Local band Hartle Road debuted their new album, “Maxx II” Friday, Sept. 29. 
The band, composed of Toby Hartleroad, Max Hartleroad, Miles Jordan and Tyler Carter, is a late ‘70s inspired art-rock band originally from Columbus. After releasing their first album, “Maxx,” in 2016, Hartle Road toured across the country and began releasing their music on streaming platforms Spotify and Apple Music.
Toby Hartleroad, guitarist and vocalist, said the band is driven by their love for art and inspirational bands like Television. Growing up together, Hartle Road band members used these muses to help shape their music.
“We were always into music from a young age. I got a guitar for Christmas when I was 15 and I’ve been playing ever since,” Hartleroad said. “My favorite part about it is just getting to be creative with people I’ve known my whole life. It’s really wholesome, it’s deeper than friendship. It’s all collaborative, there’s none of this record that’s made by just ourselves individually.”
All of Hartle Road’s music is recorded by the band in unconventional ways that are accessible to the members. They take pride in their distinctive style and self-made roots. 
“We record all of our stuff ourselves at home, we have old tape machines and recorded our first record on a 4-track cassette,” Hartleroad said. “This one feels bigger, more people are talking about it, and we are really excited about it. It’s kind of crazy to see something you really create come to fruition.”
The band described their first album as post-punk, low-fi which contrasts the sounds from “Maxx II.” Their latest project is upbeat and similar to disco-dance music with a unique spin on classic ‘70s and ‘80s style tunes. Tyler Carter, guitarist in Hartle Road, described what sets this record apart from others.
“It was an absolute pleasure to make this record. It’s completely collaborative and we were all open to trying different approaches and getting sounds you might not expect,” Carter said. “The fact that the record is all analog including the master is a dream come true.”
To debut the project, Hartle Road hosted a listening party at Scooter Record’s where fans and friends socialized as the record played throughout the store. T-shirts, posters and vinyl of the album’s artwork were available as well as their past records. Fans like Mac Ludy, another Columbus resident, listen to the band’s creative sound.
“I like that they are local but have a very different feel. I like that it doesn’t feel like they’re from Columbus and overall, they are a bunch of great dudes,” Ludy said. “This area doesn’t have a huge music scene. Anything that comes from Mississippi is presumed to be country, but Hartle Road doesn’t fall to that stereotype. It feels like their music could be from literally anywhere.”
The members of Hartle Road have an exciting future for the record and the opportunities it may bring. Days before its release, the Mid-Morning show on WCBI showcased their music to the community. The band will be performing live shows at the Starkville Arts Council Oct. 6 and the Columbus Arts Council Oct. 8. 
Hartle Road’s music is available on all popular streaming platforms. They can be found on Instagram and X with the handle @hartleroadband.

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Courtesy Photo | Hartle Road

Hartle Road