After nearly 11 years between studio albums, Dove Award-winning South African Christian rock band Tree63 has officially returned with VOYAGE, released on June 26 through Just Music, a label of Next Music Group. The album marks the band's eighth full-length project and their first since Land (2015), signaling a fresh season for one of Christian rock's most influential international acts.
Founding singer, songwriter, and guitarist John Ellis reunites the band alongside drummer Angus Warden and bassist Deon Knipe, a lineup that came together in 2024 following Ellis' return to Cape Town. Their renewed collaboration eventually produced a collection of songs shaped by years of personal growth, ministry, and life's changing seasons.
Ellis describes VOYAGE as a reflection on a lifelong spiritual journey. Rather than revisiting the youthful perspective that defined Tree63's early years, the new album embraces themes of perseverance, faith, restoration, and hope through the lens of experience. The record features ten original tracks, including "Turn For Home," "Ambush," "Fire Goes On," "Believe Anyway," and the closing benediction, "Beatitude."
Produced by Ellis with acclaimed South African producer Dave Langemann, the album was recorded at Creative Native Studios in Cape Town and mastered by Tim Lengfeld. Together, the songs explore God's faithfulness through seasons of victory, disappointment, uncertainty, and renewal.
Tree63 first emerged in Durban in 1996 before gaining international recognition with hits such as "Treasure," "Look What You've Done," "Blessed Be Your Name," and "King." The band earned a Dove Award for Rock Album of the Year and became one of South Africa's most successful Christian music exports, touring extensively across North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia.
Following years of hiatus and Ellis' solo work, Tree63 resumed touring with its new lineup in 2025, paving the way for the creation of VOYAGE. The album represents both a homecoming and a new beginning, reminding longtime fans why the band's faith-filled rock music has resonated for decades.
VOYAGE is a fitting reminder that faith is not only about the excitement of new beginnings but also about faithfully walking with God through every season. As Tree63's new songs suggest, the journey with Christ continues long after the first steps of belief, and His grace remains constant throughout the voyage.
