| Incendiary guitars, distinctive vocals,
tightly-crafted songs - Tonic's Lemon Parade is one of the most impressive
debuts in recent memory. L.A. based and relentlessly gigging (180 shows
in a 10 month stretch), the quartet profoundly rocks, delivering epic music
and poetic lyrics artfully welded for maximum effect. Already radio has
embraced the current single, "If You could Only See," Conan O'Brien hosted
the band's first national television appearance, and a tour of 1,000-3,000
seat clubs with the Verve Pipe, they've consistently played to sold-out
halls. Lead guitarist and backing vocalist Jeff Russo delightfully admits
"We're definitely living out our childhood dream." And singer/songwriter
Emerson Hart emphatically concurs, "It's an incredible amount of work,
but still this is the best job in the world." It's one, also, that they've
labored resolutely to win. Raised in New Jersey next door to E Street band
drummer Max Weinberg, Hart picked up guitar at around seven years old,
and decided to commit professionally to music at age 19. He woodshedded,
first-spending time rigorously practicing and composing; now, with Russo
helping out, Emerson is Tonic's primary songwriter. It was after a move
to Los Angeles that the pieces of the larger puzzle came together. Russo
explains: "I walked into a pool hall about three and a half years ago,
and there he was. Emerson and I remembered each other form the past and
soon began playing and writing together." Russo had grown up across the
river in New York City, and Jeff Too, a strong guitarist and former drummer,
had ventured West to pursue his dream. The pair began crafting demos. Then,
at the Kibbitz Room of Canter's Delicatessen a hot spot for late night
jamming where the Wallflowers, Slash, the Freewheelers and others congregated
to groove, they met and enlisted dynamic drummer Kevin Shepard. With bassist
Dan Rothchild on board, they were ready. Rothchild would play on Lemon
Parade; today, it's new bassist and old friend Dan Lavery who helps propel
the rhythm section. As Russo comments, "Kevin's a hard-hitting power drummer,
and he's also precise. His personality shines through in his playing. And
Dan is just extremely fluid. The two of them together are unstoppable." |
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