Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Sep 05/05) - A few friends, some talent and a lot of enthusiasm can take one a long way and singer Grace "Pinkcess" Loterzo knows it.

She has high hopes and big dreams for her new band, Amatuq, and the drive to make them happen.

Loterzo got together with bassist David Whitmore and guitarists Aaron McKenty and Nick "Stick" Kavanaugh in January. They're still looking for a drummer.

"We were hanging out and we realized we all liked the same kind of music and started jamming," she said.

They cover Metallica, Pink Floyd, Duran Duran and Pantera.

"When we practice, we warm up with heavy metal before playing our own stuff," she said.

The 21-year-old describes the band's eclectic musical range as stretching from melodious and soothing rhythms to a heavy, loud, grunge-laden, "twist your nipples" sound.

"We have no dough for drums, so that's our setback right now," Loterzo said. "We all work full-time jobs, we have bills to take care of and personal needs after that. Kinda sucks, but we have fun and we get by. We all stick by each other."

The band is pulling together a set list this summer to debut on stage at the Legion before they hit the bar scene.

"I'd like to get an album out," Loterzo said.

She started singing in church at age 11 and then started writing her own lyrics following encouragement from her friends.

"I like to write from myself," she said. "I don't like to make it flowery, I like to make the songs understandable to people."

Sometimes Loterzo doesn't write for weeks, other times she writes twice a day, every day. Her usual process involves rewriting a song twice.

"The song loses something if it undergoes too many rewrites," she said.

She wants to audition for Canadian Idol next year in the North or in Toronto.

"I'd probably bomb, but it's worth a try," she said. "There are lots of people in town my age who think they can't get anywhere. I want to go out and do what I want to do and then go on to bigger and better things. If I can do it, it will show people they can, too."