So many moments…

Tones And I’s ascension into global superstardom over the past two years is the type of rise most artists dream of, going from busking on the streets of Byron Bay to playing Splendour in the Grass and essentially every big stage you could think of within one year. It was a meteoric rise to say the least. But of course, when any artist achieves such widespread acclaim, the haters naturally flock to the forefront. But despite it all, she rose above, continuing to break records and set new heights for female artists from Australia as well as across the world. It’s a whole lot of living in just two years, and Tones has put it all into her debut album Welcome To The Madhouse, which is out now.

Bustling with 14 larger than life tracks that touch upon mental health, success, loss, heartbreak and basically all of the emotions in the human condition, the album really gives you a first class ticket into the intricacies of Tones’ mind. From the vivid album-named opener to the uplifting transcendence of ‘Fly Away’ and the defiant bravado of ‘Westside Lobby,’ Tones has given us an album straight from the heart with Welcome To The Madhouse, and it’s clear the sky is the limit for the Mornington Peninsula-born singer songwriter.

In light of her journey so far, we figured a trip down memory lane was in order, a deep dive into the moments that helped make Tones the artist she is today. But before that, join us as we get deep on Welcome To The Madhouse.

What better way to open an album than with the title track? Especially one so welcoming (see what we did there?). For an album opener ‘Welcome To The Madhouse’ is pretty unique, revolving pianos and cyclic verses capturing all of the surrealism and otherworldliness you would associate with an actual madhouse. The retro synths on the later repetitions of the hook are a cool injection of pop sensibility as well, helping the track transcend the conventions of genre for a multi-faceted gem that gives a good snapshot into what to expect from the rest of the album.

However, despite all of the foreshadowing ‘Welcome To The Madhouse’ does in its two-and-a-half minutes, none of it could prepare you for the straight bravado that ‘Westside Lobby’ is bubbling with. It’s the type of track we’ve been waiting for from Tones, her ever-growing success outshining her detractors with each and every bound, and ‘Westside Lobby’ is a true embodiment of that outshining if we ever saw one.

She really sticks a middle finger up at the haters while crafting a bop-and-a-half over the three minute groove. However, despite the powerful subject matter, instrumentally and vocally she’s definitely more on the restrained side in this number, gentle vocals and whimsical production flooding the sonic sphere as she urges the listener to ‘Take me to the Westside Lobby.’ The verses really see her take aim at all of the people described above, from the clout chasers to the down talkers and everything in between, responding in genius fashion as she reminds them of her many achievements in the breeziest of fashions.

Following on right after her hitting back at the detractors, ‘Fly Away’ makes for some gorgeous contrast and helps serve as an emotional epicentre for the body of work. Drawing upon the realms of gospel, folk and pop, the early-single sees Tones reminisce on her early success that helped her ‘Fly Away’ from the streets of Byron and transcend circumstance. The track really sees her take pains to double down on her songwriting in both a lyrical and emotional sense, lines like ‘I never thought it’d be like this/Dreaming all my life and I did it/Thought the grass was greener than then it is’ delivered with this mix of pride and sadness as she celebrates her victories whilst realising that as amazing as it all is, there’s more to life than just success.

Naturally, when we think of things more important in life than success, love is the first thing to come to mind, hence why ‘Just A Mess’ hits so damn hard on this album. One of the first love songs Tones has ever written, the ballad sees the multi-instrumentalist show us a side of her we never quite saw throughout 2019, singing about being in love and how she’d feel if it all ended in heartbreak.

Setting a tone of reflection and acknowledgement with momentous pianos and drums, the ‘Johnny Run Away’ singer really hits you in the gut with resolute vocals and confessional verses. The hook ‘I’m just a mess/ and you’re just a person who changed my life’ hits crazily hard as well, Tones’ vocal growls hitting you in the face as they’re backed by larger than life instrumental layers. The gentle whispers at the end of the phrase however set a nice point of the difference, affirming the duality of the track and love as a whole, its powers to both comfort and hurt.

