In the dark brick room that is The Motions practice studio, assorted knick-knacks are strewn about the room, and the walls are lined with CD and record-filled shelves. Posters of Springsteen, Smashing Pumpkins and Wilco cover the walls. The guitar racks stocked with cream-colored Stratocasters and Gibson acoustics. A rubber “Hulk” mask adorns the bookshelf. I spotted the lone, plaid fedora hanging from the steam pipe in the dimly sunlit corner of the room and knew these artists were ready to jam. And jam they did, cranking up the Fender amps, P.A.s and sorting their way through what seemed an impossible tangle of guitar cords, wires and effects pedals.
Lead guitar and vocalist Toby Hartleroad gave me a smile and said, “It is fixin’ to get loud in here man.” This was an understatement, as they started out with one of their newer songs, a rocking, high-energy tune called “James.” The volume only seemed to get louder as they worked their way through The Motions songbook that afternoon, and nobody, minded one bit. 
The Motions are Toby Hartleroad, his brother Max Hartleroad on drums, Harrison Bennett on piano, Miles Jordan on bass guitar and backing vocals and Miles Smith on backing vocals and rhythm guitar. The band has its roots in Columbus, Miss., and are about to celebrate their three-year anniversary around April 10, 2011. Barring a less-than-stellar first performance on a balcony in a local dive in Florence the band has been on the up and up for the past three years, and all the members like it that way.
“That’s the scariest thing about it; fear of going downhill,” Toby stated as the members nodded in agreement.
Still, it is hard to believe there could ever be any discontent among these young men. Throughout the duration of the interview, they teased and hounded each other with great zest. They are a self-proclaimed family and might as well all be brothers. This fellowship had its early beginnings as the band formed from everyone childhood friends. Miles Smith is the newest addition to the band and is a student at Mississippi State University majoring in business information systems.
During their set break, I asked them about their influences and was met with a bevy of classics such as general southern rock, The Beatles, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. It was easy to see the impact with their powerful punctuating chords and rousing vocals.
The Motions have recently risen to acclaim with their victory at The Battle of the Bands competition at Rick’s Café. The win gave them an opportunity to open for Robert Randolph at Old Main during Super Bulldog Weekend. The Motions had their doubts, but when the usually reserved Miles Jordan said, “We are in it to win it,” the band knew they would clench the victory, especially when they ended their performance with covers of The Who’s “Baba O’Reilly (Teenage Wasteland)” and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” The uniform black suits also sent the charisma meter off the charts.
As of now, The Motions are full steam ahead into music making, working on their new album, performing on the weekends and touring in the summer all over the country. They get plenty of support from their families, as well, and most moms and dads make every show. A big influence for Toby and Max was their grandfather, who had them listening to classics at a very early age. It was then they knew they wanted to be musicians, and they caught a break. Hackberry Records in Tuscaloosa, Ala., picked up the band three months after the release of their eponymous record “The Motions,” and they have been working on new material ever since.
I asked each of the band members to describe the band in a word or two, and everyone had something to say. Bennett cooly stole the show by saying quite matter-of-factly, “We are rock and roll.” It was his recovery after he was berated for mispronouncing “avant garde” (a running inside joke within the band). The brothers Hartleroad quickly chimed in and declared, “fasten your seatbelts.”
Back in the practice studio, my seatbelt did indeed need fastening. About halfway through their second set, I was introduced to, perhaps, my favorite song of the session, “Lonely Afternoon.” The song was composed by Miles Jordan with plenty of Beach Boys-esque doo-wop action. Then, much like the grand finale of The Battle of the Bands, the Motions finished with the covers of “Baba O’Reilly (Teenage Wasteland)” and “Rockin’ in the Free World.” Max was drumming like a wild man, Smith had taken control of his Gibson SG for a solo piece and the energy and notes were palpable as Toby and Jordan fed off of each other.
These men know how to rock and are unabashed about showing it. I certainly can’t wait until their new material comes out, and they can’t either. If you are looking for some new music to add to your repertoire, do not be afraid to go through The Motions.