Wanted: Bassist with motivation, original compositions, broad musical tastes, and ability to handle constructive criticism to play with band featured on KABF’s Progressive Rock show. Gender not as important as ability to learn repertoire and get along with everyone. Contact Tracy at loosengrooven@hotmail.com or call 407-0388.

   “[Todd Hunt] does sound for a living [for MP Productions] that requires him to be out of town a bit,” 35-year-old drummer Tracy Sanchez says. “He couldn’t give up work and this was more of a hobby. We thought of disbanding but decided to keep going.”

   Not that the band harbors any ill will to their former mate.

   “He taught us a lot more than we ever knew,” 28-year-old vocalist and guitarist Larry Jackson says.

   Still, the lack of a complement to Sanchez’ driving rhythms leaves the band in a situation of having over 30 original compilations and recognition on the scene, but unable to gig. Though the band knows enough local bands to open for someone, the lack of a bassist keeps them practicing in the jam room instead of playing in public.

   “It’s hard to book gigs without more than a month’s notice,” says 29-year-old lead guitarist Mike Wade.

Not Quite Mastered

   Time in the studio and more than 30 original songs has yet to translate into an album for the band. While Loose Groove has a great demo, they are ready to take the next step.

   “We’ve been in the studio a couple of times,” he says. “It’s been a bad situation; we’d get on a roll then everything stops. We’ve got a bunch of recordings, but nothing mastered. We’re really wanting to get to that point. There’s a lot of usable material that needs to be tweaked and stuff like that. We’ve got 30 original songs that sound great live. But being honest, I ask myself, ‘But would I buy an album with that on it?’ Out of the 30, you come down to 10 that are saleable.”

   Noting that their previous gigs lasted all night, Loose Groove wants to concentrate on their best 10-to-12 songs for an approximate one-hour set. With a bassist in place, they plan to open for other local bands then build from there. Though they practice twice a week from 6-10 p.m., the members prefer playing gigs.

   “The idea is to play out as much as possible,” Sanchez says. “If you’re going to play, it’s better to play out than practice.”

   One of their favorite places to play is the Hot Springs’ Veteran of Foreign Wars post. The VFW crowd’s age doesn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm.

   “We’ve had these gigs where they were 70-80 years old,” Sanchez says.

   “They stayed!” Wade chimes in.

   “As old as our grandparents,” Sanchez continues. “They’ve stayed and said, ‘We really don’t dig your style, but you’ve got your shit together.’”

   Another favorite gig helps with living expenses for Jackson’s paraplegic brother, Mark. Sponsored by Spa Area Independent Living Services, the annual benefit raises disability awareness and features local rock bands. After playing the first two benefits, the band’s lack of a bass player led Jackson to bring in Go-Fast and three other bands for this year’s show.

   Though the band writes a set list prior to each gig, it often changes depending on the crowd and the emotion of the night. Playing together for five years allows interplay between the musicians that new bands seldom achieve.

   “We’ve definitely learned to feed off each other,” Jackson says. “We know where we’re at. I’m looking forward to the future. It keeps me going, doing what we do. It’s amazing.”

Different Backgrounds = Diverse Music

   Loose Groove thrives on the diversity of influences in their musical tastes. While primarily known for straight up rock ‘n’ roll, listeners enjoy the elements of folk rock, country, funk and jazz added to the mix. The variation affects every aspect of the band’s songs.

   "The better bands have different influences in their music,” Sanchez says. “If you just have a single writer, all the music sounds the same. But with a bunch of different voices, it sounds fuller – three dimensional with more sides.”

   Wade learned rock ‘n’ roll from listening to Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the Doors, as well as Bob Marley. Originally from a gospel background, Jackson turned to the “good country-song writers,” including Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.

   “Lynyrd Skynyrd drew me to rock ‘n’ roll,” he says.

   Though Sanchez lists bands including Queensryche, Sevendust and A Perfect Circle as contemporary influences, he also acknowledges the impact classic rock ‘n’ roll had on him as a young man.

   “I think I was influenced at a young age,” he says. “We’d listen from Abba to Zeppelin, Mo Bandy in between; Hot Chocolate to the Commodores. I fell in love with songwriters. When I listen to a song, I listen to the writing of the music and the arranging of the music. I listen to all of it and break it down in my mind. That’s a big attraction of this band. I hear Larry’s lyrics and go, ‘Wow! Where did you get that?’”

   Though all of the members contribute, Jackson writes the majority of the songs. Since being in the band, Jackson says his song-writing improved from constructive criticism, including suggestions to increase the tempo. Not only revamping songs to fit the band’s needs, Jackson also learned to play guitar for some songs. Still, it’s his lyrics that inspire his band-mates.

