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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 2011)
8 community march8 2011 Bad Penny Two: Local Musicians Return with a New Line-up and a New Sound In May of 2009, Vernonia’s Voice met with a family of local mu- sicians and helped introduce them to Vernonia. Father and bassist, Craig Headley, along with his two adult chil- dren, Aaron Headley on lead guitar and Heather Graham on keyboards and lead vocals, had formed a power trio band called “Bad Penny,” and had recorded a CD of four songs, including rock covers of Journey and Pink Floyd. The CD was available for sale around town and cre- ated a bit of a stir with its loud sound and excellent production. That summer, the band performed live at the commu- nity 4th of July celebration and played a raucous farewell show at the Lyons Den as Aaron shipped off and joined the U.S. Navy. That was the last I heard from “Bad Penny,” except for occasionally bumping into Craig or Heather around town. Just recently, Heather contacted me to tell about the new project Bad Penny had completed. Heather, a moth- er of four young children, has a busy schedule, as you can imagine, and so she sent me the story of what she and her fa- ther, Craig, had been up to since Aaron left. I’m going to let Heather tell their story of the past year in her own words: “As you know, Aaron (Son/ Brother/Lead Guitar) left for the Navy (of which we are very proud), so with that chapter closing, my father (Craig Headley) and I were forced to reevaluate what we aspired to do as artists. What’s next? We were faced with the question of what would we be able to do, just the two of us? We went forward with: BAD PENNY TWO. BAD PENNY TWO is an album comprised of all original songs that we had intended on recording with Aaron. In the wake of his absence, you could say a new path was laid and a fresh artistic direction emerged for the “TWO” of us, away from the power trio rock band sound. The process of creating this all original album was full of personal/pro- fessional growth, exploration of our ar- tistic originality, lots of trial and error, joys and quiet satisfactions. What does it take to make an album in a year, with only two people, dis- covering a brand new sound? Fanatical ob- session is what it takes; let me tell you, it’s been all about enthu- siastic perseverance. I mean, we’re talking late night sessions, weekend sacrifices, and time crunches, as well as plenty of laughter and even a joyful tear or two. Making studio time happen between our work schedules, four very young chil- dren, better halves, hunting seasons) and our lives in general, wouldn’t be easy for even the most seasoned of artists/moth- ers; how then? You sneak time when you can, because every hour counts. You get babysitters so you can record, instead of going out on the town with your honey. You sing with a fussy baby on your hip be- cause, dog-gone-it, he just wants Mama. You spend the morning editing instead of eating breakfast; just headphones and a Rates as low as 3.74 Get Lucky! %* APR Pre-Approve your auto loan between March 6-19, 2011, and receive an additional .25% APR discount off our 3.99% APR special rate! Plus, shop our 4-day auto sale at our Clatskanie & Vernonia cup of coffee (a beautiful thing). It’s our belief that when you’re passionate about something, you owe it to yourself to see it through-- make it happen. That’s just what we did, we made it happen. The album, BAD PENNY TWO, is really a testament to never giving up, being able to overcome adversity, creative exploration while staying true to your art, and ultimately trusting the Lord’s direction in your life. We owe a debt of gratitude to our family, friends, supporters, and our Lord and Savior tial project together. It feels amazing to have had new life breathed into us, and for that we are blessed. We hope the music we create can be an inspiration to others and an elevating force in peo- ple’s lives. It’s all relative in the ways of grace. I believe God gives us all a little light, it’s up to us to find what that light is and to let it shine; we’re ready for our light to shine and for it to be seen. Someday, we hope that these works of ours will by some means enable us to better serve those in need. Time will tell where this takes us. ~We would like to thank Aaron and all those who serve in the United States military for keeping us free and for allowing us to con- tinue doing what we love. Our prayers are always with you. We give all the glory to God~” Heather sent me a copy of the CD. The sound is defi- nitely different-- it’s heavier on the synthesizer and con- tains no familiar rock covers. Noticeably absent is Aaron’s amazing guitar playing and solos. But Heather is in fine voice and her vocals really soar. Craig has done masterful work on the produc- tion-- the sound is clean and crisp, and he certainly still has it on the bass! The whole sound is very 80’s, but modern, which has always been “Bad Penny’s” thing-- whether it was that recorded cov- er of “Comfortably Numb,” or their live performance of Michael Jackson’s “Bil- lie Jean.” They said it themselves in our first interview two years ago-- they all love 80’s music-- and this new CD has that sound all over it. Craig and Heather’s dedication to their craft and passion for their music and message is obvious, in both the way Heather explains it in words and in the way it speaks through their music. They are talented musicians who have a burn- ing desire to be heard. It will be interest- ing to see where they go from here. Vernonia’s Voice would like to extend our congratulations to Craig and Heather on the completion of their new project and wish them luck as they con- tinue on their journey. Jesus Christ for their unconditional pa- tience, for believing in us, and seeing us nutty musicians through. If you’re an artist, you understand that artistic drive never ever sleeps, never tires, continu- ally evolves and demands perpetual mo- tion. It’s all those elements at work that make art and music honest, believable and so incredibly rewarding. The result of our year’s long struggle was an extraordinary sound which has truly held up to our creative standards. Thanks to my father’s pro- duction skills and masterful arrange- ments, all the above elements, plus a tre- mendous love for what we do; we think our album definitely “thumps steady” and constitutes what makes great music. We’re very proud of what we’ve been able to do together as a father~daughter duo. I can’t even begin to tell you what an absolute joy it’s been working so closely with my father on this; I can tell you that I’ll cherish this experience for the rest of my life. We’ve been getting outstanding reviews and needless to say, we are very excited about our future and what the Lord has in store for our lives BAD PENNY TWO will be avail- and for BAD PENNY TWO. able in local stores and shops around We are hard at work on our next Vernonia. album, which is proving to be even more distinctive and energizing than our ini- Branches, March 16-19 800-773-3236 Clatskanie waunafcu.org St. Helens Scappoose Vernonia Warrenton *APR-Annual Percentage Rate. Rates may range from 3.74% APR to 17.90% APR depending upon credit worthiness, type of loan and type of collateral. Financing may include a.25% APR discount for qualifying pre-approved loans. Special APR is 3.99%; regular financing starts at 4.25% APR. Financing for new or used cars, trucks, and SUVs; includes up to 100% financing and up to 84 months to repay. For example, on a $20,000 new auto loan at 4.25% APR for 60 months, you will make payments of $357.Financing offered to Wauna FCU members only. 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