3’s Joey Eppard Talks About Growing Up in Woodstock, NY

Earlier this month, progressive-rock favorites 3 released 'The Ghost You Gave to Me,' a dazzling 12-song collection that finds the combo delivering some of their finest material to date.

Lead by vocalist/guitarist Joey Eppard, 3 is based out of Woodstock, NY, a city with a famously rich musical history. "When I think about it, Woodstock is a small town and at the heart of it, an arts community," Eppard tells Noisecreep.

"There's an amazing depth of talent in the area since there are so many musicians drawn here. Woodstock has also had some classic recording studios here like Bearsville and Dreamland. A lot of classic records have been made here.

"So yeah, it's been an amazing experience to live in and come of age in a town with such a rich musical history, but there is definitely a bit of a downside to it," says Eppard. Noisecreep asked him if he could elaborate. "There's quite a bit of tourism here related to the 'Woodstock' festival and its movie. I don't have any problem with that, but the town sometimes is a little more conservative than you would expect. They don't necessarily make it easy for us musicians to put on a concert. You might get more people complaining about an outdoor performance than actual attendees," laughs the singer-songwriter.

Listen to 'Numbers' From 3

Eppard told Noisecreep that his father was an integral part of his musical education. "My dad is a great singer and guitarist. He was a big part of the scene here in Woodstock during the '80s when it was really thriving. I've heard some great stories about those days. I remember being 3-years-old and being at some show.

"By the time I really started playing, the scene had died down a bit. But my dad did a great job of involving my brother (ex-Coheed and Cambria and current Terrible Things drummer Josh Eppard) in the music thing."

I've been lucky enough to have toured with some great artists. Darryl Jenifer and Dr. Know of the Bad Brains live here and I've done some cool stuff with them. I also do a folk thing and I toured with Richard Julian and Aztec Two Step. Then I also connected with one of the guys from P-Funk who moved to Woodstock and I ended up joining a band with some of the other guys from Parliament-Funkadelic. Being here has put me in a unique space, musically. I feel really fortunate to have had these experiences."

Check out 3 on tour with Cynic and Scale the Summit:

11/3: West Chester, PA @ The Note

11/5: New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater**

11/7: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium (Upstairs)

11/8: Quebec City, QC @ Le Cercle***

11/9: Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Electriques

11/10: Toronto, ON @ The Annex Wreck Room

11/11: Pontiac, MI @ Clutch Cargos

11/12: Joliet, IL @ Mojoes

11/13: St. Paul, MN @ Station 4

11/15: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater

11/16: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex (UT)

11/17: Sparks, NV @ The Alley

11/18: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater

11/19: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

11/22: San Francisco, CA @ Slim's

11/23: Hollywood, CA @ The Key Club