Knowing that creativity has no age, Tony Somersall’s story is not typical. Being a baby boomer, he never gave up on his dream of sharing his music with the world. Being a singer-songwriter, entertainer, and the frontman of the TDK Band, Tony Somersall's original music is a fusion of old school, hit-making, and musical instrumentations of yesterday, all while being fused together with today's musical elements and popular flavors.
Commencing the soundscape of “You Oughta Be With Me,” with a chiming rhythm, and the type of funk-fueled environment that has us latching on to infectious grooves, TDK Tony Da King gives listeners the ultimate love ballad. His vocalization cascades upon the eclectic instrumentation in a way that gives a mysterious juxtaposition to the song’s brightly structured musical foundation.
Teaming up with Kwaku George Ball P9mg in order to pursue maximum elevation in the vision at hand, we’re copiously soaking up lyrical motifs like ‘Nothing has excited me so much, like the thrill you gave me.’ With the new wave of Pop/R&B taking over the soundwaves, TDK Tony Da King provides us with that much-needed offering of nostalgia that seeps from his compositions. Infusing “You Oughta Be With Me,” with notes of timeless Jazz spirit, the buoyant energy that propels forward keeps us immersed in the blissful moods intended.
TDK Tony Da King knows how to work his artistic virtuoso and fashion life-like sonic ventures that we’re eager to be part of. Standing especially true in “You Oughta Be With Me,” it’s the desire in his voice that leans into everything we look for and hoists it up beyond belief.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, TDK Tony Da King! Congratulations on your most recent single, “You Oughta Be With Me.” With such a lovely message being reiterated, we would love to know; Was there a certain moment or someone that inspired this record?
Thank you! I am happy that you enjoyed the song. The song is a collaboration between me and co-writer Colin Sherman Holder. It was written back in the early 1980s. The inspiration came about in the way we might fantasize about someone with who we would like to be in a relationship. In this fantasy we dream certain scenarios of what we would do in the company of this person; like, walking hand in hand, sitting together in a park, or on a beach. We even dream about making love to that person. The song was inspired by the concept of what one might think and feel in a dream about being with someone. Thinking; You Oughta Be With Me. But they are not. In the video “You Oughta Be With Me’ https://youtu.be/NwP37VVFZ8c the female lead Mercedes Cerutti is that person that I wanted to be with. To illustrate that she is not really with me as I play out these scenarios in my head she disappears at the end of every verse. But by the final chorus, she stops disappearing. You can decide if that is an indication if she really is with me by the end of the song, Or not.
What was it like coming together with Kwaku George Ball P9MG Productions to extend your vision? How did this collaboration come to be?
Working with Kwaku is such a pleasure. We have developed a chemistry with each other. Kwaku is an extension of myself. What I mean by this is he understands my music. My visions. He is from the day when digital music was not the thing. He worked on an analog music board back in the day. So, he truly understands the sounds of music from the ’70s ’80s 90’s and he couples that with his expertise on the digital platform of today, and magic happens. He is also a perfectionist. I have learned so much from Kwaku. He is very patient. But, most of all his knowledge of sound design is sick. He is an asset to me and has collaborated with me on all my songs. Kwaku, My Producer, Kelly Somersall, and I have become a team. We work in tandem to produce music that speaks to all generations. Especially to sounds of old-school flavors. We love brass, strings, and driving bass lines. And we also love punchy percussive rhythms and sound effects that add seasonings to the song. Kwaku was introduced to me by one of the lead/background singers in my band TDK Band, Tonya Woods. We are not only collaborators, but we are also close friends.
With every artist varying in the creative process, they embark on; at what point did you know this song was ready to be released?
Well, when I introduced this song to my producer, Kelly she fell in love with the song. Even though at the time we were working on an album and had decided to work on material strictly for the album’s completion. She said, “You have to produce and release this song right now!” She loved the vibe of the song and we decided that it would be released as a single.
What do you think sets you apart from the Pop/R&B soundscapes of today?
I think it is my music journey. I grew up listening to The Temptations, Sly and The Family Stone, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind and Fire, and so many other musicians from back in the day. This music made an imprint on my soul. Most of my hits, Heaven Knows, In Da VIP, Liv 2 Pay The Bills, and now You Oughta Be With Me, was written over 30 years ago. Because I never had the opportunity to release these songs when they were initially written I decided I had to share this music with the world. No matter what. You see what makes me unique is that I started on this public music journey much later in life than all the talented stars that I mentioned above. I could have given up. But, my heart, soul, and spirit whispered to me, do it now. So, I took some of the songs of many that were in my songbook, and I decided to start laying down the track on my home studio (DAW) Digital Audio Workspace. The team was formed which consisted of Kelly Somersall, Kwaku, and Myself and we got busy. I set at not only to produce great mus, Especially old-school ic but to prove that creativity has no age. I believe that you can start a dream at any age. You just need the passion, determination, patients, and of course the right team to bring that dream to fruition.
What would you like new listeners to know about your music?
Old school music is very much a part of who I am. Today’s music is filled with a lot of technology and drumbeats. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love what technology has done for music production. It beats the heck out of how I produced music back in the day with a Reel-to-Reel. But I need to feel the soul of the music. I need horns. I need strings. I need syncopated beats. I need a nasty bassline. I love compound harmonies. I like to take all of this and wrap it up in a fresh sound of today. I love to use sound design to take my tracks to a level up.