Western Pa. bands Sourmash, Andy Davis bring home Josie Music Award wins

A handful of musicians from Western Pennsylvania rocked the seventh annual Josie Music Awards this past weekend, bringing home wins in two categories from the nation’s largest independent music awards ceremony.

Mt. Pleasant country singer Andy Davis won for Modern Male Country, and Alle-Kiski Valley’s Sourmash won Entertainer of the Year in the Rock category.

“Honestly, we weren’t expecting it at all,” said Tim Henry of Leechburg, vocalist and guitarist for Sourmash. “Being that it was the last one they announced” — the band was up for three Josie Awards in total — “we were kind of thinking it was all over at that point.”

For Davis, who also was nominated for three awards and had a chance to perform his latest single, “Tonight,” at the awards ceremony, the evening was “a little bit surreal.”

“With the amount of work that went into making the last year successful and pan out the way it did — for that to come full circle, that moment was pretty crazy,” he said of hearing his name called from the stage.

Held Sept. 17-18 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., the Josie Music Awards began in 2015. The group’s nominating committee sifts through more than 38,000 submissions from around the world to determine annual nominees.

And while Sourmash’s music has been part of movies and television shows, receiving industry recognition is “a different level,” Henry said.

“It was a nice surprise, and we had a great celebration afterwards,” he added. “And I’m hoping that, partly because Andy Davis was there and did well, I hope it helps put the local music scene on the map a little more.”

Both bands will be doing their part toward reaching that goal: Davis is playing a hometown gig at 8:15 p.m. Friday at the Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival, and Sourmash will play a Saturday show at All Saints Brewing Co.’s Oktoberfest in Hempfield.

“We’re going to keep pushing,” Davis said. “I think now’s the time to dig in and see what we can do.”