South City Records (SCR) hosted Indie MS at the Thirsty Hippo in downtown Hattiesburg Friday. The event featured live music from local independent bands Living Together, Mississippi Shakedown and Young Valley.
“It’s something that is a little different than what we normally do and it’s been an interesting process trying to book the show and make sure that it happens,” said Emily Evans, president of South City Records. Their hard work paid off, said Connor Holland, Evans’ vice president.
“We were beyond thrilled with the turnout (Friday),” Holland said. “In my opinion it couldn’t possibly have been better.”
The event kicked off with Living Together, whose energy set the tone for the rest of the night. The band is composed of students who all met at The University of Southern Mississippi. Jake Burchfield assumed the role of vocalist and lead guitarist, with his fellows Joel Gallaspy on the keys, Wes Sanderford on the drums and Trey Boettcher on the bass, whom Burchfield referred to as “the best Craigslist find we’ve ever (had).”
After releasing its first EP July 11, the independent rock band is getting ready to get back into the studio with an album in mind. They are set to record the new project in two weeks, when they will meet with Holland, who already produced their debut EP, “There, There,” and is taking charge of recording the album.
The audience at the Thirsty Hippo barely had time to catch its breath from Living Together’s performance before it was hit by a heat wave better known as Mississippi Shakedown.
Sanderford reappeared behind the drums but took time to change for his second set in a row. It was not long before the venue started shaking, from the windows, to the cocktails to, of course, the audience’s legs.
With its loud, blues-heavy groove, Mississippi Shakedown gave an intense demonstration of how its self-appropriated name is well deserved. Slide guitar, distortion and power drums filled the Thirsty Hippo, before things got rural when an electric banjo made its way between the ever-strumming hands of lead guitar and vocalist Chad Cox.
Once the Mississippi Shakedown storm passed, it was time for Jackson’s Young Valley to take the stage. With a tough trucker style, winter hat, skinny jeans, suspenders and moustaches, the band sported a different look than most.
Young Valley presented a warm and welcoming blend of pop-rock, southern country and folk music which they describe on their Facebook page as “(no) dress up. Just good, southern, honest music.”
South City Records has been busy with different events such as Classic Album Listening Parties and the Songwriter’s Social, but this one was the biggest, with more than 150 people in attendance, according to the student-run label.
“We want to help out the local music scene as much as we can. A healthy music scene is good for everyone, and not just those directly involved,” Holland said. “In the future we would love it if when people think ‘Hattiesburg’ they also think ‘South City Records’ and vice versa.”
