Tree63

Formed in Durban, South Africa, the alternative CCM outfit Tree63 began life under the simpler name Tree, drawing inspiration from the likes of delirious? and Sonicflood while incorporating elements reminiscent of U2, Jars of Clay, and early dc Talk. Guitarist and lead singer John Ellis joined forces with bassist Scoop and drummer Daryl Swart in late 1996 for a performance at a regional Christian music event organized by producer Martin Engel. Throughout the opening months of 1997 the trio refined its stage presence before committing its debut effort, Overflow, to tape at Engel’s facility around the middle of the year. That release secured Tree an opening slot on the 1998 tour of the more dance-oriented Christian act MIC, and before the year closed the group was also asked to support its idols delirious? at the U.K. Soul Survivor festival. The warm audience response earned the band a return invitation the following year, prompting the recording of a sophomore album in a more advanced British studio. Issued as 63 in tribute to the psalm, the record appeared in the U.K. by mid-1999 and reached South African listeners toward year’s end, by which time Martin Engel had taken over bass duties from Scoop. The single “A Million Lights” became a domestic smash, even crossing over to mainstream outlets and marking the first time any Christian act had achieved such broad success in South Africa. Buzz surrounding 63 soon reached American ears, leading to a deal with the U.S. label inpop and the formal adoption of the Tree63 moniker. The band’s inaugural American offering—a self-titled set of re-recorded material drawn from its first two albums—arrived in stores during summer 2000.