Rushmore (the band)
Concept •ARt direction •hand lettering • illustration
In June of 2019, the South Dakota team took our Rushmore replica on the road to the Denver Day of Rock. While the mountain itself attracts plenty of attention, we wanted to become a part of the show. So we turned this legendary four-piece into a whole new kind of supergroup—Rushmore, the rock band. We wanted to really bring this band to life —which meant they’d need a custom band logo and of course, merch.
I wanted the logo to feel like an homage to several classic rock and country groups to reflect the festival, which was a mix of both. I brought in influence from a variety of music legends, from Metallica to Johnny Cash, basing the letterforms off of classic blackletter but simplifying them and adding some flourishes to soften it for a more mixed audience.
At one point, I believe my creative director said the words “More AC/DC, less Decemberists” which stands as the best feedback I’ve received in my career thus far.
Fun fact: this is my dad’s favorite thing I’ve ever made.
