The prolific and super talented Tony Cole is following up his incredible October 2022 project Hillside with its sequel Hillside: Sunset, and if it’s anything like the first one, music fans around the world are in for a treat. The six song, 17 minute effort displays what Cole calls “darker tones…and very raw, very human stories” and serves as a reminder of how far he’s come, and how far he will go.
Tony Cole is all about finding a different way to be himself; his stage name is his middle name in front of his first name, which allows him to create under a different name than the one he was given at birth, but a name that is his through and through. It’s the personal journey that Cole has gone through over the past few years. From playing Division II football in Minnesota to relocating to California to pursue his dreams, he’s seen a lot, and he lets listeners know what’s different in his life on his latest EP.
“The first project represented the light and all of the beautiful things in life that are easy to take for granted,” said Tony Cole. “This project, however, represents the moment that came after that: the recognition of the darkness and all of the flaws we project into our environments that we have a hard time addressing.”
“They’re both a reflection of my own personal journey of growing up and branching out on my own,” he added.
Cole cites many artists across many genres that influence his style. Some include hip-hoppers Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$ and Westside Boogie, but he also branches out to include legendary rockstar Jimi Hendrix, singer and multi instrumentalist Masego and avant-garde music pioneer Frank Ocean as well. It’s all about the feel of the music for Tony Cole, and he says that it’s hard to categorize his music taste since it’s so broad.
“I take influence from everywhere that makes me really feel,” he said. “I listen to and appreciate all genres and often have trouble trying to label and categorize my own industry under one genre.”
So, what’s next for the Milwaukee native? Well, he will continue to self-engineer and master his own content (all six songs were engineered and mastered by Cole himself) and also has plans on more shows and visuals to help promote his projects. What’s more, he’s expanding his live performance presence, so the chances of you witnessing Tony Cole’s meteoric rise have only gone up. Get in tune with Tony Cole now before you are accused of hopping on the bandwagon.
Connect with Tony Cole by following him on Instagram or visiting his website.