“We try to help other bands as much as we can, whenever we can,” said local musician Otis Lee Miller, guitar and vocals in Orlando based band Six Time Losers, talking about supporting other musicians during a recent email interview. “When we’re out on the road, we often rely on the support of other independent artists, so we do our best to return the favor. There are so many bands out there these days, that I don’t think you’re going to further your career by trying to keep other bands down. You’re more likely to build a fan base by working together towards a common goal.”
The band members cite many different musicians as their musical influences from county artists like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, George Strait, Gary Allan and Alan Jackson to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. For added variety they also claim influences by bands like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots.
The band’s name is a salute to one of their influences. “It’s a Bob Dylan lyric from ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues,’ said Miller. “He’s always been a huge influence for us. I would imagine most American songwriters would say the same about Dylan. I guess the band name is kind of our homage to him.”
One performer Miller admires most is Gary Allan. “He manages to stay relevant without taking part in the ‘machine’ that is the music industry,” said Miller. “He usually only plays about 100 shows a year and you never know when his next album is coming out, but when it does, it’s sure to have commercial success. It seems to me that he’s doing things the way he wants to and not necessarily the way that Nashville wants him to.”
The band doesn’t bury their musical style in a bunch of sub-genres; their only claim is they are a country music band. “We’re not exactly trying to change the world with our lyrics,” said Miller. “We do discuss some serious topics, but we’re mainly just singing songs about life in general. Songs to commiserate with, laugh about, and dance to. We pretty much cover all the bases.”
Miller likes most aspects of the Orlando local music scene, all but one. “The scene we have in Orlando is very strong and supportive,” said Miller. “But I wish we had more true music ‘fans’ in the area. For the most part, the people I see out supporting local music on a regular basis are other artists. Some cities seem to have armies of people who just love music and maybe I’m wrong, but for some reason, I don’t feel like we have that here.”
The band, Butch Wisdom (guitar, vocals), Otis Lee Miller (bass, vocals), Lester McFly (lead guitar, vocals) and Randy Coole (drums), is currently recording their second full-length CD and hoping for a May 2013 release. The core of the band has been playing together for over 10 years and have been playing around Florida as Six Time Losers since 2009.
Music fans can keep up with the Orlando local band on their official site, Facebook page and Reverbnation. They have several upcoming show dates so fans can catch them playing live:
April 11 - Orlando, FL - Taste - with Homemade Wine
May 17 - Charleston, SC - Home Team BBQ of Charleston, SC
May 18 - Sullivan’s Island, SC - Home Team BBQ
May 20 - Carrollton, GA - Alley Cat
May 21 - Atlanta, GA – Smith’s Olde Bar
May 23 - Knoxville, TN - The Well - with Homemade Wine
May 25 - Louisville, KY - Third Street Dive - with The Dammit
May 26 - Newport, KY - The Southgate House Revival
May 27 - Asheville, NC - Jack of the Wood
May 31 - Fayetteville, NC - The Black Cat Lounge - with The Several Devils band
June 1 - Murrells Inlet, SC - Hotfish Club - with The Several Devils Band
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