Sometimes fake bands in movies can sound fake, somehow. Is there a specific way of making fake music that sounds real?
Kotecha: As songwriters, we had to have discipline, because when you come up with a song, you’re like, ‘Oh, shit, this could be a real hit for X, Y, or Z, should we save it for X, Y, or Z?’ but you have to be, like, no, we’re going to try and do this and make it as good as we can. Because that’s what happens a lot with these things. I think that’s why historically we get fake bands sounding like fake bands. But I want people to believe it’s a real band and I want this band to have real fans and for people to really enjoy the music, whether it’s from a movie or not.
We hear a few of August Moon’s songs at various points in the film, from their first single to their newest release, and the sound gets more mature as it goes on. How did you tackle crafting that sound evolution?
Kotecha: I wanted there to be the first August Moon single that was like a teeny-bopper love song, and that’s what “I Got You” is on the radio. Then, what would their second album’s single sound like? That’s “Tastes”, in my head, my mind. And then with the third album, they want to be a little bit edgier, and have more guitars and live drums, so that was “Guard Down” and “Closer”. “Closer” is supposed to be like an album track, a deep cut. I tried to do that lyrically as well. Like “Guard Down” those lyrics are all about dealing with the pitfalls of fame.
What was the process of recording with Nicholas Galitzine like?
Falk: It was a really good process to write the songs and then have Nick over here for a couple of weeks. We had never met and he had no clue what to expect from the recording process as well. So it was like an unwritten book, like ‘You’re the artist, but you’re not’. He also had to make the songs sound like they were his, so we really experimented with different tones and different voices and after a while, he really found his way of singing. I hope that the music resonates with with with the audience. It’s just not our songwriting, but also Nick’s vocals that make it [feel] like it could be a real band, like it could be a real artist.
Is there a formula for the perfect boyband song?
Kotecha: Historically, the music business has always fed teenage girls of every generation. I think during those very difficult years, it gives you common ground with your peers, and sometimes you just need that human connection. One thing that I always think about with these groups is that, where people can go wrong with them, is when they try and make it too cool. When New Kids on the Block came out it, sounded like nothing on the radio. When Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC came out, it sounded like nothing on the radio. Purposely, when One Direction came out, everyone was doing that Chris Brown-Rihanna dance-pop thing and people thought it was crazy to go very poppy with guitars. But it shouldn’t be hip, because you’ve already got artists doing the hip thing and you need fans of these guys to feel like it’s their own. If the older brother likes it, it’s no longer theirs.
