Eighty-Four

Friends since childhood, band members Justin Binder (guitar), Lewis Spring (drums), and Micah Dubinsky (keys and bass keys) officially formed Eighty-Four in the summer of 2011. The three are highly attuned to the same musical sensibilities, and thus the desire to perform together arose from necessity rather than mere interest: in no other context had each player felt so at ease. Pushing forward ever since, Eighty-Four has come to define what a modern organ-trio can be.

Eighty-Fours music is informed by a vast array of musical tastes, such as funk, blues, jazz, rock, hip-hip and soul. Older influences include Weather Report, James Brown, and Pink Floyd, while contemporary influences include Soulive, Medeski Martin and Wood, John Scofield, Derek Trucks and countless others. Constantly striving to push music forward, Eighty-Four is already known for reworking classic hits (like the Beatles Shes Leaving Home and While My Guitar Gently Weeps) into contemporary re-imaginings. Modernized covers, paired with distinct original compositions, make for a diverse repertoire that is on the leading edge of innovative musical fusions.

Born and raised in Toronto, Binder, Dubinsky and Spring earned degrees from Tufts University, McGill, and the University of Toronto (respectively). Well versed in a large range of academic subjects, as well as music, each member brings a different perspective to the fore. Binder, a civil engineering graduate, studied with Canadian jazz guitarist Jake Langley. Dubinsky, a liberal arts graduate, has studied with Toronto pianist Frank Falco and producer Ron Lopata. Spring, the son of an ethnomusicologist, studied political science and philosophy while taking lessons with drummer Terry Clarke. Despite these differences, their current aspirations are united: to share their music with as many audiences as possible across Canada and the United States.