DALTON, Ga. — While growing up in Dalton, Tripp Howell, the drummer for the country music group Lanco, said he never knew “stuff like this could happen,” but this past year has been a “whirlwind for sure.” 

In just a year Lanco, which also features Chandler Baldwin, Jared Hampton, Brandon Lancaster and Eric Steedly, has been nominated for awards by the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Television and for an American Music Award. 

The group has also been nominated for “Vocal Group of the Year” by the Country Music Association, whose awards show is tonight in Nashville, Tennessee. The show will air on ABC at 8 p.m. Also in the category are such heavy-hitters as Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Midland and Old Dominion.

“It’s difficult to process how all of it is happening,” Howell said. “It’s been a great and exciting year.” 

Howell said to be nominated with such big-name groups is “such a cool thing.” 

“It’s cool to see our names up there beside theirs,” he said. 

Howell said he’s looking forward to his group presenting an award during the pre-show.

“We’re such a new band so just being there is great,” he said. “I’m excited to see Eric Church perform and so many others, it’s going to be a crazy night.”

Lanco, shortened from the original Lancaster and Company, is currently on tour promoting its album “Hallelujah Nights,” which was released in January. Howell said their song “Greatest Love Story” recently was certified double platinum.

This year the group has performed on TV shows “The Bachelor” and “Dancing With the Stars.” 

Howell, a 2007 graduate of Dalton High School, met lead singer Lancaster at a festival in Cleveland, Tennessee. 

“I was in a band with my brother (Tate) and Brandon was in another,” Howell said. “We started hanging out and realized we were both moving to Nashville.”

Howell said he and Lancaster became “good friends.” One day Lancaster played some songs for Howell and said he wanted to start a band.

In the beginning it was just Howell and Lancaster, which is where the name Lancaster and Company came from. Then they met guitarist Steedly and “clicked right away,” Howell said. Eventually Baldwin and Hampton joined the group. 

“We thought it would be a revolving door of musicians,” Howell said. “It’s so tough in Nashville to get five people to stay on the same path in a band.”

After the band was together a year with no problems, Howell said they decided “this is it” and the name was shortened to Lanco in 2015. The group put out an extended play (EP) in 2016 and released the single “Greatest Love Story” in 2017 and the album “Hallelujah Nights” this year.

Howell’s father Jimmy said he’s proud of his son’s accomplishments. 

“It’s impossible to wrap your head around,” he said. “We were a sports family growing up.”

Jimmy Howell said Tripp started playing the drums in the sixth grade. The family attends Rock Bridge Community Church in Dalton. 

“Beth Evans (Pastor Matt Evans’ wife) had him start a band for the youth,” he said. “My wife Debbie went and bought drums with me screaming, ‘No, that will take away from ball practice.’”

Tripp Howell said once he started playing he “fell in love with drums.” 

“It’s been about 15 years, but I stuck with it, “ he said. 

Although Nashville has been his home for six years, he said Dalton holds “such a special place in my heart.” 

“I love Dalton, my brother and I come home for the holidays and during the summer as much as possible,” he said. “It’s one of the places I go and it really feels like home.”