THE TONE STARS
The Tone Stars Formed in a picturesque village in the Tyrolean Alps, The Tone Stars sound is much bigger than its small town roots. Eschewing the pristine, over-produced pop of the day for an experience that is more natural, intimate and human, their organic sound is a direct result of their wide range of influences and genres of its core members. Began as a family project to produce a video for the song “who can save me”. It was never intended to be the start of an entire album. Konrad Rhee(songwriter and founder of the Tone Stars) had the idea of producing the song and video after performing with Mariie (singer for the Tone Stars) at a family wedding, and noticing that his young niece, whom he had been watching grow up, possessed a beautiful voice, and talent to match. Konrad, an experienced musician well known in the South American/Andean music scene(although born and raised in the U.S.), then wrote “who can save me” with Mariie’s voice and singing style in mind. Konrad had always loved the cello and included a cello part in the song, and so began the search for a cellist who would be a good fit. In steps Hannah Köll, classically trained, but with an ear on modern popular music and a desire to expand her artistic boundaries. And so the Tone Stars were born. To produce this album, Konrad builds his own sound studio, giving him unlimited time and resources to explore and create, and it shows! “A Good Time is Now” is marked by exotic instrumentation, complex arrangements and rich layering, yet through the vocal performance of Mariie stays warm and intimate. It is also an eclectic mix of styles and genres, reflecting the various musical backgrounds of it’s core members. It is music to be listened to closely. It is carefully crafted, full of details and subtlety…. and love.
THE TONE STARS ARE:
Konrad Rhee – piano, guitar, bass Songwriter, Konrad Rhee, was introduced to classical piano as a very young child. In his teen years he got involved in the U.S. rock music scene of the early 90s, but then became heavily influenced by Andean music and instruments, particularly the charango. He went on to produce several “World Music” albums (Blue Sea Dreams, Teocalli, etc) and then eventually relocated to Austria. His love of different genres and instruments give the Tone Stars their truly unique quality.
Mariie – Lead vocalist, Mariie, was a natural with melody and harmonizing even as a young girl. Surrounded by music by her parents (her father is Salvodorean percussionist insert name here and her mother is an accomplished music teacher), her culturally diverse background and appreciation for all types of music personifies the sound of The Tone Stars.
Hannah Köll – Cellist A true child of the Alps and a classically trained musician, she spent time in the U.S. studying classical music but also absorbed all that the contemporary US Music scene had to offer. Hailing from a family of accomplished musicians, The Tone Stars showcases her versatility as a musician and also the versatility of the cello.
Additional Musicians:
Vitus Auer – Guitar on “who can save me” and “Allison”
Anna-Sophie Grüner – violin on “asleep at the wheel” and “I’m here”
Markus Falkner – violin on “fly me out of here” and “Lindsey’s song”
Magdalena Schwarzmann – violin on “bad decisions” and “fly me out of here”
Nicole Kapferer – backing vocal on “bad decisions” and “we’ll never know”
Erna Grüner – backing vocal on “bad decisions” and “Lindsey’s song”
Laura Haid – backing vocals on “there are secrets” and “bad decisions”
Veronika Rhee, Verena Tinzl, Magdalena Tinzl – chorus singers on “who can save me”