THE FIXATE & BINGE PODCAST, with Host, Joe Curdy: Deep dives into cinema and storytelling with voices who create it

Eight Days, One shot: Writer/Director Jeff Hupp on the Inspiration for his 2025 Film BAND ON THE RUN

Joe Curdy Season 3 Episode 48

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Writer/director Jeff Hupp joins The Fixate & Binge Podcast to discuss his 2025 indie feature BAND ON THE RUN— a heartfelt, DIY road-trip film shot in just eight days that captures a fleeting moment in the late 1990s Detroit Garage Rock scene.

Centered on the rock trio 'Hot Freaks', the film follows drummer Jesse Grant (Matthew Perl) as he rallies his bandmates to chase a last-chance opportunity to play SXSW, hoping to escape the gravitational pull of dead-end jobs and inherited disappointment. What begins as a familiar “band on the road” story becomes something more intimate when Jesse’s paraplegic father (Larry Bagby) joins the journey — grounding the film in a deeply human exploration of ambition, regret, and the fragile bond between parent and child.

In this conversation, Hupp reflects on Detroit’s often-overlooked music history, the realities of ultra-low-budget filmmaking, his own background in advertising, and why Band on the Run is ultimately less about success than the courage to try. 

Drawing inspiration from films like ALMOST FAMOUS and THE COMMITMENTS, the episode celebrates artists who dare to take their shot — even when the odds are stacked against them.

Band on the Run is now streaming on Amazon Prime!

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