Champion Trees formed in 2018 when cousins Francis Christie (vocal, guitar) and Lex Pienaar (bass) got together with drummer Langa Dubazana at the University of Cape Town.

Taking notes from 90s indie acts like Belle & Sebastian and Pavement, the band set out to have fun with music and language, building a following on the back of their well-received 2022 debut album NOW 3000. The lush arrangements of the recently released A Duck’s Water Off My Back are a marked departure from the lean production of the band’s early material, thanks to new members James Bickford-Smith (violin, synthesizers), Michael Burke (saxophone), and Michelle Hromin (clarinet), whose contributions have brought new textural depth to the music.

A Duck’s Water Off My Back has greatly expanded the band’s online following, particularly after it received a glowing review from Outside Noise, who maintain that it features “some of the most beautiful poetry we’ve heard in independent music all year”. Following their sold-out album launch show in London in late November, Champion Trees will play a stripped-back set of songs from A Duck’s Water Off My Back at the Alma Café on Saturday the 20th of December.

Event details:
– Tickets: R120 per person (show only)
– Doors open: 18h30 for 19h00 (kitchen orders close at 19h00)
– Live music starts when dinner service is completed
– Dinner, dessert and drinks available
– Fully licensed venue, BYOB not permitted
– Card and cash payments accepted
– 15% service fee charged