Artist Spotlight: Tonight Alive

In the world of rock music, female fronted bands are unfortunately few and far between. However, when one does manage to gain popularity, they are often a cut above many of their all-male counterparts, due to just how much harder it is to break through. This is evidenced by the success of bands such as Paramore, No Doubt, and Halestorm, all of whom have managed to stay relevant for many years on the international music stage. Another group that carries the banner for girls in rock music is Australian pop-rock group Tonight Alive.

Tonight Alive formed in Sydney, Australia when guitarist Jake Hardy and bassist Cam Adler started the project as a cover band. After recruiting Whakaio Taahi on guitar and then 15-year-old Jenna McDougall on vocals, the band came up with the name Tonight Alive. A year later, they added Matt Best on drums to complete their lineup. They started their musical journey with two EPs, All Shapes & Disguises and Consider This. These EPs included singles "Wasting Away" and "Closer", which caught the attention of large record labels. Eventually, they were picked up by Sony Music Australia, and recorded their debut album What Are You So Scared Of? with producer Mark Trombino. The debut album featured an energetic, catchy pop-punk sound with loud, crunching guitars and bright vocals from McDougall. The single "Listening" became a hit for the band, amassing over a million views on Youtube.

Following their debut was sophomore record The Other Side. The second record is much darker and more emotional than their first album, as the lyrics (written by McDougall) focus on her struggle with eczema as well as the pain of losing friends and broken relationships. The album ended up becoming their most successful yet, charting at #5 in Australia, and it remains their only album to reach the top 5. Lead single "Lonely Girl" is also the band's most popular song, and most viewed music video with over seven million views. 

After the success of The Other Side, the band was under pressure to come back with an even bigger, better album. However, on their third album Limitless, they decided to take a completely different track than their previous efforts. Limitless drops most of the heavy guitars and loud drums and replaces them with light, airy pop-rock led by electronics and Jenna McDougall's powerful yet intelligently restrained vocals. While this change in sound disappointed many fans, the band didn't lose their penchant for catchy melodies and biting lyrics, as Limitless is a story of self-empowerment and becoming a better person. The single "Drive" is the best example of the overall sound and message of Limitless. 

Since the release of Limitless, Tonight Alive have been touring relentlessly as well as working on their yet to be named fourth album. The band released the single "World Away" as a standalone song between albums, and is set to release the lead single from their fourth album in the coming days. If their past efforts are anything to go by, it'll be yet another enjoyable album from the Australian rockers.