The Meeting Tree Leave Fans With Cliffhanger Split

In what feels like a TV show being struck down in its prime with little time to provide closure, Aussie hip hop duo The Meeting Tree – the collab between Joyride and Raph Dixon - will perform their final show at Splendour In The Grass, citing “legal reasons” as a deciding factor.

Well-versed in the art of pranking, a series of tongue-in-cheek memes in regards to the split have surfaced on the band’s social media in the past week, directing attention to the company that created Auto-Tune, Antares, and loose connections to copyright.

Mainstream pop may be proof that the software can fix just about anything, but unfortunately it won’t be able to mend the broken hearts of fans around the country mourning the demise of The Meeting Tree.

Perhaps trying to untangle the “death rattle” the band have left behind will keep The Meeting Tree spirit alive in our hearts for years to come.

“It is what it is – legal reason,” Joyride told theMusic.com.au.

“We just want other people who are making music now – especially on computers, which is the way to go – to keep in mind that people that make the software that we use are trying to make money just the way that we are and it’s worth being mindful of that.

“Copyright and ownership are two of the cornerstones of democracy, something that we try and celebrate here in Australia.”

The music video for It’s Alright off their final EP, I Was Born A Baby And I'll Die A Baby EP, dropped on Friday with crawling text along the bottom delivering a message to fans and then a bunch of life-changing commentary on democracy, sunsets, radio and more appearing.

“We can’t tell you anything else about the break-up other than it has been forced upon us for legal reasons,” the post said.

Dixon is featured as a cardboard cutout in said clip, which is similar to the look he will take on during Splendour In The Grass this weekend.

“After all this, he feels like he needs to step back and is doing so in the States right now,” Joyride explained.

“He’ll be there in cardboard form, which is our version of the Tupac hologram.

“I don’t think it’ll change the set too much beyond the fact that Raph saying our band name over and over again may happen a little less, because cardboard can’t really speak.

“We’ve got a couple of special guests coming up to try fill the massive gap that Raph in his human form will be leaving, so Benson – a great DJ and producer from Melbourne – will be joining us – and Sam [Margin] from The Rubens as well.”

In the past year, The Meeting Tree have produced three EPs, circled the country twice and established themselves as a staple on the festival circuit, so its fitting that, after stints at Groovin The Moo, Falls and Secret Garden, they’ll play their final gig at the festival where they played their first.

“We’ve achieved everything that we’ve wanted to,“ Joyride explained.

“Even though we didn’t start with specific goals, it doesn't feel like there’s more to be done, which I think is nice.

“Don’t be sad it’s over, be happy it happened at all.”

Check out the Splendour timetable and our survival guide to ensure you don’t miss The Meeting Tree’s final performance.

The I Was Born A Baby And I'll Die A Baby EP drops this Wednesday.