Small Town Troubadours, a local band comprising students from the Solanco and Hempfield areas, has been nominated for the Central Pennsylvania Music Awards (CPMA) in the Best Youth Band category. Voting for the award concluded at the end of January, and the band will perform in front of CPMA's judges at a showcase on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Lebanon Valley College. Should Small Town Troubadours qualify as a finalist, it will perform at the CPMA ceremony on Thursday, March 30, at Hersheypark Stadium.

The band includes four juniors from Solanco High School: rhythm guitarist Shaun Graybill, drummer Waylon Simcox, lead vocalist Logan Bear and lead guitarist Raif Groves. The band's bassist, Riley Hornberger, is a senior at Hempfield High School.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shaun and Waylon began learning guitar and playing songs together. The pair had never played any instruments prior but focused on music as a way to pass the time during the lockdowns. "It started out as two boys hanging out and playing guitar," said Adrienne Graybill, Shaun's mother and the band's acting manager. "Kids weren't able to go anywhere or do anything, so the band was a good thing that came from the pandemic."

Six months after Shaun and Waylon started playing together, Logan joined the project. Shortly after, Small Town Troubadours' lineup was completed with the addition of Raif and Riley. The band initially focused on covering songs in the Southern rock and classic rock genres but is currently in the process of writing original music. "They're old souls; they're playing music that their parents and grandparents listened to," Adrienne said. Small Town Troubadours describes its sound as being influenced by the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Whiskey Myers.

In the spring of 2022, Small Town Troubadours began playing shows all over the county. The band took any opportunity to share its sound with an audience, performing at local fairs, carnivals and vendor shows. Since then, Small Town Troubadours expanded its shows to include private parties, restaurants and clubs.

"They don't want to pretend to be people that they're not. That's a big thing for them," Adrienne said. "They have fun playing their music, and they work hard at it." Each member of the band dedicates time and energy into the project while juggling the responsibilities of being a high school student and working part time. In addition to Adrienne assisting with booking shows, Waylon's father does sound for each gig and Logan's mother handles merchandise.

"They don't just stand up there and strum a guitar. They have a lot of energy and they connect with people," Adrienne said. "We're excited to see what the future brings."

For more information, search for "Small Town Troubadours" on http://www.facebook.com.