot of other forms of social media. I think it’s a lot more interactive and is a great way of sharing future memories.
A: Are the lyrics and video moments pulled from actual events in your life? Why was ‘09 so special?
JT: Some of the lyrics in the song are definitely inspired by real life. ‘09 was a really great summer, and I spent it with some special people that made for good memories.
A: Did you really used to go streaking on the beach?!
KM: I’ve definitely streaked on the beach. I’ll streak anywhere. We were just trying to do what we’d normally do and hopefully someone would catch it on camera. We didn’t want anything to be forced.
A: Were there any scenes that were so embarrassing/crazy that you had to leave them out?
KM: I’d say most of what I did was embarrassing. I really wasn’t trying to censor myself in any way. Luckily, Justin’s responsible. I was trying to get him to add more of when I was behind the girls who were rapping and I was pouring beer over myself.
JT: There were some parts of the pool scene that were pretty risqué, so we decided to leave them out of the final video.
A: Did you run into trouble at any time during the filming of this video?
JT: We weren’t allowed to bring the camera into Dodger Stadium, so we had to use our iPhones.
A: Did all of this really happen in just one night?!
KM: We did it over two very long nights, or it might be better to say, one long 48-hour period. We didn’t really sleep. It was really just two nights out. Everyone crashed at my house in the end. I felt old, pulling all-nighters was rough. It took me a few days to recover.
A: What was your favorite memory of making this video?
JT: My favorite memories of the video were definitely driving around in an old school mustang, and filming the girls rapping in the hot tub.
KM: I’d have to say making the s’mores because we had pulled an all-nighter the night before and had slept maybe 3 hours and they were just what I needed. I also really liked playing beer pong. I didn’t go to college, so I missed out on things like that and I discovered I’m actually great at it!
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