Aly & AJ Michalka’s very first music video, “Rush,” came out in 2006. Now, they are talking about it again in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Aly & AJ were really happy when they got to shoot “Rush” in Hawaii.
But when they look back at it now, they are surprised at how big the project was. Aly told Entertainment Weekly that they spent a lot of money on this video. As independent artists, they are wondering why they spent so much money on it.
AJ thinks the idea of surfing was pretty cool because it symbolized two California girls experiencing the excitement of life and the excitement of riding waves. They thought it made sense to connect the song “Rush” with this idea because there was a similarity in how both the songs and surfing made them feel.
Aly and AJ were just teenagers when they shot “Rush”
The sisters, who were only 16 and 14 when they filmed the video, did not fully understand everything that was happening in the video before they started making it. Aly shared that they were shown counting money because they were street performing, which they did not even know what that meant in the video.
Aly reveals that they did not know what was going on, and they were like, “Oh Gish, they’re young. They do not know this”. AJ’s favorite part of the video happens towards the end. She explained that she really liked the part when it was evening, and they were sitting by the bonfire. She went on to say that, she loved how the lightning looked, and it was really well done.
They were wearing hoodies, and there was something really adorable about that moment. It reminds her a lot of the early 2000s. They were wearing those low-slung jeans.
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The sisters did not have much say in the creative decisions for the project. Most of the ideas came from the director, Marc Webb, who later directed movies like “500 Days of Summer” and the “Amazing Spider-Man” series. However, they do remember suggesting one creative idea.
Aly explained that the one thing they added to the concept was the sand. It is kind of embarrassing now for them because they were collecting the same from different places. She continued that there is even one that says “Canada”.
The performers also talked about their latest music video for “With Love From,” which they filmed in Marfa, Texas. Aly describes Marfa as a hidden gem that not many people know about, an artsy small town about two hours away from Dallas.
They also used footage from Las Vegas, but they shared a funny story about getting kicked out of one location there because they were shooting without permission. Aly also confessed that they were a bit tipsy in some of the shots from Las Vegas, which adds a humorous twist to the story.
The sisters feel more creatively liberated being independent artists
The sisters both feel that being independent artists has given them more creative freedom. Aly says that they have control over everything, from how things look, to the fonts they use, their merchandise, the songs they perform, and every part of Aly and AJ is decided by us.
It makes them feel strong and empowered. She also points out that they did not have this level of freedom when they were younger.
AJ mentions that there is a challenge in taking their old songs and giving them a fresh, new feeling. She mentions that in all the upcoming shows, they will perform both “Rush” and “With Love From,” and they blend together nicely because they have updated “Rush” to make it feel like it is a current part of their music. It will be nice to have these songs performed together live.
