Six Mile Grove showcased in Twin Cities
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 3, 2002
Last weekend Six Mile Grove played for a large audience at the rotunda near the All-American Sports bar at the Mall of America as a part of a Cities 97 music showcase.
Tonight, they return to their home turf to play at the Lyle Legion street dance starting at 8 p.m.
Six Mile Grove's music has been played on Cities 97 and KQRS in the Twin Cities and Z 99, out of Mankato. They average 150 shows a year, usually playing about three nights a week.
The members -- brothers Brandon and Brian Sampson of Lyle, Barry Nelson of Lyle and Dezi Wallace of Austin -- have been together since 1997. Lead guitarist Matt Vanelli of St. Paul joined the band in July of 2001.
Their blend of alternative-country-rock has gotten heavy play on college radio stations across the country and the band has played in venues in the five-state area.
And the members all have the same goal -- to make music their full-time job.
"That's the thing we have in common. That's why we work so well," said Brandon Sampson, guitarist and lead vocalist. "It takes a lot of energy, organization and dedication actually. It makes it easy as far as staying focused on trying to make it a full-time deal."
The band has released four CDs, the third recorded with Lou Whitney. Their songs vary from topics of college relationships to people they meet at performances.
"The thing we learned about the music business is that we need to write good songs," Sampson said, adding that the lyrics can't be forced or planned.
"You can't make it happen," he said of writing lyrics. "You can't stop it when it does."
Wallace, who writes a lot of the music, described music-writing similarly.
"It's kind of weird, actually," said Wallace, who plays bass guitar. "Sometimes I sit down and nothing happens. Then sometimes I sit down and it's like the song is already there or something."
Wallace's father played in bands for many years and signed Dezi up for guitar lessons even though Dezi wasn't sure he wanted to start playing.
"That was probably the best thing he could have done," Wallace said.
The band recently hired a booking agent to get them shows and they're now booked three months in advance, although once in awhile will play at a place last-minute. This fall they plan to play at more colleges and to get their music to more college radio stations.
"Pretty much, we'll go wherever," Sampson said.
The band's name Six Mile Grove is named after an area in Lyle, which is near the Sampson brothers' family farm.
For now the members work at other jobs as well as playing about three nights a week. Sampson works in Rochester and Wallace works at Donahue's Lawn Service. They hope to keep getting their name and music out there so they can make performing their full-time job. But they also keep reality in check.
"That would be the dream I guess to someday make it big," Wallace said. "We'll take it as it comes."
Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at :mailto:cari.quam@austindailyherald.com