Three Maybe Four

Three Maybe Four (active circa 1986-1992) was a neo-southern rock band based in Chapel Hill, NC. They released two albums on the Mastertone Records label, “File Under: ?” (1989) and “Three Guitars” (1991). A third album was recorded but not released, as Mastertone went bankrupt prior to the album going to press. The band disbanded in 1992, but has played occasional one-off shows since. In 2008 Due South Records attempted unsuccessfully to acquire rights to the unreleased third album, described by Rolling Stone reviewer Sam Moss as “the best album you’ll never hear…recreates the raw balls-out “rawk” of the Southern Rock of old with none of the “redneck” baggage”. The band members were:
Mike Brownlee: Guitar, pedal steel, vocals
Jeff Chapel: Guitar, vocals
Pat Cooley: Guitar, vocals
Brian Martin: Drums
A. Thomas White: Bass, keyboards
Three Maybe Four was founded by high school friends Chapel and White while students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The band began life as a jangle pop band without Brownlee, but a Halloween theme show where they assumed the identity of “The Mighty Mullets” with Brownlee sitting in was so successful that they quickly changed direction. While the band embraced their Southern heritage, songs from early in their career tended to mock Southern stereotypes. But as the band matured so did their songwriting, and by later in their career songs were much more sympathetic and affectionate.
At a time when college radio was transitioning between jangle pop and grunge, Three Maybe Four was something very different. While primarily inspired by classic Southern Rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special, Three Maybe Four also added country elements like pedal steel guitar and banjo, and intelligent and introspective lyrics to create a sound that was very unique for the time. Current neo-Southern rockers like Drive-By Truckers’ Patterson Hood have cited Three Maybe Four as an influence.
The band was known for long, raucous live performances, and this earned them Creative Loafing’s “Best Live Act” award in 1989 and 1991. They also won album of the year awards from Creative Loafing in 1991 for “Three Guitars”. “Three Guitars” was also on CMJ’s 1991 best-of list, peaking at #3 on the CMJ charts
Two incidents surrounding the band have passed into local legend around the Chapel Hill music scene. First, at a show in Greenville, NC an unruly crowd demanded that they play “Freebird” one too many times for the band’s liking and so they did: for an hour and a half. According to legend, the band didn’t stop playing until the last audience member walked out.
The second story revolves around their 1990 opening slot for The Dastards. After being treated poorly by the headliner for much of the tour, Three Maybe Four took an off day to learn The Dastards’s entire set—including between song patter—which hadn’t varied once on tour. At the next show, in Tampa, The Dastards were forced to take the stage unprepared to play anything other than the set Three Maybe Four had just played. The band was subsequently asked to leave the tour.
After the band broke up in 1992, guitarist Pat Cooley went on to play in Charlotte-based Come On Thunderchild and Les Dirt Clods, while bassist A. Thomas White spent the mid 1990’s producing demo tapes and indie records for local bands from his Guestroom Studio in Durham, NC.
After their unsuccessful attempt to acquire the unreleased third album, Due South Records announced in 2010 that they had signed Three Maybe Four (less Jeff Chapel), who would be recording a new batch of songs with producer Mitch Easter (who also produced “Three Guitars” and the unreleased third album). The album has yet to be released, although a country-tinged version of Tom T. Hall’s “Mama Bake a Pie, Daddy Kill a Chicken” from those sessions appeared on Due South’s “Bring ‘em Home: A Protest Compilation” album released in August, 2010.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu