Tones and I facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tones and I
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Tones and I performing, Southside Festival, June 2022
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Toni Watson |
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| Born | Mount Martha, Victoria, Australia |
| Origin | Frankston, Victoria, Australia |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
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| Associated acts | Konstantin Kersting |
Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and music producer. She is famous for her hit song "Dance Monkey". This song reached number one in over 30 countries, including her home country, Australia.
In 2019–2020, "Dance Monkey" stayed at number one on the Australian singles chart for 24 weeks. This broke a long-standing record! It was also certified many times platinum, meaning it sold a huge number of copies. In February 2024, Tones and I became the first female artist to get over 3 billion streams for a single song on Spotify with "Dance Monkey".
Tones and I won four awards at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019. She released her first collection of songs, called an extended play (EP), The Kids Are Coming, on August 30, 2019. It reached number three in Australia. Her first full album, Welcome to the Madhouse, came out on July 16, 2021. It went straight to number one in Australia.
Contents
Her Journey to Music
Early Life and Discovering Music
Toni Watson grew up in Mount Martha, Victoria in Australia. She once shared how she started her music journey. When she was about seven, her aunt noticed she could really sing. This was her first memory of someone seeing her talent.
She learned to play keyboards and drum pads while in high school. Before becoming famous, she worked in fashion retail. She also started busking in Melbourne, which means performing music in public for tips.
Starting Her Career
In 2009, Toni Watson created a YouTube page. She posted videos of herself singing songs without any instruments, known as a cappella covers. She also performed at small local shows and festivals.
Around 2014, she sang in a duo. But she soon decided to go solo. She bought a special music device called a loop station. This helped her create music on her own. She then traveled along the east coast of Australia, busking with her music gear. She built up a loyal fanbase by captivating crowds with her unique style.
Moving to Byron Bay
In September 2017, Toni traveled to Byron Bay, New South Wales, to busk. There, she met a music lawyer named Jackson Walkden-Brown. He became her manager about a month later.
Her success from busking made her even more dedicated to music. In 2018, she spent her time between her manager's home and living in her van in Byron Bay. She wrote music and busked full-time. Later that year, she won a busking competition called Battle of the Buskers.
Rise to Fame
"Johnny Run Away" and "Dance Monkey"
In February 2019, Tones and I signed a record deal with Bad Batch Records/Sony Music Australia. She also got a co-management deal. In the same month, she released her first song, "Johnny Run Away". She uploaded it to Triple J's Unearthed website, which helps new artists.
The song was recorded with producer Konstantin Kersting. It quickly became very popular online. "Johnny Run Away" was played a lot on Triple J radio. It reached number 12 on the Australian singles chart and sold very well.
On May 10, 2019, Tones and I released her second song, "Dance Monkey". She wrote it alone in about 30 minutes. The song quickly became a global hit. It reached number one in over 30 countries around the world.
The music video for "Dance Monkey" was directed by Liam Kelly and Nick Kozakis. In Australia, the song broke a record in November 2019. It stayed at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart for 16 weeks. This was longer than any other song since 1989. By January 2020, it had been number one for 24 weeks! It was also the first Australian song to reach number one on Spotify's global daily streaming chart.
The Kids Are Coming EP
In May 2019, Tones and I performed at the Big Pineapple Music Festival. She also opened Splendour in the Grass 2019, a big music festival. She set a record for the largest crowd for an opening act there.
In July, she released her third song, "Never Seen the Rain". Then, on August 30, 2019, she released her first EP, The Kids Are Coming. It had six songs. In September 2019, Tones and I performed "Dance Monkey" and "The Kids Are Coming" at the 2019 AFL Grand Final. About 100,000 people watched her perform.
In January 2020, three songs from her EP were voted into the Triple J Hottest 100, 2019. "Dance Monkey" was number 4, "Never Seen the Rain" was number 15, and "Johnny Run Away" was number 26.
World Tour and COVID-19
On February 1, 2020, Tones and I began her Kids Are Coming World Tour. She had shows planned in Australia and North America. She was praised for her energetic performances. She talked about how busking taught her to connect with audiences.
However, many of her tour dates were changed or canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She had to cut short her European performances. She said she didn't want people to choose between seeing her and their health.
In May 2020, "Dance Monkey" reached 1 billion views on YouTube. It also won the Grand Prize of the 2019 International Songwriting Competition.
Welcome to the Madhouse Album
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In September 2020, Tones and I announced that her first album would be released soon. She wanted to make sure it was perfect. Her next song, "Fly Away", came out in November. It did well around the world, reaching number 4 in Australia.
For the 2020 ARIA Music Awards, she was nominated for three awards. She also performed in a special tribute to singer Helen Reddy. In April 2021, she restarted her Australian tour.
Tones and I released her first album, Welcome to the Madhouse, on July 16, 2021. It included the songs "Fly Away", "Won't Sleep", and "Cloudy Day". The album debuted at number one on the Australian charts. In 2021, she was named the top songwriter of 2020 by a music rights company. She wrote and produced "Dance Monkey" herself. She shared that she often starts writing songs with chords or a melody.
New Music and Tours
In January 2022, Tones and I announced she was already working on her next album. She said it would be "very different." The first song from this album, "Eyes Don't Lie", came out in March.
She also worked with rapper Macklemore on a song called "Chant" in July. The next month, she released her solo song "Charlie", which is about her pet dogs.
At the 2022 ARIA Music Awards, Tones and I helped lead a tribute to the late singer Olivia Newton-John. She performed some of Newton-John's famous songs. Tones and I also won Song of the Year for "Cloudy Day".
Her song "I Made It" came out in February 2023. It was used in the movie True Spirit. In August 2023, she performed at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup closing ceremony. She sang some of her hits and a song to support the Australian women's soccer team, the Matildas.
On February 2, 2024, she released the song "Dreaming". Tones and I also opened for Pink's Australian tour from February to March 2024. In March, she released "I Get High". She announced her second album, Beautifully Ordinary, would be released on August 2, 2024. She also plans a tour of Australia in August.
Personal Life
Toni Watson started dating bricklayer and footballer Jason Scott "Jimmy" Bedford in early 2020. Jimmy used to play for the Frankston Football Netball Club. He stopped his bricklaying job to become Tones and I's stage technician and touring audio engineer. The couple got engaged in December 2021 and got married in Bali in March 2023.
Discography
- Welcome to the Madhouse (2021)
- Beautifully Ordinary (2024)
Awards and Nominations
Tones and I has won many awards for her music. Here are some of her major achievements:
- AIR Awards: In 2020, she won Independent Song of the Year for "Dance Monkey" and Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year.
- APRA Music Awards: She has won seven APRA Music Awards. These include Song of the Year for "Dance Monkey" (2020) and Most Performed Australian Work of the Year for "Never Seen the Rain" (2021). She also won Most Performed Australian Work Overseas twice for "Dance Monkey" (2022, 2023).
- ARIA Music Awards: In 2019, she won four ARIA Awards: Best Female Artist, Breakthrough Artist, Best Pop Release, and Best Independent Release. In 2022, she won Song of the Year for "Cloudy Day". In 2024, she won Best Video for "Dance With Me".
- Australian Women in Music Awards: In 2023, she received the Songwriter Award.
- International Songwriting Competition: "Dance Monkey" won the Grand Prize in 2019.
- J Awards: She was named Unearthed Artist of the Year in 2019.
- National Live Music Awards: She won Best New Act in 2019.
- Rolling Stone Australia Awards: She won the Rolling Stone Global Award in 2024.
- Spotify Awards: In 2020, she won the Emerging Artist award.
See also
In Spanish: Tones and I para niños
