# Andru Branch > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Andru_Branch > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Andru_Branch.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andru_Branch > Source revision: 1301268104 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Andru Branch** (born June 27, 1968) is a Canadian [reggae](/source/Reggae) musician. He is the lead singer-songwriter of the [reggae](/source/Reggae) band *Andru Branch & Halfway Tree*. He was nominated for a [Juno Award](/source/Juno_Award) for his debut 1998 album *What If I Told You*. ## Early life Branch was born **Andru Reginald Arnold Branch** on June 27, 1968, in [Sackville, New Brunswick](/source/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](/source/Kingston,_Jamaica), Jamaica.[2] Its title was taken from a popular [saying](/source/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](/source/Earl_Chinna_Smith) and members of [Bob Marley](/source/Bob_Marley)'s backing band "[The Wailers](/source/The_Wailers_(1963-1974_band))"; [Aston "Family Man" Barrett](/source/Aston_Barrett), [Tyrone Downie](/source/Tyrone_Downie), and [Alvin "Seeco" Patterson](/source/Alvin_Patterson). Branch was nominated for a [Juno Award](/source/Juno_Award) at the [Juno Awards of 2000](/source/Juno_Awards_of_2000) for this release in the category [Best Reggae Recording](/source/Juno_Award_for_Reggae_Recording_of_the_Year).[4] His second album *The Only Constant* was released in January 2008 and features Squidly Cole and Chris Meredith of [Ziggy Marley](/source/Ziggy_Marley)'s band along with [Alvin "Seeco" Patterson](/source/Alvin_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](/source/Roots_reggae) style is wide-ranging, varying from African high-life to suggestions of [country](/source/Country_music) 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](/source/Brinsley_Forde), [Gregory Isaacs](/source/Gregory_Isaacs), Glen Washington, [Vybz Kartel](/source/Vybz_Kartel) and [Sean Paul](/source/Sean_Paul). [Studio One](/source/Studio_One_(record_label))'s original Soul Vendors bassist Brian "Bassie" Atkinson joined Andru Branch & Halfway Tree in 2002 and the band is currently making new [reggae](/source/Reggae) music.[8] Andru developed a profound love for [reggae](/source/Reggae) music while growing up in multicultural [Toronto, Ontario](/source/Toronto), where he was mentored by Tony "Raffa" White and Bernie Pitters before moving to [Halifax, Nova Scotia](/source/Halifax,_Nova_Scotia), in 2000.[5] Andru Branch graduated from [Lawrence Park Collegiate](/source/Lawrence_Park_Collegiate_Institute) 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 - [*Holy Jihad*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyqB0IFWsPk/) (2008) ## See also - [Music of Canada](/source/Music_of_Canada) - [List of Canadian musicians](/source/List_of_Canadian_musicians) ## References 1. ["Andru Branch"](http://www.halfwaytreeallstars.com/?page_id=5). *halfwaytree.ca*. Andru Branch. Retrieved January 5, 2012. 1. "What if I told you", [WorldCat](/source/WorldCat), [OCLC 299743452](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/299743452) 1. MacIntyre, Genevieve (2008), "Reggae Inventor Reclaims Music", *[The Daily News](/source/The_Daily_News_(Halifax))* 1. ["Juno Awards Database"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061054/http://junoawards.ca/awards/artist%2Dsummary/?artist_name%3DAndru%2BBranch%26submit%3DSearch). *Juno Awards*. [Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences](/source/Canadian_Academy_of_Recording_Arts_and_Sciences). Archived from [the original](http://junoawards.ca/awards/artist-summary/?artist_name=Andru+Branch&submit=Search) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2012. 1. Aikins, Matthieu (2008), ["Andru Branch's New Album, The Only Constant"](https://archive.today/20130115171425/http://thecoast.ca/Articles-i-2008-01-24-151558.113118_Andru_Branchs_New_AlbumThe_Only_Constant.html), *[The Coast](/source/The_Coast_(newspaper))*, archived from [the original](http://thecoast.ca/Articles-i-2008-01-24-151558.113118_Andru_Branchs_New_AlbumThe_Only_Constant.html) on January 15, 2013, retrieved August 23, 2008 1. Hagerman, Brent (May 2008). ["Reviews " Soul, Funk & World " May 2008 " Andru Branch The Only Constant"](http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/SoulFunkAndWorld/andru_branch-only_constant). *[Exclaim!](/source/Exclaim!)*. [Toronto](/source/Toronto), [Ontario](/source/Ontario): 1059434 Ontario Inc. p. 38. [ISSN 1207-6600](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1207-6600). Retrieved January 5, 2012. 1. "Andru Branch's Reggae Connections", *The Sunday Herald*, 1998 1. Robinson, Andrew (2008), ["Reggae Musician Strums World Rhythm"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090611174927/http://journalism.ukings.ca/files/issue97.pdf), *The Halifax Commoner*. Vol. 10, no. 9, p. 1, archived from [the original](http://journalism.ukings.ca/files/issue97.pdf) on June 11, 2009, retrieved August 25, 2008 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Andru Branch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andru_Branch) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andru_Branch?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.