The Tonalists
The Tonalists are a soul-blues outfit from Melbourne, built around a core trio of Hammond organ, guitar, lap steel and piano, driven by swamp-boogie beats and layered with rich vocal and brass harmonies.
Their repertoire draws inspiration from such greats as Leon Russell, Gil Scott-Heron, Booker T. & the M.G.s, Lou Donaldson, Billy Preston, Allen Toussaint, alongside original compositions that carry the weight of those influences while forging something distinctly their own.
Based in St Kilda, Victoria, the band brings spontaneity and a wildcard energy to every gig. With a repertoire of over 50 songs, no two shows are ever the same, and there is a genuine, visceral audience-band connection in the room as the journey unfolds and the energy builds.
The band formed in 2019 between friends and former members of Long Black Limousine, Mick Coll (keyboards and vocals), Jason Kain (guitars) and Nigel Wright (drums and vocals). A point of difference from the classic Hammond trio concept was the addition of acoustic and electric piano, slide guitar and lap steel to broaden the tonal range. Before too long Tom Williams and Christian Foyle added trombone and saxophone respectively to the line up, bringing power and dynamics to the overall sound, and enriching the harmonic layering with vocals as well as brass.
But it is not all about tone – the songs are built from the rhythm up. While faithful to the feel of New Orleans grooves, Memphis shuffles and organ-trio swing, the band is always looking for ways to make those foundations fresh. There is invention in the push and pull, the spaces, the turnarounds, and the polyrhythmic ideas that come through Nigel’s time in Ghana. With Tom also adding bongos to the mix, the engine room is never just keeping time – it is part of the conversation, at times the punctuation, at other times the lead voice, always driving the music forward.
The reference to the Melbourne art movement of the 1910s may be coincidental, but The Tonalists are more than comfortable with the association – tonal relationships, spatial depth, light and shade, and a somewhat minimalist approach.
Never that serious, the music goes wherever the mood of the audience and the band takes it – from the mellow and moody to the lazy and loose, inevitably arriving at that fun place with horns blasting, Hammond and guitar wailing, cymbals smashing…
And yes, conspicuous by its absence: bass guitar. Instead, the band takes a “less is more” approach to bass, using Hammond pedals and guitar octaver to create a resourceful, distinctive bottom end. It is part of what gives The Tonalists their unmistakable combined tone.
