Interboro alum nominated for two CMT Music Awards

Steve Condon (center), and his wife Danielle Porter-Condon with country group Old Dominion. The Condons directed
and produced Old Dominion's video for their first major single "Break up with Him" which is up for two CMT Music Awards.

A few Delco natives are making their way to the CMT (Country Music Television) Music Awards on June 8 after earning a pair of nominations for a music video they directed and produced.

Interboro High School alumni Steve Condon, Danielle Porter-Condon and Steve Molineux are nominated for breakthrough video of the year and group/duo video of the year for Old Dominion’s first major single “Break up With Him,” a video produced through their Nashville-based production company The 10:10 Creative.

“It’s incredible,” said Steve Condon, regularly known as Director Steve, about his first major nomination for his music video work. “This is the band’s first major video, it’s pretty great to know that this is just (Old Dominion and I’s) first shot and it’s up for two.”

Condon and Old Dominion’s love for the 80’s comedy/sci-fi blockbuster “Back to the Future” was the inspiration for the video. Old Dominion lead singer Matthew Ramsey serenades his love interest as she is stuck dancing with a Biff-like character at a dance reminiscent of the film's iconic enchantment under the sea high school gala (renamed entanglement above the heart dance for the video). Ramsey eventually gets his girl as, err, "drive" off to a life of happiness, and in a DeLorean, no less.

The video was shot in one, 18-hour day last June in Nashville with the Grand Lodge of Tennessee used as the setting.

Condon came up to Delco and created an editing suite in his sister-in-law’s house in Norwood to edit the footage.

The video was released in early July, almost 30 years to the day “Back to the Future” was released.

“It came out on the 30^th anniversary I saw at the Eric Theater next to the Bazaar in Upper Darby. If you would tell me 30 years ago that would happen, I wouldn’t believe you,” said Condon about making a “parody” music video of a comedy.

Growing up in Glenolden making his own movies with a PXL 2000 camera, starting a rock band in high school and admiring the work of Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino, Condon knew he wanted to either be a film director or a rock star when he grew up.

He made the rounds on the film festival circuit with a documentary on Darby called “The Borough” and a TV pilot called “Little Hollywood”, before breaking into music videos in 2010 working with Phil Vassar and Shawn Lacy, the latter eventually becoming a partner in The 10:10 Creative.

He knew he would earn a nomination for his work one day, but “not for a country music video, definitely not,” he joked about his first big recognition as a professional filmmaker.  “Probably something (else), I thought.” 

Old Dominion frontman Ramsey was ready to meet with Sony Music Nashville about Condon shooting their next video when he was texted the news about the nominations.

“We could get this,” Condon recalled on the news, and then he found out his competition in the two categories they received nods in include Grammy winners Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band and others.

 “Well, geez, they’re having such a big deal with (their songs),” he said. “I’m still happy we even got nominated.”

Condon’s wife and business partner, Danielle Porter-Condon, said it’s “super exciting” to be nominated after years of working in the industry.

“We’ve been on this journey for a long time and it’s nice to finally be recognized. Steve deserves it,” she said.

She hopes they win for this “milestone” recognition for their company.

“I hope that we win, I’m from Delco, ya know, so I’m competitive,” she laughs, but noted she will be having a good time at the awards show regardless.

10:10 partner Molineux, a practicing attorney in Delaware County known as Lawyer Steve among the group, said it’s been a “blast” working with the Condons.

“It's nice to see my partners and best friends finally recognized for their talent,” Molineux said.

Director Steve and The 10:10 Creative aren’t slowing down with all of the interest expressed in their work.

Eight music video shoots are scheduled this summer, and Condon will start post-production work on Old Dominion’s latest video for “Song for Another Time”, the third single released from their debut album “Meat and Candy.”

Condon also teased coming up to Delco to shoot a video for former “The Voice” contestant and Interboro alumnus Audra Mclaughlin.

The CMT Awards air live June 8 from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on the CMT channel at 8 p.m.

Fans can vote for Old Dominion’s video online at cmt.com/cmt-music-awards.