Steve Poynter

Steve grew up in rural southwest MN/northeast IA and was exposed to music at an early age. The sibling harmony of his 3 older sisters left an indelible impression on him at an early age.  His dad also played guitar and sang, and the farmhouse was always filled with music!  He did a lot of singing in church, school and college. Steve developed his finger picking style of playing guitar and songwriting over the years inspired by singer songwriters of his time, Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, etc.  He has a deep love of the simple clear sound of acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies.  

Steve served for over 40 years in the Corrections profession and retired in 2015.  Although music was always a central theme in his life, he put it on the back-burner while he pursued his passion for helping others and raising his family.  With his Corrections career over and his children grown, he and his wife are "empty nesters" so he has devoted a great deal of his time and energy on writing more songs and sharing his music professionally.  

Steve plays solo gigs, but prefers to share the music experience with others.  Soon after he retired, he and Brad Borg formed “Prairie Anthem” and began performing in the St. Croix River valley.  Although they do a number of cover songs, Steve enjoys singing and playing his originals for you.  He writes about relationships, the ups and downs of life, the human condition, etc.  His lyrics seem to find a way to touch your soul and paint pictures!

"Prairie Anthem sounds just fantastic. Their mix of Americana and Folky story telling, with harmonious voices makes this one great show to be a part of." -Chris Snyder of Third Wheel Project

Brad Borg

Brad’s musical journey has taken him in many directions over the last 35 years. He played guitar and bass professionally in his 20’s and 30’s with a variety of bands ranging from jazz, blues to rock. He was a guitar instructor at the West Bank School of Music. He was also the founder/owner of jazz recording label called IGMOD Records. IGMOD released over 40 titles from 1994 to 2001 and included acclaimed jazz artist from all parts of the United States and Canada. The recordings were distributed in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan.

Eventually, Brad realized that a “real job” would be better for he and his family. He has been a financial advisor for the last 30 years but continued his musical passion as an accomplished amateur. Now that his two daughters are grown up and he and his wife are empty nesters, Brad has formed a musical collaboration with Steve Poynter.

This project has turned out to be a very rewarding and creative opportunity for Brad. Steve’s songwriting, guitar skills and powerful vocal interpretations are the perfect foil to Brad’s vocal harmonies and guitar solos. Bottom line – Brad and Steve are having some serious fun!