Different instruments are littered around their house, and amplifiers are placed at strategic locations.

It’s the home of Foxhole, a group of Bowling Green musicians.

The local music scene may not be as strong as bigger cities, but Foxhole and The Lonesome Road Travelers are just two of the many bands that can be seen weekly at local hot spots and clubs, fighting the uphill battle of trying to make it in the music business.

‘Music in Bowling Green?’

Members of both bands agree that the future of the Bowling Green music scene is looking up.

“It comes and goes,” said Dan Robinson, 17, a senior at Greenwood High school and lead guitar player for The Lonesome Road Travelers. “The past couple of years it has slowed down, but it is starting to pick back up.”

Louisville junior Greg Leppert, the trumpeter for Foxhole, seems to agree.

“Music in Bowling Green?” Leppert said skeptically. “Bowling Green is definitely lacking in some areas, but that means there’s lots of room to grow.”

Leppert and Louisville junior Nathan McBroom, another Foxhole member, say there are plenty of bands that also come through Bowling Green from bigger cities, such as Louisville and Nashville.

And they sport varied musical styles, though rock music is probably the most popular type locally.

The emergence of rap group Nappy Roots has also had a large effect on local music as a whole. At one time before the rappers were nationally known, Foxhole e-mailed Nappy Roots to ask them if they wanted to play a show together.

“We were just wanting to combine two different musical styles in one show . They didn’t write us back, but we got a Christmas card from them that said ‘Have a Nappy Christmas,'” Leppert said.

McBroom acknowledges the influence of Nappy Roots in the music of Foxhole.

“You can’t come out of Bowling Green without having ‘Aw Naw’ in your soul,” McBroom said with a smile.

‘I see this as my profession’

According to the band members, making it in the music business is not that hard on a local level. Both say that finding shows to play and to watch is relatively simple.

But to find gigs to play in Bowling Green, Daniel said you have to make a name for yourself.

McBroom said that finding good gigs is difficult.

“It’s very easy to get gigs, but good gigs, maybe not,” he said. “There really are not a lot of people at shows.”

The members of both bands also vouch for the difficulty found in balancing a busy school and work schedule with their roles in the band.

“It’s very hard to do both, with a job, but everybody makes sacrifices,” Leppert said.

Robinson doesn’t exactly attest to the same problem.

“In theory, it should (pose a problem), but I tend to blow off school,” he said. “I see this as my profession.”

Reach Zack Sparks at [email protected].