The group takes its name from its founder and lead vocalist, Jonathan Taylor Rose. Originally from Mena, Rose moved to Fayetteville in 2005 on the advice of friend Benjamin Del Shreve, himself a native of Mena. Rose then phoned lead guitarist Robert Geiger, a friend back in Mena, and asked him to move to Fayetteville. Bassist Danny Klein, who—for those keeping score at home—hails from Cabot, not Mena, joined the threesome a few months later.

"Our drummer couldn't make it," Rose says. "His name's Casey Grimes."

Casey Grimes? As in the drummer who used to play with The Conquistadors?

"Yeah," Rose says. "You know him?"

We each used to work with him many moons ago. Rose says Grimes filled in as drummer in an emergency during their first headline performance, a gig at Gypsy.

"He's into very obscure music," Rose says of Grimes.

"Yeah," says Geiger, "groups you've never heard of, like, I dunno, Whisker Biscuits or something."

Whisker Biscuits?

"It wouldn't surprise me," says Rose. "He's got a ton of stuff I've never heard of, but he's always got great taste."

"Yeah," says Klein.

"But he does listen to more mainstream stuff. Some of his influences," Rose says, "are Bloody Valentine, The Cure, Bjork, stuff like that."

And who influences the band?

The three share looks. Rose says, "U2, The Killers, Damien Rice, Coldplay—"

"Iron and Wine," Klein offers.

"Definitely some Iron and Wine," Rose says.

Geiger pops up with Smashing Pumpkins, and all three nod their heads.

"I suppose if we had to describe the sound as simply as possible," Rose says, "we'd go with something like U2 meets The Killers."

Fair enough. So what about guilty pleasures? Do the three of you listen to anyone you might be embarrassed to admit?

Rose smiles. "Britney Spears' 'Toxic,'" he says. "Definitely. It's catchy."

"I listen to Garth Brooks," Klein says.

"Yeah, but you're not embarrassed by it," counters Geiger.

"Hey," Rose says, "say what you want, but Brooks is an entertainer."

Do you have a favorite place to play in Fayetteville?

The Gypsy," Rose says. "Definitely. George's is cool, too."

Do you think Fayetteville suffers from a lack of suitable venues?

"Yeah, we love the Gypsy and George's but the place could use a few more," Rose says. "I mean, look back at places like JR's, Dave's, Clunk. Fayetteville just doesn't have those places anymore." He adds that they're working to book gigs outside the region.

"We've also become relationship experts," Geiger says.

Come again?

Rose smiles. "MySpace," he says. "We have so many people on MySpace who are fans, and we try to always write back to each of them—"

"Which is impossible," says Klein.

Rose continues: "Yeah, but we try, and after awhile, it's like they feel they know you. They write with questions about their boyfriends, their girlfriends, stuff like that. 'Should I break up with my girlfriend?' 'I think my boyfriend is cheating on me. What should I do?' It's weird," he says, "but we do love our fans."

So what's coming up? You've an EP release party soon, right?

"Yeah, April fourth at Gypsy," Rose says. "Matt Jones'll be there, too. Apartment 5, Kilroy—"

"Bear Colony," says Klein.

"And we'll be in Eureka Springs on the sixth," says Rose.

You say Benjamin Del Shreve convinced you to move to Fayetteville.

"Yeah," Rose says. "I knew him back in Mena, and I always looked up to him. A while back, I recorded an acoustic EP and came to Fayetteville to let Benjamin listen to it. He and a friend took the EP and went driving while I passed out on the couch. I wake up with Ben shaking me, telling me, 'You're really good!' He told me I should move to Fayetteville."

And here you are.

"Yep. We're hoping to go to Europe this summer, but we have a lot of writing left to do," says Rose. "We hope to have the full album finished by fall." Then: "Are you coming to the release party?"

Wouldn't miss it.

"Here," Rose says, "let me write down your email addresses." He opens the large organizer and produces a pad, then looks a little embarrassed. "I'm really not this well organized in life," he says.

"Whatever," says Klein.

Geiger says, bobbing his head at Rose, "He's kind of the group's dad."

Hey, what do you expect? The man's on a mission.

Catch Jonathan Taylor Rose at the Gypsy Friday night. You can learn more about the group at jonathantaylorrose.com.