Emma Brown
Reporter
Additional Interview by Bobby Ware
Hartle Road performing at the Columbus Arts Council taken by Bobby Ware
Mississippi has a knack for churning out talented musicians such as Elvis Presley, Robert Johnson, Paramore’s Hayley Williams and now the up-and-coming Columbus-based band Hartle Road.
Hartle Road is made up of brothers Toby and Max Hartleroad, their cousin Miles Jordan and their friend Tyler Carter. The band has released two albums over seven years, with additional songs being put out between the two full-length releases.
Toby Hartleroad plays many roles within the band, including singing and guitar playing, which became an interest at a young age. He and Max were always around music, whether it was coming from their grandfather or their mother. They started playing music when they were both gifted guitars as a Christmas present. Jordan was already established in his playing, so the three literally banded together.
“We all three played guitar for a while, but then we were like, ‘you know, we need drums,’” Toby Hartleroad says. “Max started playing drums, Miles started playing bass, and I don’t know how, but I ended up sticking with guitar.”
They started out playing Pink Floyd and The Who covers in local spots such as Zachary’s and The Princess Theatre under the band name The Motions. However, this name did not last long after a cover band from Florida of the same name served a cease-and-desist letter in the early 2010s.
The group settled on a new name, Hartle Road — a play on Toby and Max’s last name. Tyler Carter later joined the band as a guitar player, which Toby said changed their trajectory. The guys began writing original music and lyrics before long. The rest is history.
Hartle Road has a knack for effortlessly incorporating their names into the band, especially when it comes to album titles. Both their 2016 and recent 2023 albums are named after Max. This choice was made in 2016 after Max wrote a majority of the songs on “Maxx.”
So, what is the best way to describe Hartle Road’s new album?
Imagine if The Velvet Underground collaborated with The Beach Boys and Pink Floyd to create an album in Mississippi. It would sound something like Hartle Road’s new album, “MAXX II,” which is full of foot-tapping tempo, synthy electronic beats, smooth lead vocals and impressive guitar, bass and drums working together to make songs that you will want to keep on repeat.
The funky new album consists of 10 songs, three previously released as lead singles. The music video for one of these singles, “Groove Tonight,” was filmed in MUW’s Cromwell Hall.
Dylan Scott, a Columbus filmmaker and MUW graduate, has directed numerous music videos for the band, including “Groove Tonight,” and has covered some of their live performances. He said making their music videos was a very collaborative process that played upon Hartle Road’s timeless sound. Scott was able to achieve a vintage look after the band said they wanted to film on DV tape cameras to achieve a timeless aesthetic.
“Since they were filmed on tape, and with their sound, it could have been from any time,” Scott says. “That’s what we were going for, the kind of timeless feel for all that, and I think it worked out.”
Even though the band has entered a new era, it draws from influential artists who were breaking artistic molds decades before Hartle Road’s members were born.
Their influences are made up of bands from varying genres, which explains their artistic range. Toby primarily cites ‘70s psychedelia, ‘60s pop, and ‘70s/’80s new wave such as Talking Heads and Joy Division as major forces in their continuous journey to find their sound.
“I love The Beach Boys,” Toby Hartleroad says. “I think when we were recording the record, we were listening to a lot of Prince, a lot of Beach Boys, a lot of Television, and definitely a lot of new wave.”
Hartle Road performing at the Columbus Arts Council taken by Bobby Ware
Hartle Road shows no signs of slowing down, especially when playing recent local shows. One of their latest gigs was a record release celebration held on Oct. 8 at the Rosenzweig Columbus Arts Council Center.
They were joined by the Starkville indie rock band Bad Data and poet Max Dennison. The gig was a hit, with plenty of audience enthusiasm to go around as the band cranked out jams from “MAXX II.” Columbus supporters and listeners came to see a celebratory show, and Hartle Road delivered.
As the band’s career steadily climbs upwards, they hold tightly to the tried-and-true supporters in Columbus, especially their family. Following brothers Toby and Max Hartleroad playing an acoustic set at Columbus’s Friendly City Books, Max Hartleroad made sure to point out the hometown heroes and applauded their family members in the crowd.
Hartle Road’s roots in Columbus run deep, especially when it comes to Mississippi University for Women. Toby Hartleroad, who dubbed himself a W girl, and Max Hartleroad both graduated from The W, where their mom is an alumna as well. Jordan also studied at The W and was involved in the Department of Music. While Columbus and The W are their home base, Hartle Road has been able to find and connect to areas that have bands with the same goals.
Their connections to the band scene in Mississippi have allowed them to branch out and play with other growing bands and artists in Oxford, Jackson, Memphis and Birmingham. Hartle Road has been a staple in the Mississippi scene that is seeing a hopeful future through promotional social media accounts like StarkvilleDIY or through artwork by artists such as Zoé Ishee.
Alec Hawkins, a close friend and supporter of Hartle Road, has seen them evolve and grow over a decade of knowing the band. He said the band’s distinctive style and sound set them apart by being timeless, different and versatile like Elvis Costello or Television. Alec believes Hartle Road has a creative future ahead of them as they have come along at a golden age of making and influencing art.
“I imagine Hartle Road will continue to put out music and continue to play live,” Hawkins says. “But I also imagine they’ll continue to collaborate and be involved with other projects and offer others a platform to create art.”
Bands helping other bands is how the scene breaks out — art gets made and records are heard. Hartle Road has helped this cycle by playing with other up-and-comers like Bored to Tears, Bad Data, Parrot Weather and It’s Only Us.
The growth of Mississippi music is only increasing as listeners of these bands are brought together to hear bands you would not think could be found in the Golden Triangle, which inspires more artists who want to get started.
Hartle Road’s releases promise great things for Mississippi-based bands looking to break the mold of being stereotyped as country or bluegrass without losing their homegrown roots.
One thing is for certain: The Friendly City can go ahead and add Hartle Road to its list of cultural importance as listeners from all around continue to stream and buy copies of their work.
“MAXX II” can be found on streaming services or on vinyl in-store locally at Starkville’s Scooter’s Records or Columbus’s Friendly City Books. Their additional releases, including “MAXX,” can be found on streaming services, including Bandcamp or Soundcloud.
If you want to keep up with Hartle Road, including upcoming shows or releases, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or X @HartleRoadBand.