ARTIST SPOTLIGHT – TONIA
Tonia is an emerging artist known for her distinctive sound and authentic approach to storytelling through music. With a background rooted in Soul and R&B influences, Tonia brings a fresh perspective to the music scene, captivating listeners with her emotive performances and relatable lyrics.
Growing up in a musical family, Tonia (pronounced Toe-knee-a) was surrounded by pianists, opera singers, pop-lovers and Dad rock fans. Whilst her Grandad played her Chet Baker, her sister listened to Lily Allen. The eclecticism that surrounded her seeped into her output. Moving to Liverpool saw Tonia take the city by storm, becoming one of LIMF Academy’s ‘Most Ready’ artists in 2021.
Right now, she is smashing it and getting ardent support on every release from the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, as well as BBC Radio new music champions, Jack Saunders and Sian Eleri. With an upcoming EP ‘Different This Time?’ coming in April and having freshly signed a recording deal with 3 Beat, we thought it would be a great time to catch up with Tonia.
Tell us how you got into making music?
I always loved to sing and had a strong fascination and love for music from a young age. I was intrigued by singers, musicians and pop stars, so I guess I wanted to copy what they were doing. I played the piano, violin and viola from quite a young age and studied classical singing in secondary school. I tried writing music when I was younger, which seemed to come naturally and was fuelled by my obsessive listening to artists I love. It wasn’t until I was around 16 that I thought the songs I was creating might be good enough to show people. At uni, I really enjoyed the collaborative aspect of songwriting and started working with producers and other songwriters who, fortunately, are the people I still work with now.
How would you describe your sound and what you are bringing to the table musically?
I would describe my music as a blend of all my influences and everything I grew up listening to, from jazz to pop, with a smattering of indie/alternative. My songwriting is influenced by the people around me, and my experiences focus on the stories and narrative I want to explore in the music – rather than who I want to sound like, or a specific sound.
You’re not from Liverpool originally, how did you come to be here and how has Liverpool influenced your music and music career?
I came to Liverpool to study music at LIPA. I knew as soon as I first visited the city it was the place I wanted to be. There’s a really wonderful and supportive community here for music and creatives, and everyone is willing to support and help each other out. I’ve met everyone that I collaborate with now in Liverpool and I feel really inspired to create here. I was lucky enough to be a part of Melodic Distraction, an internet radio station that broadcast here in Liverpool. I hosted a bi-weekly morning show, Mornings With Tonia, where I eased people into their day by playing my favourite tunes and interviewing guests. I enjoyed the challenge of curating a playlist that allowed me to have a different musical outlet. Being part of this hub led me to meet so many incredible people within the Liverpool scene and beyond. I was also selected for the LIMF Academy, a system to support creative artists in Liverpool. This helped kickstart the recording process of my first EP and led me to being signed by 3 Beat, an independent record label in Liverpool.
If you had to pick your favourite song (by yourself) what would it be and why?
Hard to choose, but a song I wrote called ‘</3’ (which is being released on my upcoming EP) holds a special place. The process of writing it and producing it was really spontaneous and we wrote and finished it in about an hour. All the vocals and instruments are still the same as when we first wrote it and the song hasn’t been edited since, which is something I really love about it.
You recently signed with 3Beat / Universal, how did that come about?
Whilst I was on the LIMF Academy we had a masterclass with Tom Williamson, who is head of streaming and A&R at 3 Beat. After the masterclass I shared my new demos with Tom and he offered me some great advice on the release strategy of my first couple of singles. We kept in touch and after the release of my first EP ‘Afloat’ I shared my follow up project with Tom. He and the rest of the team at 3 Beat really liked it and they ended up offering me a deal.
What’s next?
I just released my latest single ‘Broken Smile’ from my upcoming EP ‘Different This Time?’. The EP will be out on April 12th and I’m really looking forward to people hearing it and to see how people respond to it. I’m also super excited to be supporting Say She She in Brighton, Leeds and Edinburgh on their sold out UK tour to perform this new collection of songs live, and to be able to do it with my best mates.
Written by Yaw Owusu.
