Sea Creatures, Dopamine and Cry-Dancing: Inside TONII's Electropop Universe
Written by Jess Lin
“I’ll get a cider - I’m not a big fan of coffee,” TONII says, scanning the drinks menu displayed on the wall. We meet at a cafe, and there is the usual hustle and bustle with friendly catch-ups, study sessions, and those simply wanting to sit and have a coffee. TONII and I are tucked away in a quieter corner, drinks in our hands - whilst I opt for a chai latte, TONII sips her Bulmers berry cider: “I feel like I’m more bubbly when I have a bev”.
TONII is a Leeds based singer-songwriter and producer, crafting music that conveys nostalgia, futurism and fun through catchy melodies, dreamy harmonies and eclectic production. Inspired by Griff, Imogen Peat, Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek, Erin LeCount and Oklou, she specialises in electropop and hyperpop. Her aim is to transport people into a more vibrant world within her transcending soundscape, allowing her audience to ‘cry-dance’ to her music. TONII states that ‘cry-dancing’ “isn’t necessarily crying physically” but about listening to music you can’t stop dancing to, whilst feeling a multitude of emotions simultaneously. When asked about what music makes her ‘cry-dance’, she nominated ‘Do You See Me Crying’ by Erin LeCount, ‘Anything’ by Griff, and ‘Dancing On My Own’ by Robyn.
Also inspired by the Frutiger Aero and ocean aesthetic, TONII states: “I’ve always loved water. And I love blue. And I feel [that] right now, in the world, we are living in kind of a weird future [where] technology is starting to overtake us. I think the 2000’s promised a much more brighter future. And I want to incorporate that to get people to be transported out of this unbelievably dull world. It is [also] partly me just wanting to escape out of this world, so I create this universe for myself. It’s dreamful, it’s calm, it’s hopeful.” Opening up about her love of ocean animals, she expresses: “I really do like dolphins. I love seahorses as well. And turtles. I also love clownfish. It’s basically any of the fish in Finding Nemo to be honest. *gasp* The main fish in Shark Tale. Hear me out.”
The path to TONII’s sound has been nothing short of interesting. The Rutland-raised artist admitted: “Do you know what’s funny? When I was about 10 [or] 12, because my parents were musicians, I didn’t really want to be a musician. I’m not gonna be like them. And then I picked up Logic for the first time, and I was like, maybe I do like music.” TONII then started producing around the age of 13 on Logic, then transitioning to Ableton a year ago. Before getting into electropop, TONII confessed to originally wanting to be an 80’s funk pop artist, before her bandmate Lucas Heasman encouraged her to delve more into the electronic scene.
In her live performances, TONII is accompanied by Lucas Heasman (electronics) and Oliver Illingworth (guitar), and she uses Ableton Live and Touch Designer to create a visual and sonic impact on her audience. Speaking about the inspirations behind incorporating this into her shows, TONII states: “Imogen Heap. I love her. I think also, I’ve always wanted to [dance]. I’m not a very good dancer, so this is a way that I can create movement to impact my performance. It’s also just fun to go up there and look like I’m waving.”
TONII recently released her latest single ‘d0pamine’ on February 17, and then headlined Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds two days later. “I’m so grateful that so many people showed up. It made me realise that my music works best when it is in that atmosphere. And it really meant a lot to me that I was looking out and people were singing back the words to ‘d0pamine’ and ‘Entertaining This Idea’ to me.” Reflecting on her creative process behind her songs, TONII usually starts from either a title or a sonic idea on either piano or guitar, then takes it to Ableton, where she creates sounds or chooses samples, before manipulating them in ways that will fit her music. Catchy hooks are essential to TONII: “As long as people can sing it, that is all that matters to me.”
TONII has an eventful future ahead of her, with many upcoming projects and gigs coming up. She has a new EP called ‘Internet Surfer’ that she plans to release in September, with a single being released on May 7. “I’m very excited about it. I’ve put a lot of effort into this.” TONII exclaims. Future shows include supporting Murgatroyd at The Attic on May 2, and another headliner on May 7 at Wharf Chambers, celebrating the aforementioned single release.
With a successfully established artistic identity across her branding, music and shows, TONII is bringing the electropop scene back into Leeds, and there’s no stopping her from sharing doses of dopamine to new audiences: “I want to be that fun electronic artist. Gonna be that diva.”