For two years and counting, The Odds, a Northwest Arkansas band, have managed to garner many achievements that will bring the music scene spotlight shining down on them. Last week, The Odds took home Band of the Year and Album of the Year awards at the Northwest Arkansas Music Awards.

With a first album already released and numerous other awards from various music competitions, The Odds, are in the process of finding their sound and their audience.

After taking the Best Original Music Band prize at the Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase in Little Rock earlier this year, the band is set to hit the road with gigs at Cajun's Wharf and the upcoming Riverfest in Little Rock.

"We're all jaded by the success," said keyboardist and lead singer Derek Van Lynn.

"We've gone from just jamming together...to getting Best Music Band [at the Arkansas Times Music Showcase]," he said. "We really feel like we'll be representing Arkansas at Riverfest."

Along with Van Lynn, the band includes Matt Perrine on guitar, Keith Hollingshead on drums, Rick Erke on percussion and Kevin Grimwood, who has recently replaced Severino Myers on bass.

The musicians have crossed paths before in previous bands: Vann Lynn has previously played with Erke in the Thomas Jefferson & the UFO Revolution; Hollingshead played with Breathing Water; Perrine was a guitarist for Short Bus; and Grimwood has played with local artists Emily Kaitz and Effron White.

The addition of Grimwood to the band is working nicely, according to other members of the band.

All band members share a love for the creative process. While Van Lynn supplies the majority of the lyrics, the band, through many hours of rehearsal, works out the riffs, hooks and beats. They rehearse twice a week at Erke's house in Fayetteville and currently have a list of 60 songs, both original material and covers. They describe their sound as "rock and roll with jam elements."

"We've been compared to Steely Dan and Widespread Panic," said Perrine

Van Lynn said the band works to captivate their audiences with the dynamics in their songwriting, those "melodies and hooks for people to get into."

"When we see people get out on the dance floor and seeing total strangers singing along with us, it's a great thing," Van Lynn said.

Although the band has received acclaim and support, criticism is considered healthy and necessary.

"I feel that criticism is the best inspiration," Grimwood said. "I'd rather have someone tell me that my music is crap. I'll know if there's room for improvement."

The band has generated a local buzz with countless performances at Dickson Street clubs and at Fayetteville's Bikes, Blues and BBQ festival as well as statewide attention with gigs at Juanitia's and Sticky Fingerz, both in Little Rock.

The Odds released their first album, Stick It In Your Pocket, in 2004. The 10-song album of original material, was recorded in two months at the now-defunct Empire Recording Studio.

"People seem to like the album," Van Lynn said. "It's opened a lot of doors for us. We still like it after all this time."

The band's efforts to get noticed have worked out quite well. Last year they contributed to the "Band Together" album, which raised money for the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter. They picked up five awards at the 2004 Ozark Music Awards, including Artist of the Year, New Band, Album of the Year, Album Artwork and Best Original Song and in 2003 won awards for Best Alternative Band and the Creativity Award.

Van Lynn said the Odds will continue to write songs, widen their audience and focus on future gigs. A follow-up to their first album is in the very early stages or "in theory," according to Perrine.

The band is also known for its renditions of cover tunes. As for now, live performances consist of both original material and covers.

"There's an element of humor [in live performances]," Hollingshead said. "Derek is good with talking to the audience. We take the music seriously but not ourselves too seriously."