Biography
Born on July 21, 1969, in South Orange, New Jersey, Emerson Hart formed an early bond with Jeff Russo. The two friends picked up guitars during their teenage years and, in 1993, recruited bassist Dan Rothchild along with drummer Kevin Shepard to launch Tonic before relocating to Los Angeles. Although Emerson Hart’s name had not yet become widely recognized by the time he issued his first solo album, Cigarettes and Gasoline, in 2007, millions of listeners already knew his voice and songwriting from his long tenure as Tonic’s frontman.
Tonic secured a contract with A&M Records in 1995 and delivered their debut, Lemon Parade, the following year. The album blended muscular yet melodic alternative pop/rock with earthy touches, and the singles “Open Up Your Eyes,” “If You Could Only See,” and “Soldier’s Daughter” propelled it to platinum status. In 1999 the band returned with Sugar, produced by Mark Endert and Nick Gatfield; bassist Dan Lavery, who had joined in 1998, appeared on the record for the first time. After placing songs on various film and television soundtracks—including American Pie, X-Files: Fight the Future, and King of the Hill—Tonic entered the studio in 2002 with producer Bob Rock to record Head on Straight. The album earned two Grammy nominations yet fell short commercially.
Hart moved to Nashville in 2003 and made his first independent move by writing, producing, and performing “Generation,” which served as the theme for the series American Dreams. While Tonic continued to play occasional shows, Hart increasingly concentrated on solo work. He began composing material for his own project in 2005 and enlisted Bob Rock, Jason Lehning, and Mike Napolitano to oversee sessions held in Nashville and New Orleans. In 2006 he signed with the EMI-distributed Manhattan Records imprint, which released Cigarettes and Gasoline in spring 2007. The album climbed to number 15 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and yielded two Hot Adult Top 40 entries: “I Wish the Best for You” and “If You’re Gonna Leave.”
After a seven-year period of relative quiet, Hart resurfaced in spring 2014 with Beauty in Disrepair.
Tonic secured a contract with A&M Records in 1995 and delivered their debut, Lemon Parade, the following year. The album blended muscular yet melodic alternative pop/rock with earthy touches, and the singles “Open Up Your Eyes,” “If You Could Only See,” and “Soldier’s Daughter” propelled it to platinum status. In 1999 the band returned with Sugar, produced by Mark Endert and Nick Gatfield; bassist Dan Lavery, who had joined in 1998, appeared on the record for the first time. After placing songs on various film and television soundtracks—including American Pie, X-Files: Fight the Future, and King of the Hill—Tonic entered the studio in 2002 with producer Bob Rock to record Head on Straight. The album earned two Grammy nominations yet fell short commercially.
Hart moved to Nashville in 2003 and made his first independent move by writing, producing, and performing “Generation,” which served as the theme for the series American Dreams. While Tonic continued to play occasional shows, Hart increasingly concentrated on solo work. He began composing material for his own project in 2005 and enlisted Bob Rock, Jason Lehning, and Mike Napolitano to oversee sessions held in Nashville and New Orleans. In 2006 he signed with the EMI-distributed Manhattan Records imprint, which released Cigarettes and Gasoline in spring 2007. The album climbed to number 15 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and yielded two Hot Adult Top 40 entries: “I Wish the Best for You” and “If You’re Gonna Leave.”
After a seven-year period of relative quiet, Hart resurfaced in spring 2014 with Beauty in Disrepair.
Albums
Singles
