Published: Sunday, August 30, 2009

Small town charm presented by Minnesota’s own Six Mile Grove hit the Pioneer Place main stage on Thursday, August 27.

Hailing from Lyle, Minn., Six Mile Grove has established themselves as a world-renowned alt-country act since their beginnings in 1997.

Formed by brothers Brandon and Brian Sampson along with Barry Nelson dangerously close to the Iowa border, Six Mile Grove was changed forever after bass player Dezi Wallace arrived at their family’s practice space.

Taking the 10-mile ride from nearby Austin, Minn., Wallace arrived with his mother.

The Sampsons began to play music at a young age as well.

Brandon Sampson began to play guitar at the age of nine after he was temporarily disabled in a farming accident.

“My brother (Brian) threw a fit because I got a guitar at the music store,” Brandon said in an interview before the performance Thursday.

Soon enough, Brian got his own shiny new drum set and the core of Six Mile Grove was created.

Looking at the band now, one could never have guessed that they started practicing in grandma’s basement just this side of nowhere.

The band has had the opportunity to play at the Lion’s Den in Greenwich Village and the Avalon Theatre in Maryland.

Their love of playing in theatres has brought them to the Pioneer Place in downtown St. Cloud.

Two  of the band members – Barry Nelson and Brian Sampson – now call Minneapolis home. Six Mile Grove’s latest album, entitled Steel Mule, was recorded in Barry’s basement in Spring, 2009.

Tracks from the album have been played on radio stations as far away as Belgium.

BBC country music personality Ralph McLean has noticed the band all the way from Scotland.

“They have specific alt-country shows where they listen and talk about the music.

I think they have a fan base of around 700,000,” Brandon said. The band owes a lot of their international success to the web, Brandon notes.

“The internet – if it ever catches on – would be a pretty cool tool for bands,” Brandon said jokingly.

The band has had the opportunity of touring and backing legendary guitarist Bob Whooton, who was Johnny Cash’s guitar player for 30 years.

Six Mile Grove toured with Whooton for one year, which tremendously influenced Six Mile Grove’s attitude toward music, Brandon explained.

“He kinda kick-started us into writing a new kind of music that was thoughtful and where people actually listened,” he said.

Six Mile Grove plans to play in St. Cloud are more frequently, especially now that school is back in session.

“We’re gonna try and come up here more often,” Brandon said.