The Drachms

The Drachms (pronounced "drams", after an old English measure of whisky) were born in the cold and lonely winter of 1996 in the small northern town of Sioux Lookout, ON. It's founding members Dave Elliot and Jeff Armstrong, both struggling musicians, met and quickly found a musical and personal rapport. Together with several other local and like-minded musicians, including singer and songwriter Rob Best, they formed a group to play the local watering holes. Performing in front of the music-deprived and beer-fueled crowds of Northern Ontario, their chemistry was immediate and fruitful. However after several years, more cold winters, and the pull of personal obligations, the group disbanded and went their separate ways to pursue individual endevours, but with the passion for music and each other inextricably intact.

Flash forward to the Millenium. The year 2000 once again found Dave and Jeff living in the same town, this time the grand metropolis of Toronto, ON. This incarnation, however, found the duo teaming up with the classically-trained bass player Lawrence Cutt and the Keith Moon-inspired drummer Ron Collins. A quick call to former lead singer Rob, an immediate flight south, and The Drachms were once again a complete and formidable rock & roll unit.

The Drachms began acclimitizing themselves to Toronto scene and, once again, found a loyal following, playing such legendary venues as The Cameron House and The Horseshoe Tavern, as well as supporting several charitable organizations, such as the Ontario Coalition for Anti-Poverty, The Parkdale Outreach Clinic and The Ride for Sight. The band also commenced writing original material, and in the summer of 2004, released a four-song EP. The material was recorded and mixed on the beautiful Niagara Escarpment outside Toronto at Escarpment Sound, the studio that has produced, among many other artists, some of Stompin' Tom Collins epic works of Canadiana.

The album, called "EP 01", is inspired by such bands as Pearl Jam to the Tragiacally Hip, AC/DC to the Who, "EP 01", is a guitar-driven, power-pop album, with tales of love, loss and political strife, and mearly a taste of things to come from The Drachms.

2008 is shaping up to be a big year for The Drachms. After spending 2007, writing and arranging songs, they aim to be in the studio in late February/early March, with a finished product in the early spring. In support of the record, a tour of Ontario is being planned for this coming summer, with dates in the Toronto area, cottage country and then the far north, ending in Northwestern Ontario (our spritual home). Look for the new album soon, and look for The Drachms in your town soon!