This is the most recent photo of Andru Branch & Halfway Tree, shot at the Halifax Public Gardens by Veronica Gutierrez in the fall of 2019. From left to right are Seth Voliere (guitar), James Shaw (saxophone), Andrew Brown (bass), Andru Branch (vocals, keyboards and percussion), Ibiko Pelle (drums), Johnny Parker (guitar) and Andrew Jackson (trombone).
It has been such an honour and such a joy to play with these wonderful and talented musicians. We began rehearsing with this lovely young drummer from Antigua, who was studying at Saint Mary's University. He truly lifted up the sound of the band with his super steady groove. We rehearsed a powerful new set of material in preparation for this summer's festival gigs. Enter the pandemic. Slowly but surely, each gig was cancelled, including Halifax's annual Reggae Splash, which we look forward to every year. The day before the gig our beloved 'new' drummer Ibiko boarded a plane to Antigua, to shelter in place with his family. This was hard to take, after rehearsing a show for six months that we never got to perform. However, Ibiko laid down three awesome tracks while he was here with us, two of which are nearing completion, and the third is a work in progress. Please stay tuned as we are super excited to share the new music with you. Join our mailing list to get the latest updates. In the mean time stay safe, listen to some music, watch some videos and play your part to end racism so that we can create a brighter future.
Thank you for your unwavering support over the past 25 years. Our 25th Anniversary album 'The Singles' is available here. Whether you are a new or long time fan, you are so important to us and we are very grateful. Please continue to share I & I music with your friends and loved ones. One Universal Love ~ Andru Branch & Halfway Tree