Who Shot John is a four-man band made up of Douglas on vocals and rhythm guitar, Tyler Burch on bass and vocals, John Hazelwood on keyboard and saxophone and Tyler Limbrick on drums. Their sound is heavily influenced by the blues, and is a classic representation of rock 'n' roll.

Who Shot John plays mostly in towns throughout the Valley, and has been playing together since the fall of 2011.

From Hazelwood's beginnings in his church choir, to Douglas being dubbed a child prodigy, the Harrisonburg-based band gathers from a variety of backgrounds, with ages ranging from 21 to 32.

However, despite differences in age and origin, a commonality is found in the music.

"Basically, we all get together and we fall into a rhythm, and sometimes that rhythm will turn into something we can use," Douglas said. "With a group like this, everyone comes in with their own personal stories that are blended together in terms of lyrics."

Douglas credits Hazelwood for helping him with the music itself, especially the lyrics and sound of the songs. He explains that Hazelwood helps sift out through his initial jumbled ideas.

"The music itself, John Hazelwood helps me very, very, very much with that in creating a pattern for what it is that we're feeling," Douglas said. "I will write out dummy lyrics all night long and I'll just spew out stuff and some of it's crap and some of it may be good now and again, but you just gotta sift through all of it."

Though the band's name is Who Shot John, there were no casualties in the formation of the group. Many listeners have often inquired, asking Douglas and Hazelwood if either of them have been shot.

Instead, a phrase mentioned by the late Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton, an American Appalachian moonshiner, is referenced.

Douglas once heard these words while watching a documentary based on Sutton, and they "snapped in his brain." The phrase "Who Shot John" was one of the many names Sutton used to reference moonshine. Douglas, who has been a fan of Westerns since he was a kid, recognized the term from a John Wayne film ("The Shootist"). After looking up the expression, he decided he liked the way it sounded as well as its Appalachian roots.

Who Shot John focusses on personality, origin and roots. Its members appreciate personable interactions and relational entertainment. As a result, in matters of promotion, the band does use social media and the nternet, but mutually agrees nothing beats word-of-mouth publicity.

"The main thing that has helped us is purely word-of-mouth and putting on a good show," Hazelwood said.

"Even with all the social media there's still no replacement for people telling their friends about us," Burch added. "You can put as much on Twitter as you want, but it's the people out there talking in the office, and telling their friends."

Who Shot John almost always finds their inspiration in the lives and personal experiences of the bands members.

"There's a lot of layers that you can peel back from the life that you live, you can delve pretty deep, and maybe find things that touch everybody," Douglas said.