TONELLA & THE BLOOD BETWEEN US

Second release from Fredericton based piano driven pop/rock band Tonella, and be aware that they came out swinging. Created around their new single Compromise, this EP has five solid songs that keep you wanting more. I can’t wait for their next full length album.



Fronted by singer/songwriter/ pianist Tonella Roy, backed by Jason Sonier on drums, Camilo Villamizar on guitar and Josh Blaquiere Bringloe on bass. These musicians are no strangers around the local Fredericton music scene, sharing years of experience that really shows on this release.




This EP has everything; from solid songwriting and singing to very impressive musicians making up the band and understanding that flashy solos and fills just doesn’t work all of time. Less is more and consistency is everything with these musicians. Tonella Roy nails the vocals showing she is never afraid to hit a challenging note while being careful not to show off. This EP really allows her talents to shine through.



This music sounds loaded with 90’s influence but stays clear of the normal “battle of guitars” sounds that most bands in this genre were pushing for. They have just the right amount of fills and solos, proving that they do not need this flashy playing to have a good EP.




You get a little bit of everything here; if you’re in the need of a heavier based rock song check out their first single Compromise or try the other heavy hitter Tell Tale Lie. If it’s a slow piano ballad you’re looking for there is Foolish Heart or for anything in between try the great opening track Never Coming Back Again or closing number The Separation. They were really not afraid to hit the listener at every angle.




Be sure to catch Tonella at one of their many East Coast dates including an ECMA showcase in Halifax. I posted their tour schedule below. For more information or to purchase this EP, visit their website at www.tonellamusic.com. - Maritime Vinyl

Second release from Fredericton based piano driven pop/rock band Tonella, and be aware that they came out swinging. Created around their new single Compromise, this EP has five solid songs that keep you wanting more. I can’t wait for their next full length album.



Fronted by singer/songwriter/ pianist Tonella Roy, backed by Jason Sonier on drums, Camilo Villamizar on guitar and Josh Blaquiere Bringloe on bass. These musicians are no strangers around the local Fredericton music scene, sharing years of experience that really shows on this release.




This EP has everything; from solid songwriting and singing to very impressive musicians making up the band and understanding that flashy solos and fills just doesn’t work all of time. Less is more and consistency is everything with these musicians. Tonella Roy nails the vocals showing she is never afraid to hit a challenging note while being careful not to show off. This EP really allows her talents to shine through.



This music sounds loaded with 90’s influence but stays clear of the normal “battle of guitars” sounds that most bands in this genre were pushing for. They have just the right amount of fills and solos, proving that they do not need this flashy playing to have a good EP.




You get a little bit of everything here; if you’re in the need of a heavier based rock song check out their first single Compromise or try the other heavy hitter Tell Tale Lie. If it’s a slow piano ballad you’re looking for there is Foolish Heart or for anything in between try the great opening track Never Coming Back Again or closing number The Separation. They were really not afraid to hit the listener at every angle.




Be sure to catch Tonella at one of their many East Coast dates including an ECMA showcase in Halifax. I posted their tour schedule below. For more information or to purchase this EP, visit their website at www.tonellamusic.com. - Maritime Vinyl

Another relative newcomer to the seen is Fredericton's versatile rock band, Tonella. With a new E.P. in hand, called Compromise, the four-piece are hitting the stage tonight (Friday) at Pogue Fado, where Music New Brunswick has set up. Lots of buzz has been building with the group, and the disc show why. Fronted by singer/songwriter/keyboard player Tonella Roy, this is a group that moves back and forth from big ballad style to harder guitar rock, with Roy's strong voice a big part of the show. She's the kind of singer who gets right up front in a song, with lots of drama. And there's plenty of volume from the band, layers of guitars that give way to delicate piano parts, lots of drums, a real rock band. It's a solid five-track disc, and this is the kind of group that could pick up some significant interest from bookers and agencies who haven't seen them yet. And that's how you play the ECMA game to your advantage. - Bob Mersereau - CBC

