Can a group of musically-talented 12-year-olds hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, who covers classic hits in a living room full of amps with a whole lot of heart, really be considered a throwback?

Absolutely, when it comes the phenomenon called The Graystones, a kid-powered rock band which has taken social media platforms by storm. Blending rock, pop and blues influences, the middle-school rockers have brought a fresh energy to beloved songs while crafting a sound that’s entirely their own.

Their videos are racking up millions of hits and legendary artists are even taking notice, paying homage to the youngsters for giving their songs new life.

The Graystones originated in the summer of 2023 with a simple idea between two friends, Grayson and Max, who shared a love for music and a dream of starting a band. Though they attended the same elementary school, they really connected through jam sessions in the garage, where Grayson manned the drums and Max laid down the basslines.

For a few months, the two of them jammed — from the first beat, they knew they had something special — but eventually realized that to build a real band, they’d need help.

That quest led to a series of serendipitous encounters. The boys discovered vocalist Hope belting out tunes onstage with her mom’s band during a summer concert in a local park.

Harin answered an online post looking for a keyboardist and turned out to be another perfect fit, while Philip, their saxophonist, was founding busking in downtown Los Gatos.

Hope introduced family friends Kyle and Ishann, both standout guitarists, while Izzy — Grayson and Mark’s classmate — joined with her powerhouse vocals after wowing the school with a musical theater performance. Trombonist Evan came through a recommendation from their school’s band director.

Piece by piece, The Graystones came together through chance some encounters, shared friendships and a mutual passion for music. Once they clicked into place, the band’s youthful flair proved magnetic to fans.

Grayson’s older sister is the band’s manager. Mind you, they are booking gigs at country fairs, downtown events and middle schools and not large arenas.

Santana Row in San Jose has become their unofficial home stage, where crowds of all ages come out to experience the joy of their live music.

They don’t sell tickets or go on tour, as their bedtime is likely before a concert would even end. They put a tip jar near the front of the stage.

Now, they taking the country virtually by storm with covers of The Eagles, Toto, Billy Joel, Radiohead, Adele, Supertramp, Sade, Journey and Fleetwood Mac, to name a few. A video of Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out” posted three months ago has an astounding 3.5 million views, to date. The cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” has counted another 1.2 million views since July 2024.

The Facebook page has 1.2 million followers. A video recent posted on “Flashback Friday” shows the band when their dream was just beginning. The Graystones were 10-year-old fifth-graders pouring their hearts into a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers classic — inspired by John Mayer’s version — of course, at the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Co. in December 2023.

It’s wild to see how far they’ve come in nearly two years, from a sweet acoustic vibe to the powerhouse sound they’ve got now.

Every video they produce ends with the band making a show of appreciation. At the end of their video for Billy Joel’s “My Life,” Max said, “We want to honor every musician that we cover, and we hope to do their songs justice.

Grayson, Max and Hope appear together — they rotate different members through the video endings — and they always chime in together, “Thank you for listening.” In this age of one-hit wonders, a bunch of young musicians know the success can vanish for them as quickly as it appeared.

Plus, everyone from podcasters to vocal experts are giving their music stellar props online, providing the best kind of exposure by driving their subscribers to The Graystones’ music for free.

The Graystones have posted nine videos to their website, as of Sunday, but there are dozens more available online. Many are featured during their “Sock Sessions,” which are recorded at Grayson’s house where, yes, his parents don’t allow shoes in the house.

Such is the life of a 12-year-old.

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Greg Williams is a reporter and Weekend Editor for The Sentinel. A Mifflin County native, he has been writing for The Sentinel since 1991.