The band 127 North. Pictured from left to right are Josh Taylor, Tyler Jennings, Christopher Humbert and Randy Kuhn.
Courtesy photo
By Charlotte Caldwell
FORT LORAMIE — A duo from a band native to Celina will perform at Country Concert this year along with other native Ohio performers.
127 North was established in 2020 by Christopher Humbert who sings lead vocals and plays rhythm guitar. A few months after forming, Josh Taylor joined, who sings backup vocals and plays lead guitar. Randy Kuhn, who plays the drums, joined in November 2021 and replaced the original drummer. Tyler Jennings sings backup vocals and plays the bass and joined in December 2023 to replace the original bassist. Humbert and Taylor work for Crown Lift Trucks; Kuhn does car detailing; and Jennings brews beer for a local brewery.
The name 127 North comes from U.S. Route 127 which goes through Celina. “127 North just felt like something we could all relate to. It’s home,” Taylor said.
The band has played hundreds of shows, festivals and weddings since forming. They play a lot of gigs around Grand Lake St. Marys, though sometimes they travel an hour or two away.
“Some of our favorite gigs so far have been opening for Russell Dickerson, and playing at Whiskey Bent Saloon on Broadway in Nashville. This year we have Country Concert for our acoustic duo of Chris and Josh, as well as opening for Conner Smith at the Auglaize County Fair,” Taylor said. The band has been invited to play at the event in Nashville every year.
They play a mix of covers and original songs and will play both at Country Concert.
They all agree their favorite original is a new one called “Do You Feel Me.” “It’s about going through mental health issues and finding a light at the end of the tunnel. It was written as a way to let the listener know they’re not alone,” Taylor said. A crowd-favorite cover they perform is SOLD OUT by HARDY.
Other originals by the band include “Do You Sleep,” “That’s My Song” and “Red Dress, Blue Jeans.” The latter is available to listen to on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9_sXrA_Lig.
“Song ideas a lot of times will just hit out of nowhere,” Taylor said when asked how they come up with song ideas. “One line pops in your head and you just run with it. It all just falls out onto the paper. Sometimes faster than the pen can move. Other times there will be a story we want to tell and then it’s just the task of finding the right words to convey what you’re feeling.”
When they found out they would be performing at Country Concert, “We thought we would pass out. We still might. We are so excited to be a part of this. Two long-time goals of the band were to play in Nashville, and at Country Concert. To say we are excited would be an understatement,” Taylor said.
“The best part about being in this band is getting to play every weekend and see so many smiling faces singing right back at us,” Taylor said.
Anyone wishing to book the band can reach out through Facebook Messenger or email [email protected]. To keep up with the band, follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/127north.
