Today we’d like to introduce you to Broadtree.
Hello Broadtree, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Armand: Before the plague hit – we prefer that term over all the others – we both were, and still are, theatre performers. Writing and recording music wasn’t something we had really planned on doing. We had performed in a few theatrical productions together, including The Last 5 Years, a musical that was a bucket list show for both of us.
It was our first time singing together and everyone really seemed to praise our chemistry on stage. We had so much pent-up energy in 2020 and were so eager to be creative that we got together and started playing some covers on an acoustic guitar. One day we said, “why don’t get try writing something?” Things really took off from there.
Nicole: Originally we were only planning on releasing one cover, a duet version of Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’. Then we decided to shoot a music video, and things started to snowball – it’s been a whirlwind ever since! When we first started out, we released some covers under our initials, A & N. But when we started writing original songs together, we were really blazing through them, and soon had enough songs written to record a full album, so we decided we needed a proper band name! I love the imagery of ‘Broadtree’ – it sounds very organic, very grounded, and it has that great visual of being in nature – but that’s not actually where the name came from. Our sound is often described as ‘musical theatre over country music, so it’s really the ‘Brangelina’ of band names – Broadway + Country = Broadtree.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Armand: It helps when you’re working with someone you click with so well. We’ve worked together in so many ways before that this came pretty naturally. We could churn out songs in minutes, we constantly get complimented about our energy and chemistry on stage, and we just love having fun. 2021 was a tough year toward the end. We had set all these goals for ourselves that we didn’t really need to, which led to A LOT of work. We had a 23-date tour towards the end of the year that really burned us out. There was one point where we didn’t think we were going to make it to the end of the tour, but knowing that we have each others’ backs through the best and worst times really helped. We’ve learned a lot about this business, about how we work together, and that the only goals we need to set in this project are to simply have fun. Everything else is a bonus.
Nicole: We’re also both very open about living with mental illness, which is a bit theme in our music and something we are big advocates for. Obviously, the plague years weighed very heavily on everyone’s mental health, and artists were hit especially hard. Our whole lives had been snatched out from under us. Everything we’d worked for, every source of comfort, everything that made up our lives was suddenly gone. Luckily since we’ve both had experience with mental illness, there exists some degree of understanding, but in such stressful, difficult, and often painful or hopeless times, we’ve still had moments where it’s been difficult learning to navigate one another’s struggles. It’s definitely taken some work, but we’ve made huge strides, and where we are now is as stable and healthy as we’ve ever been, both in terms of workload and mental wellness.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Who we are and what we’re known for!
Broadtree is a highly-praised pop-country duo from Toronto, Canada. Comprised of Nicole McCafferty (Nova Scotia) and Armand Antony (Mexico), the duo is best known for their unique, stylized story-telling over catchy pop-country hooks, clever, heartfelt lyrics, irresistible chemistry, and theatrical performance style, influenced by their mutual background in theatre. From sweet, soft duets to uplifting Broadway-Esque melodies and high-energy rock anthems, Broadtree truly allows its audience to feel lost in its impeccable storytelling and relatable concepts. Some have described their songs as “three-minute musicals.” They often deal in themes uncommon to the country genre, such as living with mental illness, but love to laugh and strive to inject all of their songs, no matter how dark the subject matter, with “a spark of hope.”
Some of their best-known songs include ‘Be As’, a Pride-driven anthem about choosing your own identity, and their hit single “You Only Miss Me Cause I’m Gone,” a hilarious take on female empowerment and standing up for yourself.
They have a strong, interactive presence on social media, conversing personally with fans and using their platform to speak out about mental health, racial equality, LGBTQ+ support, and First Nations rights in Canada.
We’ve always said if we can affect or help even one person, that’s the measure of success. We are extremely humbled and proud to say that we have received messages from total strangers, thanking us for our songs and saying that hearing it was a crucial moment in their lives that helped them to make a difficult decision or see themselves in a new light. You could never ask for more as an artist – hearing this brought us to tears.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
We have several artists that influence and inspire us. Our storytelling not only comes from our own experiences, but also from the stories we love reading, watching, and singing along to.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lintr.ee/broadtree
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/broadtreemusic
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/broadtreemusic
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/broadtreemusic
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/broadtree-music
Image Credits
Corey Palmer, The Rose Theatre, and Oh Canada Creative