   “I feel [Jackson writes] from personal experience and that makes it more emotional,” Wade says. “They’re great stories. Anyone can have experiences in life, but to turn them into a song? Larry’s really good at capturing words for that.”

   Jackson chuckles a self-depreciating laugh, then claims the songs only describe life experiences with the melody being key to the song.

   “A lot are just songs, you can’t look into it anymore,” Jackson says. “There’s no certain meaning in the lyrics, but they’re still great songs. The one that goes No. 1 will be my favorite (laughs). They’re all good to me.”

   Some of their songs provide a social commentary on topics from the conquest of America Indians by white men who “wanted it all” in “Bittersweet” to consequences of a failed robbery attempt in “Liquor Store.” On a lighter side (lyrically), “My Dog” describes the canine’s preference for postmen instead of Purina. These lyrics and more can be found on the band’s Web site at http://www.loosegroove.net Sanchez describes Jackson as more of a down-home Southern storyteller than a poet.

   “Sometimes when I listen to Larry’s lyrics it’s down-home with grandpa telling stories on the porch,” Sanchez says. “Some of the terminology is different than current slang. He brings a country-ish down-home feel to the music. We bring it in (to rehearsal) and give it acid to change and alter it.”

   While noting that everyone in the band plays guitar, Wade says he believes his position as the only guitarist most of the time has improved his playing.

   “With everyone having different influences, the songs they write are different from what I write,” he says. “That makes me a better guitar player. I add in my own ingredients. We’ve done a lot of our own recordings. I can listen to the recordings and there’s a considerable difference. I didn’t notice as we went along, but then I listened and we’re pretty good.”

   Sanchez follows Jackson with a number of song-writing credits. While Jackson describes him as a “great songwriter,” Sanchez claims songwriting presents a challenge.

   “I write things on guitar and not even think about the drum parts,” he says. “Once Mike gets it, I get behind the drums and I’m like, ‘What do I do now?’ I think the thing this band has done for me is to take an honest look at my playing and really scrutinize timing, tempo and dynamics. Because sometimes you’re playing and it seems like the coolest fucking thing in the world, but it doesn’t go well with everything else.”

   Wade points out that Sanchez plays harmonica, trumpet, guitar, mandolin and accordion, in addition to providing the band’s foundation with his drum kit.

   “He’s just very musically inclined,” Wade says. “He’s one of those people who can pick up any instrument and play it. Wherever we go he’s there to back us up (on drums). I’ve tried to stump him in jams, and he’s there.”

   Sanchez claims his approach differs from most musicians in that he’s not a master of any instrument, except for drums. “You have two sides of your brain – one theoretical and the other free-flowing,” he says. “I don’t look at an instrument and say, ‘I don’t know how to play this;’ it’s ‘Let me try to play this and see what I can do.’ So I probably piss off people who went to school for years.”

   Yet his confidence stems from practice rather than arrogance. Sanchez points to a previous break for the band that led to his improvement.

   “At one point in time my drumming was not up to par,” he says. “In order for the band to continue on and for us to continue playing, I needed to bring my skills up to par. I’ll give White Water (Tavern) the credit of bringing my skills to that level. When we took that break, I played at White Water’s Monday and Tuesday night open mic with people like Lucious Spiller, Texas Ricky D, Dallas Breed and Brian Wolverton, playing punk with Stacy from the Chicklettes, and playing spoons and washboard with Runaway Planet. Playing any kind of style of music brought my skills up by learning the styles and dynamics of each, especially jazz and blues.”

“Lotsa” Rock

   Loose Groove hopes to regroup and play while the nation’s ears turn to Little Rock. Following the success of Evanescence and label-attention provided to Go-Fast, the band expects record labels to continue plowing the scene searching for gems.

   “I think Arkansas’ local music scene has really blossomed the last few years,” Sanchez says. “Because of its location almost in the middle of the country, I think all the different styles of music have a place here. I think there’s so many different styles of music that can be played everywhere in town. You’ve got Gas Can playing rock ‘n’ roll, 13X playing heavy metal, Dreamfast and Hector Faceplant playing punk, and Runaway Planet playing bluegrass.”

   Jackson goes so far as to compare it with a revered grunge scene.

   “I think a lot of your new great bands will come right out of this state,” he says. “It’s going to be like a Seattle scene here.”

   When Sanchez notes that former garage bands now can be heard at at Juanita’s, White Water, and Vinos, Wade notes a critical difference.

   “It’s not just the bars accepting them,” he says, “it’s the crowds accepting them.”

   Yet even in a virtual musical renaissance, some people remain oblivious.

   “Time and time again I hear somebody say I wish some good shows would come to Little Rock. They’re here,” Sanchez says. “Save a little dough and lose a little sleep and go out and see them.”

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