LA GRANDE — The Wasteland Kings have become a favorite in the region’s music scene, but they’re doing things on their own terms.

Founding members Kris Mallory and Holly Sorensen created the band, playing across Eastern Oregon and surrounding states with a combination of members over the years. Their Americana sound and amiable attitude have cemented the group as one of the area’s most popular bands.

“The people that come to hear us typically have to really like that type of music,” Mallory said. “That may seem counterintuitive, but people are showing up across the area knowing what we’re about.”

The band plays as a full setup with drums and added vocals, in addition to acoustic trio performances referred to as “The Acoustic Kings.” The Wasteland Kings say their sound is inspired by the likes of Steve Earle, The Rolling Stones, Townes Van Zandt, Muddy Waters and The Pogues.

Forming the band

The Wasteland Kings, officially formed in 2008, features Sorenson, Kris and Mike Mallory, Al MacLeod, Mark Emerson and Jerry Smith. While members have come and gone over the years, the musical background within the Kings is extensive.

MacLeod and Mike Mallory have longtime musical roots in La Grande, playing in the Rock Creek Roll Band from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Starting in the band as a 15-year-old, Mike Mallory credits the older members in the band for helping him develop his knowledge of music. MacLeod plays bass for the Wasteland Kings but was a drummer for the Rock Creek Roll Band.

MacLeod led bands himself in the past, but it was difficult to keep up while running several local businesses. He filled in with the Wasteland Kings at bass and quickly became an integral part of the group. MacLeod has enjoyed a passion for music since his youth, having moved to La Grande in high school and linking with Mike Mallory.

“Music is the perfect coming together of the two sides of the brain,” MacLeod said. “It’s why music is so thrilling.”

Mike Mallory’s knack for music extended to his son, Kris.

“Kris had a natural talent at a young age,” Mike Mallory said. “When he was around 14 he started playing a fender guitar and singing Bob Dylan and Neil Young.”

Kris Mallory began his music career playing in bands in Portland during college before moving back to La Grande in the early 2000s. He started a local band called The Hellhounds and played under that name until 2008. After a while, Kris Mallory felt that the name was associating his band with the wrong message.

“There was lots of other hellhound stuff and it was kind of aggressive for the type of music that we play,” Kris Mallory said.

In 2008 Kris Mallory and Sorensen formed the Wasteland Kings, and the band’s first album was recorded. Both Mike Mallory and MacLeod joined a few years later, while the rest of the band members were added in the coming years.

“I really feel fortunate to have found that level of talent in our band,” Mike Mallory said of fellow musicians Emerson and Smith.

Emerson moved from Los Angeles to La Grande in 2012 and joined the Wasteland Kings a year later. He noted that the band members enjoy playing together while staying focused on creating the a finely tuned sound.

“There is a high commitment level no matter what we’re playing, where everyone is trying to artistically make it the best we can,” Emerson said. “We have a lot of fun. It’s a super pleasant work environment.”

According to MacLeod, the band’s unison on stage is what creates the quality of the shows. A former drummer himself, MacLeod and Emerson play together cohesively.

“Bass and drum are basically the same instrument being played by two different guys,” he said. “We can just naturally lock into the same line of thinking on stage.”

Crafting a unique sound

With decades of music experience among all the members of the band, the Wasteland Kings have created their own sound. For Kris Mallory, it comes down to playing what he loves and hoping that maybe others will enjoy the songs.

“If you come to hear us, you’re not going to hear songs that you hear a lot of other bands do,” he said.

The band’s lead singer has been playing live music since he was 15 and has fine-tuned his music taste over the years.

“I’ve always just played the type of music I like,” Kris Mallory said. “I just play what I like, and if somebody enjoys it, then that’s wonderful. That’s exactly who we do it for.”

Spreading their reach

As the Wasteland Kings grew in popularity over the years, so too did their travel schedule.

“We’ve always traveled,” Kris Mallory said. “When we started there were like seven or eight venues in La Grande and it’s not really that way anymore, so we don’t play as often in La Grande.”

While the band frequents surrounding cities including Baker, Pendleton and Walla Walla, this summer they played a large selection of shows in Union County. The band performed at a number of annual community events, such as the Grassroots Festival, the Eastern Oregon Beer Festival and the Union County Fair.

“We have people driving down from La Grande to Baker and other towns because we don’t play as much in La Grande,” Emerson said. “By now, people are used to maybe traveling a little bit to see us.”

Kris Mallory hopes that the COVID-19 spike wanes in the wake of the band wrapping up their summer shows. He noted that earlier in the summer, fans were ecstatic to attend live shows again.

“People really wanted to do fun stuff this summer instead of being locked in their house, so you could feel that a lot when you talk to people and play,” Kris Mallory said.