NEW RELEASE: Tree63's First Album in 7+ Years Releases Today to Acclaim.

CCM Says, "Tree63's Land Deserves Nothing Short Of A Ticker-Tape Parade" 

Internationally-renowned South African rock band Tree63 independently releases its seventh full-length album, Land, today (Sept. 11) through The Fuel Music distribution. On hiatus since 2008, the band re-formed following the enthusiastic reception received at a series of reunion events last year in South Africa. Inspired again by fans that participated in a successful Kickstarter campaign for the album earlier this year, Tree63's new 12-song recording reflects the natural evolution and progression of the original trio consisting of John Ellis (vocals and guitar), Darryl Swart (drums) and Daniel Ornellas (bass).

Revealing a mature, sonically powerful and lyrically complex album, Land features the anthemic first single "The Storm," which shares the intense imagery in the song of a man being swept overboard, treading water and crying out to God. Other stand out tracks featured on Land include "Hard To Believe," a beautiful and brutally honest confession about dark days and silence that ultimately ends with hope, and the songs "Ship" and "Standing On It" that continue the theme in what begins to feel like a single story, stretched out over the length of the album, of a man struggling with doubt and fear, beaten down by the storms of life, and yet remarkably hopeful.

Responding to the music and message of Land, critics are heralding the recording:

"...the delivery of Tree63's Land deserves nothing short of a ticker-tape parade. Expect a flood of enchantingly creative melodies and arrangements perfectly matched with the vocal acrobatics of front man John Ellis." -- CCM Digital Magazine

"This is what it looks like when worship is written from the heart of the soul's storms, honest and raw and incredibly powerful. The guitar grit married to some melodic whimsy creates a perfect backdrop for those themes...for any who choose to sail into its rich waters, it is a voyage well worth the taking." -- NewReleaseToday.com

"The fact is that Land is without a doubt the most diverse, nuanced, and interesting Tree63 album yet, while maintaining a worshipful tone." -- JesusFreakHideout.com

Source: Hoganson Media Relations

Tree63 To Release Land, First Album in 7+ Years Album to release September 11

Land Tour to begin in October

Internationally-renowned South African rock band Tree63 will independently release its seventh full-length album, Land, on Sept. 11 through The Fuel Music distribution. On hiatus since 2008, the band re-formed following the enthusiastic reception received at a series of reunion events last year in South Africa. Inspired again by fans that participated in a successful Kickstarter campaign for the album earlier this year, Tree63's new 12-song recording reflects the natural evolution and progression of the original trio consisting of John Ellis (vocals and guitar), Darryl Swart (drums) and Daniel Ornellas (bass).

Revealing a mature, sonically powerful and lyrically complex album withLand, Ellis suggests that what listeners can expect is what the band has always delivered: "I hope they feel relieved that a band they once trusted can still be trusted, trusted with one vital thing that Tree63 always gave listeners: honesty. Every lyric, every sonic structure, every melody, every song is sheer heart-on-the-sleeve honesty."

The anthemic first single released earlier this year to Kickstarter supporters and as a Youtube lyric video, "The Storm," propels that honesty as the intense imagery in the song is of a man being swept overboard, treading water and crying out to God.

"I hope listeners can take away that sense of 'thank God, I'm not alone, somebody else feels this lonely and forgotten and hopeful and bewildered and resolved to carry on the journey'," says Ellis. "My own recent experience leads me to the realization that even though we believe we will reach our destination across the hazardous sea God asks us to cross, it won't be an easy voyage, and often we arrive shipwrecked and battered. The guarantee, however, is that we at least arrive."

Other stand out tracks featured on Land include "Hard To Believe," a beautiful and brutally honest confession about dark days and silence that ultimately ends with hope. "Lyrically, it's so honest and real," Swart says. "It really encourages those of us who find the going tough at times."

The songs "Ship" and "Standing On It" continue the theme in what begins to feel like a single story, stretched out over the length of the album, of a man struggling with doubt and fear, beaten down by the storms of life, and yet remarkably hopeful.

"When I typed up all the lyrics before the vocal sessions, I realized this theme of some kind of 'hazardous sea voyage,' a kind of Jonah-like deliverance tale, was emerging," says Ellis about all the songs on Land. "I thought about Jonah and the various perils of promising to journey with God and the reticence that comes with facing some of the realities of that journey."

Sharing the music and message of Land on tour, Tree63 will be playing the new hits and other fan favorites on the US tour that is slated to begin this October. 

Below is the full Land track listing:

01) Alive

02) The Storm

03) A Whisper

04) Standing On It

05) If God

06) Hard To Believe

07) Ship

08) Every Reason

09) Stumbling Stone

10) Blood Flows

11) The Greatest Story Ever Told

12) Never Had A Winter

Source: New Release Tuesday (NRT)

Biography of Tree63

 

Tree63 is a Christian rock band from Durban, South Africa formed in 1996 currently featuring John Ellis on vocals, guitar and piano, Darryl Swart on drums and Daniel Ornellas on bass guitar. Originally, the band was unnamed. John Ellis, the group's founder, came up with the name Tree in 1997 when performing at North Beach, Durban. The band had to come up with a name before performing on stage. The singer, John Ellis, was standing under a tree, so decided to call the band Tree. They added the 63 in 2000 due to a naming conflict with an American band. 63 had been the name of their second album, which was named in reference to Psalm 63.

Years Active: 1996 – 2009, 2004 - present

Genres: Contemporary Christian music, contemporary worship music.

Label: InPop, Survivor

 

"We were originally just "Tree", after the numerous references in the Bible to trees: the garden of Eden, the cross Jesus hung on etc. "63" was the title of our second record, and it came from Psalm 63. When we got to the States in 2000, we discovered a band in Boston called "Tree" already, and they were unwilling to give up their band name, so we had to either alter or change ours. The compromise was "Tree63".'
— John Ellis, Interview with Christian Music Daily

Their first album released in the United States, Tree63, won the GMA Dove Award for Rock Album of the Year in 2001.

Tree63's recording of Matt Redman's "Blessed Be Your Name" helped to spark the song's popularity. This recording was featured on the 2005 edition of WOW Hits and was nominated for two Dove Awards. On a 2 February 2007 broadcast of 20, The Countdown Magazine (special edition, Praise and Worship), guest Chris Tomlin described Tree63's rendition of "Blessed Be Your Name" as "...the definitive recording of one of the most all-encompassing songs in the entire world of Christian music." The song was then announced as the number 3 Praise and Worship song of all time.

Tree63 parted ways in 2009, and John Ellis returned to South Africa, where he started his solo career. His debut solo album, Come Out Fighting, was released in June 2010.

Splashy Fen Music Festival announced that Tree63 would be part of their line-up in 2014.

On November 2014, Tree63 released previously unreleased songs from 2006. They claimed that the tracks were considered candidates for their Sunday! album.

After reconvening in 2014 for a series of celebratory South African concerts, talk of a new album and resumed live work resurfaced and the band began work on their new album in Nashville in November 2014.

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