Tones and I
Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is best known for her breakout single "Dance Monkey", which reached number one in over 30 countries including her home country Australia. In 2019-20, "Dance Monkey" completed 24 weeks at number one on the Australian singles chart, beating Bing Crosby's all-time Australian record for his version of "White Christmas", which spent an equivalent of 22 weeks at the top in 1943. "Dance Monkey" was certified 19× platinum by ARIA for shipments of over 1,330,000 units by June 2023.
"Toni Watson" redirects here. Not to be confused with Tony Watson.
Tones and I
Toni Watson
- Tones
- Tonah
Mount Martha, Victoria, Australia
Frankston, Victoria, Australia
- Singer
- songwriter
- record producer
- Vocals
- piano
- keyboards
- drum pads
2009–present
Tones was the most awarded artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, winning four of eight nominations. She released her debut extended play, The Kids Are Coming, on 30 August 2019; it peaked at number three in Australia, and top 10 in several countries. Her debut album, Welcome to the Madhouse, was released via Bad Batch on 16 July 2021. It debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album's lead single "Fly Away" peaked at number four in Australia, number 11 in the UK and Denmark, and number 10 in Ireland. In February 2024, she became the first female artist to reach over 3 billion streams for a single song on Spotify, with Dance Monkey.[3]
Life and career[edit]
Early years[edit]
Toni Watson grew up in Mount Martha on the Mornington Peninsula to the south of Melbourne.[4][5][6] She later explained how she chose a music career: "One day I was at the park with my family, all my cousins and stuff, in Frankston ... We were all just singing a song and my aunty was like 'oh guys, she can actually hold a note'. I think that's the earliest memory of someone actually pointing me out as someone that has an ability to sing. I was probably (like) 7 years old."[7] The singer-songwriter had learned to play keyboards and drum pads while at secondary school.[7] She started busking in Melbourne while working in fashion retail at the Universal Store.[4][5][8]
In 2009, as Toni Watson, she created a YouTube page and posted a cappella cover versions of songs.[9] She performed at local gigs and festivals including the Let Go festival.[4] Tones and I was the vocalist for a duo in 2014[4] remembering: "I started out singing in small pubs and bars in Mornington, I was singing along to a guitarist until I ended up branching out on my own."[10] She explained her shift to a solo career: "I actually got made redundant from my retail job and with that money I bought an RC300 [loop station] and just started to try to figure it all out."[7] She busked "up and down the east coast with her synthesizers and loop pedal, she has been building a loyal fanbase and captivating crowds with her genre-diverse style."[4]
In September 2017, the singer-songwriter travelled to Byron Bay, New South Wales, to busk there.[7][11] At an early performance she met music lawyer Jackson Walkden-Brown (ex-Aerials)[12] who became her talent manager about a month later.[7][11][13] Busking success led to a greater commitment to her music career. The artist spent 2018 living between Walkden-Brown's home in the Gold Coast hinterland and in her van in Byron Bay, writing music and busking full time.[8][11] Later in the year she won the Battle of the Buskers at Buskers by the Creek.[7][14]
Personal life[edit]
Toni Watson started dating bricklayer and footballer Jason Scott "Jimmy" Bedford in early 2020.[82][83] Bedford, who plays for Frankston Bombers, ceased his 10-year bricklaying company to become Tones and I's stage technician and touring audio engineer.[82][83][84] The couple were engaged in December 2021 and married in Bali in March 2023.[82][84]
In July 2023, Watson's company Johnny Run Away Investments and Bedford himself were fined a total of $A25,000 for undertaking renovations to an investment property without building permits.[83][85] Watson had purchased the Frankston property in September 2020 for $A720,000, which Bedford started renovating in October and November before subcontractors continued until works were completed in March 2022.[83][85] The renovations were deemed "compliant and safe" but had been completed despite Frankston City Council's issuance of a stop work notice.[83][85] Bedford, who had been touring with Tones and I, explained he must have been too busy to deal with it.[83][85]
Awards and nominations[edit]
AIR Awards[edit]
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. The inaugural ceremony occurred in 2006.[86]