Acoustic Syndicate is a rock/folk/bluegrass band from North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 formed in 1992. They have toured nationally in the US, including appearances at Farm Aid

Farm Aid

Farm Aid started as a benefit concert on September 22, 1985, in Champaign, Illinois, held to raise money for family farmers in the United States...

 and the Bonnaroo festival. Their sound is characterized by three-part vocal harmony and complex polyrhythmic banjo

Banjo

In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...

 playing. Lyrically, the group often discusses themes relating to subsistence, sustainability and quality of life.

The McMurry family comes from a small family farm

Family farm

A family farm is a farm owned and operated by a family, and often passed down from generation to generation. It is the basic unit of the mostly agricultural economy of much of human history and continues to be so in developing nations...

 in Cleveland County, North Carolina

Cleveland County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 98,078 people, 37,046 households, and 27,006 families residing in the county. The population density was 207 people per square mile . There were 40,317 housing units at an average density of 87 per square mile...

, near Shelby, North Carolina

Shelby, North Carolina

Shelby is a city in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 19,477 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cleveland County.-Geography:Shelby is located at ....

. They have been farming the same region that their ancestors settled over 200 years ago.

Acoustic Syndicate also has roots in Asheville, NC, where Jay Sanders is an active member of the local music scene.

Current members

• Bryon McMurry: Vocals, Banjo, Guitar
• Fitz McMurry: Vocals, Drums, Percussion
• Steve McMurry: Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin
• Jay Sanders: Bass, N/S Stick
• Billy Cardine: Dobro & Electric Resophonic Guitar

Former members

• Jeremy Saunders: Vocals, Saxophone
• John Burns: Percussion
• Doug Rodgers: Bass
• Roger Padgett: Guitar
• Gaines Post: Flute

Discography

• Acoustic Syndicate (Self-released, 1996)
• Tributaries (Self-released, 1999)
• Crazy Little Life (Little King Records, 2000)
• Live From The Neighborhood (Little King Records, 2003)
• Terra Firma (Sugar Hill Records, 2003)
• Long Way Round (Sugar Hill Records, 2004)