Definitely a more tender moment that helps close the record, ‘Fall Apart’ sees Tones get in her ballad bag for a glittery number that’s gorgeously raw and unfiltered. It’s a thrilling embrace of what it means to be human and the limitations we have, not just from an emotional standpoint but also a mortal one as she sings about the death of a close friend. The pain is tangible and it’s definitely an overwhelming listen, the steady chords and drums really letting Tones grieve as she unearths all the highs and lows, all of which are magnified as she sings on the hook ‘And we say that we almost tried/We never really got the chance to say goodbye.’

The album is a rollercoaster of emotions, a true madhouse of feeling that refuses to be boxed in or confined. But now, it’s time to retrace Tones’ journey through the years, and what better way to start than on those Byron Bay streets?

Check it below.

Viral NYE Busking Video

I think we all remember seeing this for the first time. If you’re like us, you probably thought ‘Who on Earth is this, and how is she pulling this sort of crowd on New Years Eve?” Needless to say, it’s Tones at her most powerful, singing her heart out with her trusty keyboard and loop pedal by her side. She’d already made a name for herself around Byron by this point, being a main attraction for locals as she performed day after day for a full year on the streets of the coastal haven.

But this moment really did change everything for her, proving early on that she was destined for the big stage. And keep in mind, this was filmed on New Years Eve in Byron Bay, where there’s any number of things to do to reign in the new year. Yet, swarms of onlookers were more than happy to spend it with Tones, a testament to how damn captivating she is as a performer.. It seems the world agrees, the video racking up almost 10 million views since it dropped over two years ago.

Record-Breaking Splendour Set

Okay, out of all of Tones’ Splendour videos ‘Dance Monkey’ is probably the logical choice to include here, but there’s just so much more to Tones than the record-breaking bop. And besides, ‘Never Seen The Rain’ at Splendour is just as impactful, everyone clapping along in what’s the biggest crowd for a Splendour opening set to this day.

This is probably one of our favourite renditions of ‘Never Seen The Rain’ as well if we’re honest, Tones totally feeding off the crowd as the sea of punters sing it all back to her. Tones’ realisation at 3:21 of how many people there are is bloody wholesome as well, just going to show that despite all of the vast attention she had received by that point, it was all still so new to her.

U.S. TV Debut

A U.S. TV debut is a nerve-racking affair for any artist, especially those from our isolated little country. There’s so much more riding on it for an Aussie artist. You’ve got the whole of your home country looking on, half cheering and half wondering if you even have the chops to make it overseas. Then, you’ve got the American crowd and the rest of the world, who, let’s be honest, will probably have no idea who you are (although we sincerely doubt that in Tones’ case)

But of course she totally rose to the occasion on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, going so far as even starting the song accompanying herself at the piano. The emotion floods off her too, the many feels of pride and nervousness flooding off as she swaps Byron locals for an American studio audience. But once she steps out and launches into that verse, there’s no escaping her, the attendees totally falling under her spell as she belts out those instantly recognisable lyrics, the her vocals growing in power with each and every utterance.

ARIAS ‘Best Female Artist’ Win

Helping to cap off a whirlwind year-and-a-half, Tones’ win at the ARIAs seemed inevitable after everything she had accomplished in 2019. Seeing her nervousness when stepping on stage was straight up adorable as well, considering that by that time she had played in front of millions of people around the world without breaking a sweat.

Big ups to her for that important speech as well, reaffirming the need to break down the stereotypes placed upon Aussie female artists in a super classy fashion. Her ending her acceptance thanking Australia for letting her know that she’s okay “just the way I am” was a bloody tearjerker to say the least as well, reminding us that despite all of the vast success and accolades, she’s just as human as the rest of us.

First Aussie TV Interview

An Aussie artists first TV interview on home screens probably isn’t a huge milestone to be honest, but in terms of Tones’ journey, it’s the perfect way to end a recap like this. It was just really cool to see Tones step into herself in 2020 and be visibly confident after everything she’d achieved in 2019. In her debut Aussie TV interview with The Project, she’s loud, confident, outspoken and most importantly, proud. It’s especially heartwarming to see her reflecting on busking in Byron, Splendour, the ARIAS and everything else that happened amongst it all. You can tell she knows she has nothing to prove at the time of this chat, merely focused on working on new music and growing as a person.

Long story short, she did all of the above, and it’s clear as day on Welcome To The Madhouse. Be sure to buy/stream it here.