Another relative newcomer to the seen is Fredericton's versatile rock band, Tonella. With a new E.P. in hand, called Compromise, the four-piece are hitting the stage tonight (Friday) at Pogue Fado, where Music New Brunswick has set up. Lots of buzz has been building with the group, and the disc show why. Fronted by singer/songwriter/keyboard player Tonella Roy, this is a group that moves back and forth from big ballad style to harder guitar rock, with Roy's strong voice a big part of the show. She's the kind of singer who gets right up front in a song, with lots of drama. And there's plenty of volume from the band, layers of guitars that give way to delicate piano parts, lots of drums, a real rock band. It's a solid five-track disc, and this is the kind of group that could pick up some significant interest from bookers and agencies who haven't seen them yet. And that's how you play the ECMA game to your advantage. - Bob Mersereau - CBC

Tonella is a band that happens to be fronted by Tonella Roy. A Fredericton four piece rock outfit that mixes genres with a hard rocking foundation, catchy pop melodies, and soulful crooning. Backed by strong production, the Compromise EP easily shifts from intimate piano ballads to hard crunching rock hooks. The lyrics are reflective and at times remorseful; however, the juxtaposition of melancholy only heightens the explosive musical bursts of hope and optimism. The confidence and song-craft demonstrated on Compromise illustrates Tonella’s dynamic range. Opening track, Never Coming Back Again fully captures the band’s poppy orchestration, highlighting the EP’s strengths. The combination of female and male vocals elevates the song in both lyrical themes and music composition. The EP’s title track Compromise follows, possibly the strongest song on the album. Catchy? Hell yea…sticks with you long after you listen to it. Tonella Roy’s powerful voice steals the show, along with the great key/electronic hook. Foolish Heart is the ballad on the record and it carries with it a heavy weight of past memories and lost love. The next track, Tell Tale Lie, breaks away completely into a rocky, jazzy up tempo party jam reminiscent of playful Queens of the Stone Age riffage. The EP closes with The Separation, a therapeutic rocker that brings the record to its thematic conclusion of love and loss. Tonella proves that ROCK is still alive in the Maritimes. Check them out at http://tonella.bandcamp.com/album/compromise - CHSR - Tim Rayne’s Mini Review: Tonella – Compromise (EP)

Tori Amos, Florence and the Machine, that chick from Evanescence: Tonella Roy's soul-flexing vocals have been likened to them all.

Above: Tonella Roy says she's starting to move away from cabaret rock, and into a sound that's a bit more accessible to a broader audience.

"But I don't know if that's just because I'm a girl playing a piano," the songstress said with a laugh. "I sound nothing like Evanescence, but it's a girl and a piano, so..."

However you slice it, Tonella's piano-driven pop-rock is captivating and soulful. Daughter of a rambling country music singer, Roy's passionate delivery and powerful stage presence made a good name for the four-piece among Toronto's music scene.

Roy recently returned to Fredericton, where she'd studied at the Centre for Arts and Technology a few years back, to work on an upcoming EP.

"I was doing the full-time thing with the band, but also working in a studio, and then in live sound and production, and as well teaching music. I just didn't have time to record anything," Roy said when we caught up with her last week.

"If you're in the writing process or the recording process, (Fredericton) is a great spot to be. You can still be busy, but I don't find it's the same 'go, go, go!' as in Toronto."

Her upcoming project, due out in mid-June and featuring a new lineup of Fredericton-based musicians, will sound a bit different from the last effort, she says. Dreaming In Red came out in 2010 and had elements of indie pop-rock, but was largely what Roy calls "cabaret punk," heavily influenced by Boston's Dresden Dolls.

"For this EP and for the album that's going to follow the EP, I'm getting a little bit away from cabaret rock, and more into the more - I don't want to say mainstream because I despise that word - but more accessible," she said.

"There's more guitar, bass and synth and keys, it's not just focused around piano." - HERE magazine

From the same country that brought you Sarah McLachlan and Chantal Kreviazuk, comes another notably skilled and soulful songstress, Tonella Roy. Since Watchlist is a showcase of outstanding musical talent with extremely high potential, she was a natural choice. We are enchanted… and thrilled to have Tonella on Watchlist.

On musical experience: … Part of my training happened when I was younger. My father was a country singer, and I would spend hours by the piano listening to him play and sing. He was a wonderful influence on me musically. I also will throw a shout out to Whitney Houston! When I was younger, I stole one of her cassettes from my mom and would listen to it over and over. I drove my siblings crazy, trying to imitate her voice. But I think it was a learning experience… although now whenever I hear ‘I will always love you’ i get a bit nauseous.

I studied music theory in my secondary education, and have been a vocal coach for the last 6 years.


