Tones and I

Tones and I is the stage name of Toni Watson, an Australian singer-songwriter from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, who later relocated to Byron Bay, New South Wales, to pursue music, initially busking there before her career took off. She uploaded her debut single, «Johnny Run Away», in February 2019, and quickly went from street performances to opening shows for Norway’s AURORA.

Her breakthrough came with «Dance Monkey», an infectious, bass-driven pop track built around her distinctively raspy, husky vocal delivery, which became a global phenomenon and one of the best-known Australian pop songs of its era. It was included on her debut EP, The Kids Are Coming, released on August 30, 2019, which also featured tracks like «Never Seen the Rain» and the title track.

Tones and I’s sound blends pop and elements of rap-inflected delivery with an idiosyncratic, offbeat vocal texture that sets her apart from typical pop vocalists, as heard in songs like «Fly Away» and «Bad Child». Her rapid rise from independent busker to internationally charting artist made her one of the standout new voices in Australian pop of the late 2010s.