Here we are to present you Tony Lio’s latest piece “Nyx” – a musical work that has been enhanced by brilliant rhythms and memorable melodies. Powerful slide guitar starts the track right off the bat and provides a magnet like attraction for the audience.
Lio, who ranges from rock to soul, exposes vocal personality and passion, making it the apex of his abilities. Harnessing the energy of a contrasting female voice in the chorus brings the power of dreams to a new level of emotion.
The making of “Nyx” is very ‘80s inspired for the warm, full drum sound, and concludes with a guitar solo to emulate Soundgarden’s intensity. These influences are the result of Lio’s own background of growing up in Central New Jersey and his ability to shift through styles effortlessly, blending them seamlessly to form a wholly original sound.
As we talk, Lio shares the motivation behind the making of ‘Nyx,’ including how the song was crafted with the help of the band members. He also gives his opinion on what he feels about this track in terms of leaving his signature in today’s music industry as an artist.
Listen to Nyx below
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What is your stage name
My official stage name and moniker is Tony Lio, the Alien Punk, Rocker Boxer and the Roaming Ronin.
Is there a story behind your stage name?
I came up with my name during my junior year of college and essentially wanted to create an identity that not only paid homeage to my Italian heritage but also give a sense of pure simple rock and roll danger.
Where do you find inspiration?
I typically find inspiration through many different avenues whether it be through life events, meeting unique people or whatever is happening in the world. If the inspiration can tell a story I can make a song out of it.
What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
My earliest memories have always involed music. I distinctly remember being on a family vacation and hearing the Zombies’ “Time of the Season” on the radio and falling in love with the melody. My parents were also huge influences as both of them had unique musical tastes that helped me open up to different styles and genres of music.
Are you from a musical or artistic family?
I defintely come from an artistic family that has been involved in creating media for television, art and of course music. Being a part of that automosphere was big part in pushing me to pursue a career in music.
Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
The Beatles were the catalyst for me taking the plunge in pursuing music. Hearing their music for the first time opened my mind to creating my own material.
How did you learn to sing/write/to play?
I’m mainly self-taught having picked up the guitar at 13. I did take guitar lessons on and off throughout the years which were very beneficial in developing my skills as a musician. Songwriting wise I essentially learned and developed on my own to the point where today I consider myself a decent songwriter.
Singing wise is a different story as I wasn’t meant to be a lead singer and my original plan was to have someone else sing lead vocals; unfortunately that didn’t pan out and I was forced to step up to sing myself.
Starting out I was definitely rough but as time went on I started to become more comfortable with my singing and throughout the past couple years I have seen my singing really develop and become a part of my overall sound.
What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
The first concert I went to was Paul McCartney live in Philadelphia in 2010. No denying it was an amazing show and essentially supercharged my love for music.
How could you describe your music?
I would describe my music as a hybrid of alternative and indie rock. Essentially you get both high intense rock you can bang your head too and mellow cool melodies you can vibe and relax too.
Describe your creative process
I don’t have a set creative process as my music comes about through multiple ways. Sometimes it could be a melody, a lyric phrase or a life event all I need is one little spark and I’m off to the races. I’ve always viewed songwriting as putting a puzzle together; trying to figure out the right pieces in order to complete the art.
What is your main inspiration?
As of right now my main inspiration is a particular individual who has sortof inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself out of my usual writing habits.
What musician do you admire most and why?
I would have to say Chris Cornell is the musician I look up to the most. The man was a true musician in the sense that he could bounce between so many genres and yet you could imminently tell it’s him by his vocals. To me being able to not only dive into many different genres but all the while staying true to your musicial abilities is the mark of an artist.
Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career?
My style has definitely evolved throughout my career. When I first started playing I was straight up considered a punk rock guitarist as I mainly played simple chords; I’m not putting down the genre of punk rock as it remains one of my favorite music genres today.
By the time I started going to college to study music, I wound up taking jazz guitar lessons which opened the door to me developing my skills as both a guitarist and songwriter. I still enjoy playing simple high energy music but I now have skills in my pocket to incorporate different genres into my music.
Who do you see as your main competitor?
I don’t necessarily have a main competitor but what I do have are fellow musicians who push me to keep creating and writing and to me that’s way better than having a competitor as it shows that artists can stick together.
What are your interests outside of music?
Outside of music I enjoy writing short stories, work on photography and am in the process of working on freelance video editing.
If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
If I didn’t pursue music I do believe I still would’ve pursued a career in the arts; whether it would be in the movie industry or some other type of media field I guarentee I would still find myself in that field.
What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
The biggest problem I’ve faced in my career would have to be of course the payment system of streaming services. This year was the first in which I finally started to see some stable stream numbers but I know at the end of the day those numbers will lead to little profit. You have to keep onto the faith though and the hope that your material will break through to the masses that will lead the life where you can live through your art.
If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?
No surprise the payment system. The old cliche of “the artist gets paid last” has remained to this day and unfortunately isn’t going away any time soon. That’s why in my mind in order to be a successful musician nowadays you have to retain at least 90% control of your work in order to come out on top.
Why did you choose this as the title of this project?
“Nyx” came about as I was conceptulizing the theme of the song which revolves around temptation. At the same time I was looking up material on Greek mythology and came across the name “Nyx” who was the Greek Goddess of the Night. It was simple, effective and had that danger feel to it which I thought was perfect.
What are your plans for the coming months?
My current plans involve pre-production on two more videos that’ll be a part of my forthcoming new EP dubbed “LIO III” which I hope will also be promoted with a release show at the end of the year.
Do you have any artistic collaboration plans:
I can’t reveal too much as alot of these collaborations are still in the planning stages but definitely look out in the coming months for a few surprises.
What message would you like to give to your fans
I’m glad that everyone has continued to love and enjoy the music. I’ve always felt that music saved my life and the fact that I can create art that connects with people means the world to me.
