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LEFT ARM is a a loud-ass punk rock n' roll band that hails from thee Olde World side of the Great Mississippi River near St. Louis, MO. Formed as a duo in 2002 by guitarist Jeff White and drummer Jason Potter in Edwardsville, IL, the two combined a mix of primitive rock, garage, punk, and good ol' rock n' roll that harkened such two-person greats as Bantam Rooster, Flat Duo Jets, and The White Stripes.
Initial songwriting/recording sessions resulted in the Dan The Peanut Man EP. After several months worth of gigs that perfected their raucous live show (in and around St. Louis - opening for NYC's Crimson Sweet and such local faves as Thee Lordly Serpents and The Gentleman Callers), the band felt it had taken the two person format to the max.
They soon added their old friend, Mr. Jimmy "Icon" Stotts on full-time fuzzbass in October 2003. Coincidentally, that same month saw the release of Dirty Mississppi Sound (the band's debut full-length) on Sluggo Records (Space Age Palmer, Judge Nothing, Dazzling Killmen, etc.)
Forged over a four-month period on the band's trusty four-track recorder, Dirty Mississppi Sound captured the raw energy of live show crowd pleasers (Jason Says to Dance, Girls & Politics (Oh My Gawd!), Biloxi Blues (She is so Rad), and Tentatively) and set listeners against some new cuts (Summer's Done and Bunker Buster).
In April 2004, LEFT ARM entered Rick Harmon's Dogbite Studios to record the Hotmouth Jive EP, which revisits two classics (Jason Says to Dance and Tentatively) and adds This Ain't No Summer of Love, Feelin' Alright, and I Can't Wait (For You) to the vault of recorded nuggets.
By June, the boys decided to push the special constraints of their van once again and added the young touble-making Brad "Attitude" Evetts on second guitar. With the new axeman on board, the quintet spent the rest of 2004 and 2005 playing shows throughout IL and MO (23 in all) including St. Louis, Champaign, Bloomington/Normal, Gillespie and Chicago.
2006 would be a tumultuous year for LEFT ARM. In early January, long-time singer/guitarist (and founding member) Jeff White decided to leave the band. The remaining trio quickly recruited long-time friend Scott Walus (from the ashes of The Locked Sound out of Bloomington/Normal) to fill in on guitar and vocals. Hungry for a new recording, they soon entered Jason Hutto's Smokin' Baby Studios to record material for an EP/7". After the recording session and a handful of amazing shows (including one with The Riverboat Gamblers), Scott continued on in his own seperate way. From June to December, they forged on as a three-piece writing new songs while playing sporadic shows. But as 2006 came to a close, it was clear that they were at a crossroads. Brad no longer had the time or energy for the band, leaving only Jim and Jason to carry the torch.
So the pair spent the cold winter months regrouping and writing more new songs for the band than had been written in over 2 years. By February, LEFT ARM was ready to roll once again. The rhythm section duo played just a couple shows before they caught the attention of guitarist Joe Stumble in April of 2007. After just one practice, it was obvious Joe was a perfect fit for the band and joined immediately.
They've opened for such fabulous local, regional, and national bands as The Briefs, GitoGito Hustler, Gore Gore Girls, Crimson Sweet, The Riverboat Gamblers, Valient Thorr, The Spunks, Diamond Nights, M.O.T.O., Brain Failure, The Its, Thee Fine Lines, Ded Bugs, The Electric, The Locked Sound, The Dammit Boys, The Litigators, Velcro Lewis & His 100 Proof Band, and Imperial Battlesnake.
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