The spirit of traditional folk music is alive in the hearts of four Bay Area musicians who call themselves Westerly.

Westerly are a Benicia-based band who blend folk music with Americana and even a little bit of gospel with lyrics that are heartfelt but also socially conscious and rooted in tradition. The current lineup consists of Scott Wilson on lead guitar, Brandon Seinturier on percussion, Doug Stowers on bass and Sterling Spence on guitar and lead vocals.

Spence grew up in Benicia where he absorbed the town’s musical environment. Under the guidance of Annabelle Marie, Spence was a member of the Benicia-based VOENA Children’s Choir during his youth where he got to travel and perform in places as far away as Italy, Mexico, China and Japan.

“Doing music with her, she taught me so much about performance,” he said. “Her vision for what music could be and how important it was I think was the biggest thing that caught me.”

Spence took up guitar in 8th grade, and while attending school in Riverside, he joined a band called The Coyote Bandits where he met Wilson and Stowers. In the summer of 2013, the band toured the West Coast to raise money for health services in Micronesia with all the proceeds going to the nonprofit Canvasback Missions.

“We toured for three months,” Spence said. “We had seven people in this tiny RV, so we were sleeping shoulder to shoulder, and we raised about $60,000 for the organization. One hundred percent of the proceeds went to them.”

Spence moved back to the Bay Area to get his graduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley. He recruited several of his former Coyote Bandits bandmates to form a new group called Westerly, and they recorded an album titled “Spirits and the Voice of Reason” in November.

“I got together my core musicians, and we’ve been trying to perform as much as possible,” he said.

Spence says the band is largely influenced by classic American songwriters and folk singers like Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Browne.

“In terms of the kinds of stories they can tell with their lyrics, that’s always been what’s caught me,” he said.

Spence says the members of Westerly all create music as a means of self-expression.

“At times, we do a lot of protest music,” he said. “We do a lot of expressions of our values and what it means to be from the Bay Area. That’s what I like about playing music. There’s something very special about being able to have a voice that people can resonate with.”

The band have been extensively playing throughout the Bay Area, including Amnesia Beer & Music Hall in San Francisco and the Octopus Literary Salon in Oakland. Last night, they were featured on Berkeley public radio station KPFA’s program “Hear and Now,” where they did a live set.

The tour continues Wednesday when they will be playing at Armando’s in Martinez, where they will be joined on violin by Gordon Allen and backing vocals by Benicia High School Class of 2006 alumna Leah Woodard, who Spence describes as having “a war cry of a voice.” The group is looking forward to playing in a small venue with a lot of personality.

“Armando’s is one of the best venues in the area,” Spence said. “It’s completely dedicated to music. It’s a small, kind of quirky spot, but it’s a great place for an intimate show. We’ll get a chance to really talk with the audience.”

The show will be held at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 11, at Armando’s, located at 707 Marina Vista Drive in Martinez. There will be a $10 cover charge at the door and an opening set by New York singer/songwriter Millie Mason. For more information, visit WesterlyTheBand.com. The group’s music can be streamed on Spotify and downloaded at WesterlyTheBand.Bandcamp.com.