You know it when you hear it – a song or sound that strikes a rare balance between brilliantly fresh and disarmingly familiar. Maybe it's the deeply resonant imagery of "Grandpa's Barn," the arresting sibling harmonies on "Raining On The Roses" or the searing guitar of "We're Gonna Get There."


That instant of discovery – "Where did this come from?" – is what every music fan craves. And while new country duo The Roys are turning heads with their Pedestal debut, those bolt-from-the-blue reactions are the product of a hard-earned education and a lifetime of musical devotion.


Ten years ago, promising recording artists like Lee and Elaine Roy would have been signed to a major label and the idea of releasing an album independently would have been ridiculed. Of course, some odd years ago The Roys were signed to a major label. And today, nobody's laughing about independent country music. Not anymore.


Their first and most important leg up is in the music. "From the first song we recorded on our previous CD, to the new material we're working on, we stand behind our music 100 percent," Lee says. "This represents us, from the bluegrass sound to traditional country to more contemporary sounds."


Finally, The Roys are in a position to do what they've spent their entire lives preparing to do. "Everybody has a calling in life," Elaine says. "Ours was inevitable from a very young age."