JV Squad

The JV Squad is an eclectic Mountain Soul band featuring the powerful vocals of Jared Bentley, the talented Jerry Henninger on keys, and the rock-solid rhythm section of Kevin Light (bass) and Mike Sams (drums). The Squad got its feet wet utilizing a few different lineups throughout East Tennessee for a year or so, struggling to find and develop an identity and sound that we felt represented who and what we are as a group. We all knew what sort of feel we wanted, or were looking for, but never seemed to make it happen for one reason or another - it was elusive and waning, but patiently waiting to be realized. And then the pieces fell together, and the right people finally came our way. It's an honest, roots-based, soulful sound that is equal parts Rock, Americana, R&B, and Soul. People have referred to us before as "Mountain Soul", and we carried that moniker with pride - but now we feel like we have earned it. You'll get a lot of things at a JV Squad show, from a few country standards to a lot of New Orleans soul, from a heartfelt ballad to a new barn-burner, from Stevie to Tweedy, and all points in between. And we'll do our best to make sure it all comes hard, from the first note to the last. The JV Squad is old-school soul and rhythm & blues, with a smidge of southern accents thrown in for good measure. This is Mountain Soul.