The Alapaha Station Celebration first began as a centennial celebration in 1981. Since then, thousands of folks wanting to celebrate down-home “country living” have called Alapaha home during the second weekend of November.

Major country acts from Nashville, Tenn., have served as the Saturday afternoon headliners for the past 20 years, including T.G. Sheppard, Daryle Singletary, Billy Joe Royal, and T. Graham Brown. For 2009, in order to shake things up a bit, a new and exciting approach has been chosen. Instead of a widely known act, a new band on the cusp of stardom with a record deal to boot is appearing live in person.

The Van Lears are scheduled to headline Saturday’s festivities at the Alapaha Station Celebration, beginning at 4 p.m. Brothers Trey Bentley, 22, on vocals and guitar, and Andrew, 19, on vocals and bass, were born and raised in Red Bud, Ga., in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains.

Rounding out the band are lead guitarist Scotty Knight and drummer Cole Ledford. As Andrew said in a recent conversation, “We were all born into musical families who encouraged us to play from a very early age.”

When asked why they decided to make music a career, Trey couldn’t help but chuckle, saying, “It’s not something we had to think about, it just happened. We’ve sung together since we were in diapers.”

So, where did the band finds it name? Van Lear, Ky., is a small unincorporated community, once a hot-bed for coal-mining, but now best known as the birthplace of country music icon Loretta Lynn.

Their vocals and sound will likely draw comparison to Rock & Roll Hall of Famers The Everly Brothers, and it is a comparison the brothers don’t mind, even if they feel a bit undeserving of that accolade.

Other musical influences include a diverse list: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Merle Haggard, Gram Parsons, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Mark Knopfler, and Kings of Leon.

Recently, they were signed to EMI Music Publishing in Nashville, as songwriters and respective artists. Twelve original compositions are in the can, and their debut LP, still untitled, will see release early next year. The album is produced by country music superstar Rodney Atkins’ current producer, Ted Hewitt.

Trey and Andrew have written with many prolific and award-winning songwriters including John Bettis (Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” and The Carpenters’ “Top of the World”) and Kelley Lovelace (Brad Paisley and Keith Urban’s recent No. 1 “Start a Band.”)

The Van Lears also count The Kentucky Headhunters as friends, recording several songs with the country-rock hitmakers this past September at their home studio.

For Saturday’s concert, what can the audience expect? Andrew answers this with just the slightest touch of bemusement: “Look out for a high-energy show filled with memorable hooks and brotherly harmonies along with select covers. We’ve only toured since the first of this year, so we’re looking forward to our first trip to South Georgia.”

SHOWTIME

The Van Lears as part of the 25th Annual Alapaha Celebration.