Age: 51 For the record: Hostetler listened to a lot of rock 'n' roll, soul and jazz on the radio growing up. Radio was his biggest musical influence as a kid. His family wasn't musically inclined and even though he played in a couple of bands in high school and college, they were just "hobby stuff." Hostetler started the Determined Luddites with friend Dan Davis, a singer, guitar and mandolin player, in 1993. They picked up their mandolin/bouzouki/banjo player Mark Robertson-Tessi through their side project, Big Galoot in 2000. And Luddites bass player, Randi Pantera joined up in 2004. The Luddites' first album was 2003's "Better Luck Yesterday," a compilation of covers. A few weeks ago, the band released "String Theory," a collection of original tunes. "We have fun making music together and would like to get as much recognition as we could," Hostetler said. "We work really hard, we take it seriously, we want to be good." For fans curious about the origin of the band's name, Hostetler explained that the name refers to a movement by industrial workers that started in 1800s England. The workers were fighting technological progress, something Hostetler and Davis also confronted when they first joined forces. "We both really didn't know how to use a computer," he said, adding that he found the word "Luddites" mentioned in a Harper's magazine article about the effect computers and the Internet have on writing. Hostetler said he would like to devote more time to Big Galoot and record an album with the band. The Determined Luddites also have new songs that he would like to record for a third album in the future. Sounds like: Progressive acoustic with an eclectic mix of folk and country. Think John Coltrane, the Pogues, Steve Earle, Doc Watson, David Grisman and Django Reinhardt - artists whom Hostetler says influence the band. Influences on the new album: "There is a kind of Tucson sound. It's not something we're trying to go after. Three of us grew up in Arizona and we have a strong connection to the Southwest. It comes down in my songwriting and the imagery I use. All our songwriting styles are different, and there are three different songwriters on the band. We worked in the same studio for both albums with a soundman we're comfortable with. We have more identity as a band now. We practice a lot and we got better not only at writing, but also at playing." When do you write your songs: "I don't have a rou- tine. . . . When they come to me, they come pretty quick. Sometimes it's a melody, sometimes it's a line. Sometimes they come to me in the middle of the night and sometimes at work. I read a lot, which influences my songwriting." Life as a band member: "I love playing with the guys and gal in the band. Dan Davis has been my best friend for 25 years. I can't imagine being in a band at this point without him in it. And Mark is a prodigious talent, an astounding player on every instrument he touches. He'll be nationally recognized at some point in his life. He blows me away with his creativity each time we share a stage." Luddites or lullabies? "Both have a big place in my life, I guess." By Djamila Grossman. To suggest someone for this column, e-mail smauet@azstarnet.com.