3 Penny Acre

Artist Information

Biography

3 Penny Acre is a musical collaboration between three up-and-coming songwriters: Bayard Blain, Bernice Hembree, and Bryan Hembree. Fans and critics have quickly identified their unique, Ozark-inspired sound as distinct, yet universally appealing. Listeners in all corners have begun to appreciate their attention to lyrics, harmony, and carefully crafted acoustic arrangements steeped in roots music traditions but with a focus on fresh, new songs.

Shortly after forming as a band, 3 Penny Acre won the 2008 Walnut Valley Festival (Winfield, Kansas) NewSongs competition. The exposure the win brought 3 Penny Acre helped to solidify their path as emerging artists in the folk and roots music world. In the 18 months that followed, they toured extensively throughout the nation, were invited as an official showcase artist to the 2009 and 2010 International Folk Alliance Conference, and released a debut album that was selected as one of the Top 40 albums of 2009 by Norm Mast and Al Kniola of The Back Porch 88.1 WVPE (Indiana) and won “Album of the Year” at the Northwest Arkansas Music Awards.

Their sophomore effort “Highway 71”, released in the summer of 2010, is an album of 10 songs documenting the people and places of middle America. 3 Penny Acre, whose name comes from the cost of the Louisiana Purchase, is a fitting name for a band whose members were all raised inside its borders. The album paints a portrait of their homeland two-hundred years on. The songs are beautiful and longing, yet at times anti-nostalgic, resisting the temptation to “gold wash” the tough history of the people and places they portray. The album debuted on the folk radio charts at #3, including the title track “Highway 71” as the #1 song, and held that position for two months. When the annual charts were compiled, they had the #10 song and the #36 album of 2010, quite and achievement for a year that saw strong releases from many established artists including Red Horse, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Tim O’Brien.

3 Penny Acre built upon their radio success with "Highway 71" and toured extensively in 2011, including festival performances from Salt Lake City to West Virginia. They provided the music for a new play funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), "Sundown Town". They were also asked to perform on the mainstage of the Kerrville Folk Festival as a part of their 40th anniversary festival. Bayard Blain (BAYARD GUITARS) has also been commissioned to build the 40th Anniversary commemorative guitar for the festival. In addition to performing at festivals and venues across the nation, 3 Penny Acre hosted the 2nd Fayetteville Roots Festival (founded in 2010 by 3 Penny Acre's Bryan Hembree), featuring Guy Clark, Chatham County Line, and Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, and 30 other artists.


“Highway 71 is filled with spirited performances. Let’s hear more from the fertile imaginations of these three” - SING OUT MAGAZINE

“The harmonies are sweet and strong, and each lead singer in turn does a fine job” - BLUEGRASS UNLIMITED MAGAZINE

“Truly a winning listen and one that will be around on the player of a good while!” - Ed Karn (Contributor to No Depression Magazine)

“This is the kind of stuff that shows that folk music still has a vibrant future.” - Chris Spector, Midwest Record

“On the group's latest release, "Highway 71," a sense of history, place and unforgettable characters suffuses songs driven by expert but never showy picking. In voice and musicianship, the trio always serves the song.” - KDHX 88.1 FM ST. LOUIS

“The next generation of songwriters on the scene” - johnsmith

“A vocal freight train” - Jonathan Byrd

“Every member is like a piece of an intricate engine” - The Fayetteville Flyer

“For a band named after the Louisiana Purchase, this is a perfect album” - Kyle Kellams, host of NPR’s Ozarks at Large

“3 Penny Acre’s music evokes the drastic landscape of middle America. Their songs carry both sadness and triumph in the portrayal of their homelands. This clarity is what separates them from other Americana/Folk artists.” - Laura Wortman of The Honey Dewdrops

Instrumentation

Bayard Blain- Guitar, Mandolin, Bouzouki, and Vocals

Bernice Hembree-Upright Bass and Vocals

Bryan Hembree-Guitar, Brush Bucket, and Vocals

Discography

3 Penny Acre - 3 Penny Acre (Debut Album)
Released January, 2009
"Album of the Year" - Northwest Arkansas Music Awards

3 Penny Acre - Highway 71
Released June, 2010
"Highway 71" - Top 10 Song of 2010 FOLK DJ RADIO

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace

Audio

• Highway 71
  Listen  
• Riverboat
  Listen  
• The Ballad of John Lambeth
  Listen  
• Molheron Cabin
  Listen  
• Dig a Little Deeper
  Listen  
• Coalmine Moonshine
  Listen  
• Diamond Joe
  Listen  
• Swing That Hammer
  Listen  
• Laurie's Farewell
  Listen  
• Drank All The Wine
  Listen  

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Various Press Reviews [+ Show ]
  

  “Highway 71 is filled with spirited performances. Let’s hear more from the fertile imaginations of t...“Highway 71 is filled with spirited performances. Let’s hear more from the fertile imaginations of these three” - SING OUT MAGAZINE
  
  “The harmonies are sweet and strong, and each lead singer in turn does a fine job” - BLUEGRASS UNLIMITED MAGAZINE
  
  “Truly a winning listen and one that will be around on the player of a good while!” - Ed Karn (Contributor to No Depression Magazine)
  
  “This is the kind of stuff that shows that folk music still has a vibrant future.” - Chris Spector, Midwest Record
  
  “Grace, gentle and yet sprited” - KDHX 88.3 FM ST. LOUIS
  
  “The next generation of songwriters on the scene” - johnsmith
  
  “A vocal freight train” - Jonathan Byrd
  
  “Every member is like a piece of an intricate engine” - The Fayetteville Flyer
  
  “For a band named after the Louisiana Purchase, this is a perfect album” - Kyle Kellams, host of NPR’s Ozarks at Large
  
  “3 Penny Acre’s music evokes the drastic landscape of middle America. Their songs carry both sadness and triumph in the portrayal of their homelands. This clarity is what separates them from other Americana/Folk artists.” - Laura Wortman of The Honey Dewdrops
  
  

Setlist

3 Penny Acre sets range from 45 minutes to 3 hours. The have a wide variety of original songs, and cover many up-and-coming singer-songwriter's including, Jonathan Byrd, Johann Wagner, Rachel Ries, etc.

Basic Requirements

Calendar