Loes van Schaijk

LOES: She wrote the book

Pronunciation: “Loose” / “vahn” / “S” + “ch” (as in the Scottish word “loch”) + “ike”.

Loes (The Netherlands, based in Prague since 2018) sang in harmony with her mother from a young age. As a child, she was drawn to everything her parents had brought back home from the time they had lived in North Carolina: Dr. Seuss books, a 5-string banjo, the sheet music to Duelling Banjos, and cassette tapes with country music. She took keyboard lessons from the age of 8 and added the acoustic guitar as a teenager, gradually learning chords from her mother, older brother, and her peers.

Loes made her introduction into the European bluegrass scene as a singer and songwriter with the Slovak-Dutch bluegrass band Waterflow, with whom she released the album Perfect Match for Trouble in 2008. It was during her 10 years of playing with the folk-bluegrass band Red Herring that she grew as a double bass player and became widely appreciated for her tight rhythm and smooth tone. She released her solo album All I Ever Really Seem to Say in 2021 and currently performs under her own name in various formations, mostly with Czech fiddler Honza Bartošek by her side.

In 2015, Loes published the book High Lonesome Below Sea Level: Faces and Stories of Bluegrass Music in the Netherlands with black-and-white portrait photography by Marieke Odekerken. It can be read online and purchased through her website.

Who are your heroes when it comes to bluegrass music?

“Singers: Tim O’Brien, Darrell Scott, AJ Lee, Jessee Havey, and Tony Rice. I love how they all have their own distinct and natural sound. As for double bassists: Edgar Meyer, Ethan Jodziewicz, and Paul Kowert must be wizards—I adore them, but they’re out of my league! The main inspirations for my own playing style are Mark Schatz, Mike Bub, and Danny Thompson. Europe has loads of excellent bass players: Pierce Black, Sam Quintana, Brita Björs, Nathalie Schaap, and Miloš Klápště, to name but a few.”

What do you love most about playing your instrument?

“I enjoy being part of the rhythm section. My main goal is to interlock with the other musicians, mostly the mandolinist, and create a solid groove so that whoever plays the solo can take flight and shine.”

Why are you excited to be in this band?

“I have known and admired most of the other musicians in this project for a long time. They are all passionate about bluegrass, ambitious, dedicated, reliable, and fun to spend time with. I can’t wait to share the stage with them!”