John Ellis and Tree63 have written some of the catchiest, most heartfelt songs to come out of South Africa - and their message is one of faith, hope and personal spiritual connection. John is a gifted songwriter with a knack for melody and arrangement, and a brilliantly honest lyric writing style that has captured hearts and ears all over the world.

I loved this conversation about Tree63's message, their journey, and how John thinks about being a South African - and a South African in music.

We first connected over a fascinating piece he published, "10 South African Songs That Taught Me To Be South African". Check out his beautifully written and insightful blog here: https://johnelliswords.wordpress.com/2020/06/09/ten-south-african-songs-that-taught-me-to-be-south-african/

LISTEN TO TREE63 ON APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/tree63/19515964

LISTEN TO TREE63 ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6x5SSOrpZwjUi8zfLBOQi7?si=2cngrUN2Q4WzUdqMEpiFdA

CHECK OUT TREE63 ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@treesixtythree2538

READ JOHN'S BLOG: https://johnelliswords.wordpress.com/

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Ard Matthews and Just Jinjer were 90s icons in South Africa, selling more records than anyone and releasing timeless singles that still evoke memories for many South Africans. Ard, Brent and Denhiolm enjoy busy and evolving music careers to this day, testament to their exceptional talent and work ethic - and how beloved they remain.

I enjoyed this chat even though Ard said he can't remember a lot of the 90s! He was definitely a rockstar to me back in the day, so this was kind of a big deal. Still, given how many mutual friends we have, it's mad we never met before.

Listen to Just Jinjer:

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/just-jinjer/156238572

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ywF40MvBzMeS8jijufoao?si=OuO-xZrZRI6uLV1zy--0kw

YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@justjinjer6110?si=T77e6fJjJPY1LkAC

My new ThumbOfRule single 'Heavy Bones' releases Friday 7 February 2025!

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/thumbofrule/1560754178

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6EU9T2T2wFtIZGwhYeYkxx?si=VCeoshJAQmKrD67w0H72Gw

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@adamstanleydrummer7532

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The hilarious singer/guitarist talks about meeting Prince Charles, supporting Bon Jovi and Def Leppard - and the very beginning of the South African Music Explosion of the 1990s.

What a treat - Alistair is so funny and remembered everything so clearly, the conversation just flowed. It really pulled together some important pieces of the SA music jigsaw in the context I'm trying to present it in. Please enjoy this fantastic conversation with a very unique and charismatic human.

LISTEN TO ARAPAHO:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5yA0PesbdKjJz16gjF1vjF?si=HqN3bwAXT0mQv4bT9257Qw

ArapahoApple Musichttps://music.apple.com › artist › arapaho

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