Album Notes

Three Penny Opus is an award-winning Roots and Old Time Country ensemble as unique as its name. The band was born in 2007 in Barrie, Ontario as a trio: Mary Lou Minor and Vince Therrien, singer-songwriters on acoustic guitar backed by the eclectic upright bass stylings of Andre Paraskevas. The band now includes Randy Brethour’s impeccable mandolin and, occasionally, the rich or raunchy sounds of Vince’s Gretch or Telecaster. The combination is infectious!

Mary Lou’s writing is influenced by artists such as Martha Scanlan, Eliza Gilkyson, Eilen Jewel, Bonnie Rait and Gillian Welch. She was a finalist in the 2009 Indiegrrl™ International Songwriting Competition with her composition, More Than Often On My Mind, and was nominated in the Best Song category of the 2009 Barrie New Music Awards. Her songs, Called Your Number and Beer Caps in my Laundry were both finalists in the 2010 Indiegrrl International Songwriter Competition. Vince’s style uniquely captures the feel of Old Time Country. Influenced by venerable country greats such as Hank Williams and Willy Nelson and more current artists such as Dwight Yoakam and Lucinda Williams, his melodies remain with you and his lyrics reflect every man’s experiences of “love and the lack thereof, drinkin’, and good ol’ cheatin’ songs.” In 2005 Vince won the Northern Ontario Music & Film award for Best Songwriter. Randy Brethour, in addition to his artistry on mandolin, is also a gifted songwriter and has recently placed his distinctive stamp on the band’s repertoire.

The band evolved from a country-bluegrass jam in Cookstown, Ontario in 2007. Mary Lou had started writing again and was looking for an avenue to showcase her material. It was there that she met Andre and recognized how perfectly his bass style, drawn from a broad palate of musical genres, fit with her songs. With his interest and encouragement and an invitation to Vince, a talented singer-songwriter from Barrie, Ontario, the three started jamming their material and Three Penny Opus was born. Within a year, they had expanded to four, adding violin, and playing the Northern Lights Festival Boreal as the winning acoustic group from the ‘Meltdown’. After the Festival in 2008, they lost their violinist to ‘love’, but fate soon intervened and connected them with Pam, who has been playing violin since childhood in genres from classical to folk. Randy (also of SourPuss) is the latest member, drawing from Blues, Folk, Jazz, Klezmer and Bluegrass to add his unique style on mandolin and complete the sound they were searching for. The band hasn’t looked back!

Their recording of Beer Caps in my Laundry has been selected from international competition, for inclusion on the 2010 compilation CD produced by Indiegrrl Women in the Arts, Inc. The CD will be used for promotional purposes and fund-raising in support of a music and arts camp for children at Jonica Gap Camp Ground in the beautiful mountains of Mineral Bluff, GA.

Their songwriting craft, creative arrangements and tight vocal harmonies led them to win first-place at the 7th Annual Ontario Country Music Showdown in Havelock, Ontario and “Best Country” award at the Barrie New Music Fest 2009. “The songwriting was magnificent…. Their grasp was just awesome. Their harmonies and deliverance were tight and clean”…Judge D. Ireland, Country Music Showdown. Belleville EMC,
by Bill Freeman