Count This Penny is an Appalachian pop band based in Madison, Wisconsin--by way of East Tennessee. They write songs born of time spent walking old dogs and doggedly traveling to and from the hills of home. Their warm harmonies and plaintive lyrics create a front-porch sound that invites you to pull up a chair.

During the past year, CTP has appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, WCYB-TV in Bristol, and WDVX's Blue Plate Special. They've shared the stage with Daniel Martin Moore (SubPop), Ollabelle (Thirty Tigers), Vandaveer (Supply & Demand), Blake Thomas, and Whitney Mann. They'll be hard at work on a new record this winter.

Members of the band are some variation of:

Allen Rigell on guitar, bass, and vocals
Amanda Rigell on guitar, bass, and vocals
John Ray on banjo and vocals
John Henry on violin and vocals
TJ Jones on banjo, washboard, porchboard, guitar, and vocals

Oh, and here's how they got their name.


Press:

"If you like the Everybodyfields, the Civil Wars, or some old school Gram and Emmylou, you will dig Count This Penny."
-Muzzle of Bees

"Folks may have a faint idea of what to expect from a band that describes what it does as “Appalachian pop,” but they’ll likely be surprised by how instantly inviting Count This Penny sounds. The band’s warm vocal harmonies are as vast and encompassing as the cultural region from which it draws its name. It’s music steeped in old American traditions, but the concise form the songs adhere to and the pop structures the band employs make the songs modern and streamlined enough to thrive far from the mountains where their inspiration first saw the light of day."
-The Onion's A.V. Club, Madison, WI

"Their voices — one a bit gravelly, the other crystal clear — form gorgeous harmonies and textures when paired."
-Isthmus, Madison, WI

"Warm harmonies, great vocals, and a brilliant banjo."
Common Folk Music, WV


"There’s a warmth to the music...and a ramshackle grit."
-The Daily Times, Maryville, TN

"Their archetypal Appalachian magnetism, insane harmonies and personal charm will pull you in and warm you through on a chilly November night."
-American Players Theatre, Spring Green, WI

"These folks are good."
-No Silence Here, Knoxville, TN


Materials
Spring 2011 One Sheet

Appearances:
MadToastLive
Wisconsin Public Television's 30 Minute Music Hour with Andy Moore
WCYB-TV News at Noon
Knoxivi.com's 11 O'Clock Rock
WDVX's Blue Plate Special
Simply Folk on Wisconsin Public Radio

Radio Support:
WORT Madison, WI
WUWM Milwaukee, WI
WCOM Chapel Hill, NC
WDVX Knoxville, TN
WSUM Madison, WI