Masterful finger-picking and bottle neck slide.”

Press Kit

Bruce Archer

Blues-Infused Originals and Deep Covers

Bruce Archer plays a smoky, primitive Americana infused with blues, bluegrass, country, folk, and rock influences. His finger picking and slide guitar styles merge 40+ years of playing and sifting through musical genres with his Iowa roots and his years in the Minneapolis alt-rock scene into instrumental and vocal performances that are both gritty and authentic.

Masterful finger-picking and slide guitar punctuate the highly autobiographic lyrics of his latest release, THE HALLOWED LAND. This eclectic, sometimes rollicking, sometimes reflective, genre-bending album is a paean to traditional story-telling.

There have been plenty of highs and few lows—from open mic nights in college to forming and writing for bands that regularly played high profile alt-music clubs in Uptown, Downtown and West Bank Minneapolis, to returning to solo gigs in the north woods of Minnesota.

He's enjoyed playing with some topnotch musicians and, occasionally, moved on through collaborations that just didn’t work. Archer has opened for legendary bass guitarist Ronnie Lane (Small Faces), the Uppity Blues Women, the Jayhawks, the Gear Daddies’ frontman Martin Zellar, the Phones, and Run Westy Run—to name a few.

Yet through it all, he has relied on his Iowa roots and sense of who he is. Archer brings a raw authenticity to his gigs, which are best suited to listening environments.

Click on the Contact link and let him know if you have a venue or event that's a good fit for his "blue folk" style.

The Hallowed Land

Bruce Archer

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Masterful finger-picking and slide guitar punctuate the highly autobiographic lyrics of this eclectic, sometimes rollicking, sometimes reflective, genre-bending paean to traditional story-telling.

Also available on your favorite streaming services.

This project was made possible by a grant provided by the Five Wings Arts Council with funds from

Masterful finger-picking and slide guitar punctuate the highly autobiographic lyrics of this eclectic, sometimes rollicking, sometimes reflective, genre-bending paean to traditional story-telling.

Also available on your favorite streaming services.

This project was made possible by a grant provided by the Five Wings Arts Council with funds from the McKnight Foundation.

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Sample Track

Press Photos

Sample Video

Highlights

The Hallowed Land, Album release date 08.14.2019 | Vocals, Slide Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Harmonica, Songwriter 
This project was made possible by a grant provided by the Five Wings Arts Council with funds from the McKnight Foundation.

Backroads, Air Date 11.19.2017 | Featured Artist | Lakeland Public Television  | Stream full episode

Individual Artist Grant Recipient, Five Wings Arts Council, 01.22.2019 | Music Studio Recording

Seeing Music/Hearing Canvas, 07.14.2018 | Performer/Co-coordinator | Live performance art event | Video highlights

Brainerd Street Fest, 07.29.2023 | Performer | Open for Wicked Garden

Brainerd Street Fest, 07.23.2022 | Performer | Open for Rhino

Brainerd Street Fest, 09.25.2021 | Performer | Open for Rhino

Blues & BBQ Bash, 08.08.2020 | Performer | Open for New Feral Cats and The Dee Miller Band

Blues & BBQ Bash, 08.10.2019 | Performer | Open for Javier Matos and The Dee Miller Band

Firefly Festival, 08.13.2022 | Performer | Open for One Night Stand The Band

Nature Rocks, 07.22.2023 | Performer | In support of New Salty Dogs, Kat Perkins, and Cactus Blossoms

The Reif, 01.21.2023 | Fireside Music, in support of The Jimmys concert

Theatre L'Homme Dieu, 09.24.2022 | End of the Season Celebration

The Ripple Center, 04.01.2023 | Open for Corey Medina & Brothers

From Top to Bottom, EP release date 1991 | Lead Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica, Songwriter 

Guitar Instructor, April 2018–present | Bridge of Harmony, Brainerd, MN

One Sheet Bruce Archer in a nut shell. Download the PDF. 1.05 MB
Resume Learn a few details about Bruce Archer's influences and career. Download the PDF. 673 KB

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