Rogan Mei Channels Angsty Renewal on Anthemic Folk-Rock Single “Rushmore (So What)”
With rugged honesty and a dose of youthful defiance, Rogan Mei returns with “Rushmore (So What),” an angsty and liberating folk-rock anthem about missed chances, restless energy, and carving your own road. Louder and more unapologetic than his earlier reflective work, the track captures the friction between wanting change and actually living it – set against ringing guitars and a chorus built to be shouted back.
Listen: https://hypeddit.com/roganmei/rushmoresowhat
Official Video: https://youtu.be/K-cyoqTKO5Y
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Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rogan-mei/1686030356
Website: https://www.roganmei.com/
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The song’s title traces back to an unfinished idea that sat dormant for years. “Originally, it was going to be about a road trip with friends where the main character was just not in a good headspace and would sleep in the back seat while everyone pointed out monuments like the biggest hockey stick in the world, the Grand Canyon, or Mt. Rushmore. That’s where the line ‘So what I didn’t see Mt. Rushmore’ came from,” says Mei. Though the story shifted, that core lyric survived and became the heart of the new track.
Unlike his last release “Lefroy,” which emerged in just a few days, “Rushmore (So What)” simmered for years before coming to life. Brought to a songwriting workshop in 2024, Mei dusted off the fragments with the encouragement of collaborator Anna Goldsmith, who helped him reconnect with the song’s raw energy. With support from bassist and mixing engineer Wesley Covey and the full band, the track evolved into one of the most anthemic highlights from his upcoming Dickies Green Plaid Jacket EP.
For Rogan Mei, the song feels like a release. “It’s one of the edgier feeling songs I’ve written and I like that it’s a little rockier than the rest of my set. Playing it live is a fun change of energy – I usually say a little intro speech about channeling angst and then get the crowd joining in with yelling the repeated ‘So what!’ at the end.”
