The Tonics were put together by West Australian musician Roly Skender during the recording of his 2006 solo release, Electric Umbrella. The album features the nationally acclaimed single Free which received airplay across Australia and also won an award for its self-produced video clip.
Since Electric Umbrella, Roly Skender and The Tonics have developed a sound of their own, a swaggering, adventurous ride into pop territory difficult to categorise. It's been compared to musical heroes of the 60s and 70s like Elvis Costello, John Lennon, The Rolling Stones, early Pink Floyd and Bowie. The band obviously draws on many of these influences, but the way they mix them into their sound and the fact that they record and produce their own material places them firmly in the 21st century.
Their two radio singles Feel and Shakin' Up are testament to a band that knows where it's going. Feel won the WAM Song of the Year Pop category and Grand Prize in 2008 and the band continues to work on new recordings with an EP and full length album in the making.
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