Province of Thieves; Acoustic Modern Folk

Based in Stallings, North Carolina, Province of Thieves is an all-acoustic modern folk outfit that has been making music since 2012. They have made an impact with their powerful harmonies, reminiscent of the Eagles and Crosby, Stills & Nash. With a dash of humor and cleverly constructed original tunes, the band has gained a wide following and won a number of awards, including the 2018 Carolina Music Award for folk/bluegrass. Underlying their music is a drive to keep expanding their sound by regularly blending old and new elements to keep the songs fresh yet familiar.

Founding member Greg Moore (vocals, mandolin, guitar) explains the complicated origin of the band. He had tapped fellow parishioner Brad Davidson (vocals, guitar, ukulele, harmonica) for a worship band he was leading. Meanwhile Brad’s daughter, Amanda, attended a dance class taught by Greg’s wife at the church. When Amanda was graduating high school and thus the dance class, she wanted her dad to perform a song for her final recital solo. Greg continues the story: “Brad said, ‘Well, I’ll do you one better. I’m gonna write a song…’ And he tapped me and said, ‘Hey Greg, will you join me on this?’ That summer (2012) we spent a lot of time in my garage, putting sets together, and Province of Thieves was born as a duet,” Greg says.

By their second album, they had expanded to a five-piece band and added a third voice (Steve Allen, vocals, banjo) to create some rich harmonies. Fast forward to today, and the band just released its fourth album, Whitecaps In The Cornfield, in January 2023. It features the band’s songwriting and studio work across the pandemic era. Tracks like “Life Stuck In Pause,” “Walking With The Devil” and “In Between” give voice to the personal frustrations and social disruptions of that time.

“The goal is to play in front of the right audiences,” Greg says, when asked about the band’s plans going forward.

To find out more, visit here. Listen to the interview here.