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Hailing from the heart of Idaho’s farm country, the band 84WEST has taken a new approach to Christian music. There was no great mystery to the founding of the band. In fact, it all began with a few friends who played music together finding a more specific common interest. Perhaps one of the secrets to their success is that their beginning was never really a formal concept, but rather the outworking of their friendship and desire to work together. The tie that brought the band together? The songs of lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Thomas Duncan.

Duncan is a former pastor and classically trained musician whose talents combined to form the source of 84WEST’s music. After a sports accident derailed his career, he sidestepped musical pursuits for some time, but when people began to show interest in the songs he casually introduced, he went right back to where his heart was – country music. Rather than trying to write religious songs that sound like country, his songs are straight-up country songs that contain Christian lyrics.

The entire band comes from backgrounds as diverse as one might imagine. Lead guitarist Danny, drummer and acoustic guitarist Tim, bass player Andy, and keyboardist Phyllis all find their musical histories in a variety of places from the concert house to church, and everywhere in between. The sound all comes together as one, though, heavy with guitars, mandolin, and rural attitude.

84WEST released a five-track demo EP in April 2008, and is currently working on their first full-length project with Boise’s Mix House Studio. Concurrent with this, they are currently seeking more places to play in order to both promote the new CD and keep bringing their music to new audiences.

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