Littlerock Band Takes it to The Limit

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A band based out of Littlerock has been making waves in the local music scene, gaining momentum and tapping into a genre of music new to the area.

The Littlerock Band, an alternative country group, performed at the Limit Bar and Grill in Centralia on Saturday night in front of a packed house, helping to spread the word about the group.

The band, which was established in February of last year, includes locals from Littlerock and the surrounding areas. The members feed off of each others’ diverse styles to come up with a kind of music all their own.

“What we have musically is such a hodgepodge mixture of dudes that what we ended up surprisingly coming up with is something pretty cool,” lead vocalist Toby Schwartz said. “There’s really not one style, or one genre or one song, for that matter, that’s just one guy’s idea. It’s five opinions and it’s all a group effort.”

Each of the five members of the group have been connected in one way or another since their youth, adding a collaborative effort that is hard to beat. The mixture of chemistry is one that is welcomed and is driven by the band’s love of music, which began at a young age for each member. 

Based on life experiences, the band prides itself on creating music that is relatable, and the hope is the connection will drive the group to new heights.

“I’m ambitious in moving forward with this and I’m anxious for things to keep going,” Jake Yake, guitarist and vocalist for the group, said. “I want to see where it goes, see if it turns into something else, and if it doesn’t, we all have good jobs so it’s not like it’s a big waste of time, as long as it’s fun, it’s good.” 

So far the group has played at a variety of different shows, including the Four Square Mile Music Festival in Tenino, the Lady of the Lake Public House and outlying areas as far as Snohomish County and the Mount Hood Skibowl. 

The Littlerock Band has a solid list of future performances booked, and with their strong connection, they plan to continue expanding.



“I don’t want to sound like it’s a relationship, but you spend a lot of time with the other guys, so that (chemistry) is important,” drummer Spencer Sorrell said. “We have fun, and it’s working. Crowds are showing up and we are having a heck of a good time.”

Guitarist Marcus McKenzie said the mixture of talent has made it easy for the band to collaborate together, an important aspect for any musical group.

“It’s a perfect dynamic between us as musicians,” he said. “Honestly, it has been effortless.” 

Throughout it all, the community of Littlerock has stood behind the band, offering them venues to practice their performance style, while also helping to spread the word about the group. 

“It’s all about your hometown,” bass player JJ Hamilton said. “Support local bands, support local everything.” 

With the support of friends and family, the group recently completed an extended play, featuring six original tracks created by the band. The EP was released digitally on March 1 and physical copies of the tracks will be available by the end of March. Their music will also hit online markets such as iTunes and Amazon soon. 

Although this is just the beginning, the band hopes to continue playing music, whether it leads to fame or just a good small town time.

“We’re having fun and if we do too much worrying about perfection, money and goals, we kind of lose sight of why we are doing it,” Schwartz said. “Our music is about life experience and that’s what people can relate to. I hope they can hear that from our music and going from the response we’ve had so far, I think we’re doing just fine.”