The Loft Session debuts at Scottville band shell; features ’60s, ’70s covers

The Loft Session

SCOTTVILLE – Awesome Distraction kicked off the Scottville Clown Band Summer Concert Series last week and the lineup for this year’s Tuesday night concerts looks like another great group of performances. Mason County Press Correspondent Kate Krieger met up with Jeff Voss member of The Loft Session, who will be taking the stage for the first time together as a group for the 7-8:30 p.m. show, June 3 at the Scottville Clown Band Shell.

Hailing from Ludington, The Loft Session is made up of Hayden Chapman- lead vocals/guitar, Zach Hubbard- guitar/vocals, Kevin Knudsen- bass/vocals and Jeff Voss- drums/percussion.

Q: How did the band get its start and where did the name “The Loft Session” come from?

A: “I am new to Ludington as of last May. Last summer I was doing yard work and heard live guitar in the distance. I went to check it out; turns out it was just a half a block down the street. I knocked on the garage door and introduced myself.  Hayden was house sitting and we quickly began to talk about music. There was also a drum kit set-up and we soon found ourselves jamming some Eric Clapton classics. We exchanged numbers and kept in touch with each other but no further jams had taken place. It was just six weeks ago that we began to play together again. This time, Hayden brought a couple other guys into the session (Zach and Kevin). ‘The Loft Session’ comes from the fact that we practice in an upstairs loft in downtown Ludington. It’s really a gathering of not only the band, but other artists (painters/musicians) come and hang out and sometimes jump in to play. It’s not uncommon to have a drum circle or a keyboard player plug in and participate.”

Q: What style of music do you consider yourself? Any musical influences that are present in your music?

A: “Because the band is so new, we are doing cover songs at the moment. It’s important that we create a chemistry first and get use to each other’s style and approach. The songs usually lead to some sort of spur-of-the-moment jam section where we feed off each other and take the song to a different place. It feels really nice to experiment and create something on a whim. All the guys are influenced by the likes of Frank Zappa, Bob Marley, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Rush, the blues and jazz.”

Q: How often do you play out and where can people check you out at besides this Tuesday’s show at the Scottville Clown Band Shell?

A: The Scottville Clown Band Shell is our first official show as ‘The Loft Session.’ We’ll also be performing at this year’s LUDROCK Festival on Saturday, June 28th, but not sure on the exact time yet. We’ve been told a late afternoon slot. That is our only scheduled gig so far. We will be booking locally for this summer.”

Q: How did the Scottville gig come to you and what should people look forward to when they come out to hear you play?

A: “We received a phone call from the person in charge there who is friends with members of the band. The audience should look forward on hearing some well know songs in the vein of progressive rock/classic rock. We will be extending themes of songs and making it up as we go. It’s very rewarding as a musician and it follows in the footsteps of other bands like The Allman Brothers and live Led Zeppelin.”

Q: In your spare time, when not playing music, what are the members of The Loft Session doing?

A: “Some of the members perform in other bands/solo around town. We are busy with work. Some venture into photography and art.”

The entire band is definitely looking forward to their first performance at the Scottville Clown Band Shell and they are excited to see what the summer has in store for their budding careers as a band together. The Loft Session can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theloftsession.

The Scottville Clown Bad Shell Tuesday Night Concert Series runs until Sept. 2. The band shell is located in downtown Scottville next to the Optimist Hall, Behind West Shore Bank. Lawn chairs and/or blankets are encouraged, as provided picnic table seating is very limited. For a full line up visit www.chamber.ludington.org/events/calendar and visit Mason County Press each for interviews with each of the concert series performers.

The band shell is owned and operated as a joint venture between the Scottville Optimist Club and Scottville Clown Band. The committee operates as a separate entity and includes representatives from both organizations and from the community. Tax deductible donations may be sent to Scottville Clown Band, PO Box 278, Scottville, MI 49454.