Of Mice & Men’s ‘Second and Sebring’ Gets Certified Gold Over a Decade Later

Of Mice and Men have reason to celebrate their past and future as the band head into 2021 with new music. This month, looking to the earliest days of OM&M, the group's 2010 single "Second and Sebring" has finally been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

That means the early Of Mice and Men number — the second single from the outfit's self-titled debut album, released way back before Aaron Pauley took over as vocalist — has reached the official milestone of moving over 500,000 units in the United States. It received the honor this month (March 15) among a smattering of other RIAA certifications.

In the same week (March 17), releases from All Time Low ("Damned If I Do Ya [Damned If I Don't]" went gold; "Dear Maria, Count Me In," double platinum) and Avenged Sevenfold (Walking the Fallen, platinum, and "Unholy Confessions," gold) also received new certifications.

Of course, that doesn't mean the old Of Mice and Men song actually sold its 500,000th copy that day. Really, it only means that the RIAA finally caught up with its own backlog enough to award the certification. Still, after over 10 years, that's a good long wait for a gold cert on an OM&M single.

"Modern metalcore is not a genre defined by notoriety or accolades but moreso defined by the audience appreciating and connecting with the stories we share about ourselves," said Of Mice and Men drummer Valentino Arteaga in a note to fans. "This is an incredible achievement made possible by our amazing fans who believe in the power of alternative music. Thank you for the continued support after all these years!"

In the last decade, Of Mice and Men have released five more full-length albums. Austin Carlile and Shayley Bourget, former Of Mice and Men members who contributed to the original "Second and Sebring" recording, haven't been with the band since 2016 and 2012, respectively.

At the start of 2020, Of Mice and Men released a new song titled "Obsolete," followed in February by an EP called Timeless. It's the band's first new music since the pandemic cubed live music and touring.

"Music is always something that we turn to," OM&M singer-bassist Aaron Pauley recently told Full Metal Jackie. "I know it's a cliche for artists to say, but if it's something we turn to, that's very therapeutic for us. It's something that allows us to problem-solve through the creative process. Some of the stuff that we [go] through or experience or think about in our lives. … That song was something that we started … before all the lockdowns. It was very apropos considering everything that had happened, but music is something that we always turn to figure things out."

Of Mice and Men, "Second and Sebring"