On her new CD’s title track, “On Display”: There is, in fact a story to that song. As with a majority of songs, this was inspired by a former relationship. … I wrote the song before I had decided what to do in this disaster of a relationship, and the song inspired me to woman up and take a stand for myself instead of being controlled and manipulated.

On being a musician in Toronto: Toronto is a wonderful place to be a musician, though the ’starving artist’ title is duly earned here, very much the same as in any other city. The problem, of course, is that one can rake in the money by playing in a cover band or learning a repertoire of songs from the 80’s to perform at corporate events. Playing original music and carving a spot for yourself in this concrete jungle is struggle - but well worth the effort. There is a plethora of talent here, and there are many venues and companies that are a fantastic support for indie artists.

I believe the potential is there for [a musician in Toronto] to be self-sustaining, if one has the guts and the balls to make the effort. I believe I have guts and balls… and you can take that anyway you like ;).

On musical influences: James Maynard Keenan is my musical god - someday I may build him a shrine. NIN, Gordon Lightfoot and Tori Amos would be up there as well.

On the band: I met our amazing drummer Adam Doige in my hometown. We had actually dabbled together musically for a while, when the previous band I was in was searching for a drummer. We played one show together at our local gay bar (oh the good old days), but he ended up moving to Toronto before anything could come of it. However, I’d say that worked out rather well. Our current bass player, Corey Melanson (Mr. Busy Bass himself), became Adam’s room mate here in Toronto and was invited to join our musical efforts when I relocated.

We are in the midst of getting our new album recorded, have a pretty spectacular music video in the works and we are planning our tour for this spring! 2010 is going to be a busy year, and we are pretty pumped about it. - Modern Beats

From the same country that brought you Sarah McLachlan and Chantal Kreviazuk, comes another notably skilled and soulful songstress, Tonella Roy. Since Watchlist is a showcase of outstanding musical talent with extremely high potential, she was a natural choice. We are enchanted… and thrilled to have Tonella on Watchlist.

On musical experience: … Part of my training happened when I was younger. My father was a country singer, and I would spend hours by the piano listening to him play and sing. He was a wonderful influence on me musically. I also will throw a shout out to Whitney Houston! When I was younger, I stole one of her cassettes from my mom and would listen to it over and over. I drove my siblings crazy, trying to imitate her voice. But I think it was a learning experience… although now whenever I hear ‘I will always love you’ i get a bit nauseous.

I studied music theory in my secondary education, and have been a vocal coach for the last 6 years.


On her new CD’s title track, “On Display”: There is, in fact a story to that song. As with a majority of songs, this was inspired by a former relationship. … I wrote the song before I had decided what to do in this disaster of a relationship, and the song inspired me to woman up and take a stand for myself instead of being controlled and manipulated.

On being a musician in Toronto: Toronto is a wonderful place to be a musician, though the ’starving artist’ title is duly earned here, very much the same as in any other city. The problem, of course, is that one can rake in the money by playing in a cover band or learning a repertoire of songs from the 80’s to perform at corporate events. Playing original music and carving a spot for yourself in this concrete jungle is struggle - but well worth the effort. There is a plethora of talent here, and there are many venues and companies that are a fantastic support for indie artists.

I believe the potential is there for [a musician in Toronto] to be self-sustaining, if one has the guts and the balls to make the effort. I believe I have guts and balls… and you can take that anyway you like ;).

On musical influences: James Maynard Keenan is my musical god - someday I may build him a shrine. NIN, Gordon Lightfoot and Tori Amos would be up there as well.

On the band: I met our amazing drummer Adam Doige in my hometown. We had actually dabbled together musically for a while, when the previous band I was in was searching for a drummer. We played one show together at our local gay bar (oh the good old days), but he ended up moving to Toronto before anything could come of it. However, I’d say that worked out rather well. Our current bass player, Corey Melanson (Mr. Busy Bass himself), became Adam’s room mate here in Toronto and was invited to join our musical efforts when I relocated.

We are in the midst of getting our new album recorded, have a pretty spectacular music video in the works and we are planning our tour for this spring! 2010 is going to be a busy year, and we are pretty pumped about it. - Modern Beats

"A colourful piano-driven pop/rock delight that centres around Tonella's bewitching soul-flexing vocals. A unique, catchy, original sound."

- The Lonely Vagabond - Exclaim! Blog