Andru Branch

Andru Branch (born June 27, 1968) is a Canadian reggae musician. He is the lead singer-songwriter of the reggae band Andru Branch & Halfway Tree. He was nominated for a Juno Award for his debut 1998 album What If I Told You.

Andru Branch
Birth nameAndru Reginald Arnold Branch
Born (1968-06-27) June 27, 1968
Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
Genresreggae, world
Instrument(s)keyboard, percussion
Years active1985 – present
LabelsKingston Muzik
Websitehalfwaytree.ca

Early life

Branch was born Andru Reginald Arnold Branch on June 27, 1968, in Sackville, New Brunswick.

Career

Branch was signed to independent Jamaican record label Kingston Muzik in 1996.[1] Branch recorded and mixed his 1998 debut album What If I Told You at Kingston Muzik Studio in Kingston, Jamaica.[2] Its title was taken from a popular saying ("the only constant in life is change") favoured by Andru's late mother.[3] The album was distributed with modified artwork in Europe and the United States by Tabou 1 Records and features Earl "Chinna" Smith and members of Bob Marley's backing band "The Wailers"; Aston "Family Man" Barrett, Tyrone Downie, and Alvin "Seeco" Patterson. Branch was nominated for a Juno Award at the Juno Awards of 2000 for this release in the category Best Reggae Recording.[4]

His second album The Only Constant was released in January 2008 and features Squidly Cole and Chris Meredith of Ziggy Marley's band along with Alvin "Seeco" Patterson from The Wailers. The Only Constant is straight-up roots-reggae, brimming with lush horns, placid backbeats and spiritual proclamations".[5]

Andru's traditional roots-reggae style is wide-ranging, varying from African high-life to suggestions of country influence and has been described by Exclaim! Magazine as "some of the rootsiest bottom-heavy music ever to come out of the Great White North".[6] He performed at Jamaica's 1998 Reggae Sunsplash Festival[3][7] and as a percussionist, has backed musicians Brinsley Forde, Gregory Isaacs, Glen Washington, Vybz Kartel and Sean Paul.

Studio One's original Soul Vendors bassist Brian "Bassie" Atkinson joined Andru Branch & Halfway Tree in 2002 and the band is currently making new reggae music.[8]

Andru developed a profound love for reggae music while growing up in multicultural Toronto, Ontario, where he was mentored by Tony "Raffa" White and Bernie Pitters before moving to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2000.[5] Andru Branch graduated from Lawrence Park Collegiate and received a "Sound & Music Recording Diploma" from Recording Arts Canada.

Discography

Albums
  • Andru Branch: What If I Told You (1998)
  • Andru Branch: The Only Constant (2008)
  • Andru Branch & Halfway Tree: My Jamaican Weed – Single (2008)
  • Andru Branch : Rocksteady – Single (2010)
  • Andru Branch & Halfway Tree: Step Into The Light (2012)
  • Andru Branch: Happy Day – Single (2014)
  • Andru Branch & Halfway Tree: Step Into The Dub (2017)

Appears On
  • Confrontation; It's A New Day (1999)
  • Various; Roots with Quality: Best of Tabou 1, Vol 1 (1999)
  • Chris Bottomley; Knotty Bits (2003)
  • Various; Real Roots Reggae – A Canadian Story (2007)

Video

See also

References
  1. "Andru Branch". halfwaytree.ca. Andru Branch. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  2. What if I told you, WorldCat, OCLC 299743452, retrieved January 5, 2012
  3. MacIntyre, Genevieve (2008), "Reggae Inventor Reclaims Music", The Daily News, Halifax, Nova Scotia (published January 24, 2008)
  4. "Juno Awards Database". Juno Awards. Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  5. Aikins, Matthieu (2008), "Andru Branch's New Album, The Only Constant", The Coast, Halifax, NS (published January 24, 2008), archived from the original on January 15, 2013, retrieved August 23, 2008
  6. Hagerman, Brent (May 2008). "Reviews " Soul, Funk & World " May 2008 " Andru Branch The Only Constant". Exclaim!. Toronto, Ontario: 1059434 Ontario Inc. p. 38. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  7. "Andru Branch's Reggae Connections", The Sunday Herald, Kingston, Jamaica (published March 15, 1998), 1998
  8. Robinson, Andrew (2008), "Reggae Musician Strums World Rhythm" (PDF), The Halifax Commoner (published February 8, 2008), vol. 10, no. 9, p. 1, archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2009, retrieved August 25, 2008
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