Local band makes its way to the top

 Saturday Jan. 7 The Mount Rushmores began filming their first music video.

 The song used, "The Saint," comes from their EP that was released this past fall. The band spent the night filming, socializing with their video extras, many of whom were both friends and fans, and awaiting cues from Samuel Branch who directed this video.

 The band members include Jeremiah Stricklin, front man, Ethan Manning, guitarist and vocals, Josh Stricklin, bass player, Charley Tynes, keys, guitar, and vocals; and Jim Beard, drummer and vocals.

 After firmly establishing the band during the summer of 2011, they began the self-funded process of producing the introductory EP Who You Hope To Be. The Mount Rushmores spent five nights working on the EP at the Mayor's Mansion in Petal, Miss.

 The Mansion is a home studio run by Kevin Scott and Charley Tynes. Tynes produced the EP for the band and helped guide them on the five-day recording process.

 "We went in with a goal in mind and got right down to business," said Entertainment Industry major and front man Jeremiah Stricklin, "We would start the process around 6 p.m. and would finish around midnight."

 The band hopes that any future recording sessions will allow them more time to settle into the music before making a final product. The most important thing to them throughout this recent process was that they were in agreement on decisions both professionally and as friends.

 The Mount Rushmores are currently writing new music and working on a tour of the southeast. The band is working towards garnering more widespread media attention and establishing a solid southern fan base.

 "We were recently mentioned as one of the ‘Four bands that will be turning heads this year' on the online music blog Sounds that Matter," said Stricklin.


 Their goal in the coming year is to make an impact on their listeners. "They hope to someday heal millions with their lyrics," said the blog "every song on there deserves a special little place in your heart."

 And with an EP that would not sound out of place on a spring break or summer road trip, the band has already accomplished a lot in a short period of time.

 The Mount Rushmores' next Hattiesburg show will be on Thursday Feb. 9 downtown. For more information on music and events, the band has both a twitter account and a Facebook page that fans can follow.