Album Notes

Athens pop trio Soundtrack Mind is proudly self-sufficient. "We are three friends who came together to build and grow something from nothing," says drummer Bryan Mullis. "If we've needed something, we've created it."

When they formed in August of 1998, they lacked a lead vocalist. So bassist Jonathan Potter learned to sing. When the band needed a place to record, Mullis says, "We built a studio at [guitarist] Rusty Bridgers' home."

On Elementary School Talent Show, the band's first full-length album, Soundtrack Mind presents a languid collection of tunes that deal with themes of hope and self-improvement. The adult-alternative/modern-rock band utilizes the traditional trio approach to present positive, up-tempo, keyboard-tinged pop songs. "Mostly we want to create songs that move people. I think people are ready for some hopeful-sounding music," Mullis says, "Now more than ever."

The easygoing trio moved to Athens in early '99 from the more blue-collar Macon scene. Their unpretentious presentation stands out as fairly unique in Athens' often arty and insular scene. "I think any type of band can be successful here," Mullis says. "It just takes hard work and patience. The scene in Macon is much smaller, and it's primarily blues and Southern-rock based. There is a small rock scene in Macon, but the infrastructure is just not there for support, as it is in Athens."

The band's name came to Mullis while driving on Highway 78 near Stone Mountain. "I was thinking how beautiful it was and how the song on the radio provided the perfect soundtrack to what I was seeing," says Mullis. "That's what songs do. They are like soundtracks to your life. You hear a song and it takes you back to a certain time. They're like soundtracks in your mind."

-Creative Loafing