The Gruff Mummies chase their dream of rock stardom.

High school is over, and many seniors are embarking on the well-traveled road of summer jobs, college classes and careers marked by pressed shirts, sensible shoes and rush-hour commutes.

But at least four freshly minted grads are blazing a new career path – lit by spotlights and lined with glitter, booming speakers and cheering fans.

“We’re not ashamed to say we want to be rock stars,” said Kirk Nordby, singer of the glam rocking Gruff Mummies, as he sailed to Seattle for another long session in the recording studio. “To be rock stars, that’s our ultimate goal, and we’re striking while the iron is hot.”

Much of that heat came after Nordby and his cohorts – guitarist Paul Brinkley, bassist Cameron Snyder, drummer Caleb Strickland and high school junior Geneva Pritchett on keys – won the Experience Music Project’s “Sound Off!” battle-of-the-bands competition in Seattle in Febuary.

Their prize for beating more than 100 other bands includes professional studio recording time, technical help from one of the biggest producers in Seattle rock, an opening spot with the band Presidents of the United States of America, a slot at Bumbershoot and radio play on Seattle rock stations.

“It’s all been tiring, but it’s really fun,” Brinkley said. “We were in the studio for 13 hours yesterday. We’re staying motivated and pushing for the finest product.”

Producer Jack Endino, who helmed Nirvana’s first record, will put the final touches on the Gruff Mummies’ nine-track album. The band will then shop the collection around to various record companies.

“We won’t settle for anything less than Virgin Records,” Nordby joked. “No, actually we want any label that offers good tour support, has good artists and takes care of its bands.”

The band will hit the road in August for their first tour, with stops booked in Los Angeles and other West Coast cities.

If local audiences are any indication, the Gruff Mummies will have no problem winning new fans.

A show last Friday at the Grange Hall was packed with kids singing along as the Gruff Mummies helped them celebrate the end of the school year.

Some moshed and others crowd-surfed, but most were transfixed by Nordby’s stage antics.

Singing with a faux English accent, Nordby’s theatrical shtick included intermittent medieval-esque prancing and storms of red glitter sprinkled over a raucous front row.

“They’re really good with the crowd and get them fired up,” said devoted fan Ben Hasko, as he readied a camera to record the show. “They’re very theatrical and are bringing back that glam rock feel. They have a lot of influences, but they produce something fresh with everything they do.”

Citing ’70s-era David Bowie and Queen as the band’s primary inspiration, Nordby said the band is also rooted in the island’s rich glam rock heritage.

The Holy Ghost Revival, an island glam band now planning a national tour, sparked the Gruff Mummies’ turn toward glitter and glitz.

“They helped nurture us and mentor us,” Nordby said. “Our first show was with them at the Teen Center. Back then we were more bluesy, more Led Zeppelin. They gave us a lot of inspiration and told us about some cool music to listen to.”

Conor Kiley, lead singer of Holy Ghost Revival, said “Bainbridge Glam” began with the late Andrew Wood, a 1984 graduate of Bainbridge High who fronted the band that would eventually become Pearl Jam.

A far cry from the moody, earnest Pearl Jam of the 1990s, Wood’s stage persona in the ’80s included white face paint, platform shoes, silver capes and purple tights.

Kiley said he can see why the island has born successive generations of glam rockers.

“It has to do with the affluence on the island,” Kiley said. “Glam is a reaction to it. We’re surrounded by it so we’re taking it on and subverting it.

“Every family on the island drives an SUV, but everybody acts like a granola head. People never want to talk about the money they make, but they’re all thinking about it. Decadence is the giant elephant nobody talks about. We’re putting the decadence up front, making it over-the-top, making it bawdy and gaudy.”

For Nordby, the no-holds barred pageantry of glam rock provides a valuable emotional release.

“It’s a lot of fun and I can put all my personal experiences into it,” he said. “Some kids are into drugs or get depressed, but being on the stage, for me, is like therapy. Screaming, dancing on the stage calms me down and is a real emotional outlet.”

While the band’s keyboardist has one more year of school to go, the rest of the band has agreed to remain on the island and put college on hold for a year as they explore rock stardom.

“We’re going to stay strong,” Nordby said. “We’re going to stay together as a band and devote ourselves totally to music.”

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Future stars

The Gruff Mummies’ next island show is set for 2:15-4 p.m. July 4 on the stage in Waterfront Park. For more information, see www.gruffmummies.com.