Take Me Home

Devita Robinson and Amy Koza

     Take Me Home is the highly anticipated CD from the New York-based band, Sin & Tonic. Sin & Tonic?s Amy Koza and Davita Gayle have been performing in honky-tonks and juke joints on the East Coast since early 2000. This duo of singing songwriters weaves tales of troubles, remedies and good old-fashion heartache. Influenced by artist such as Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris and the Rolling Stones, Sin & Tonic stands at the crossroads of traditional roots of modern pop. Their music is compelling and original with achingly beautiful harmonies. They bring their unique sound by way of southern California and the Midwest. Sin & Tonic recently celebrated the release of their disc, playing to a packed house in the West Village. How did a native of Findlay find herself on a stage in The Big Apple?

Davita Gayle (Robinson) was born and raised in Findlay, Oh. Gayle was bitten by the music-bug early. From Jefferson Elementary to Findlay High School, Davita received a solid music education. ?I feel really lucky to come from a place that supported the arts. I loved taking drama classes, filming school events and playing in concert band. That experience was invaluable. It was encouraging, as well as inspiring, to be mentored by such talented and dedicated teachers.?

While attending Ohio State University, Davita Gayle joined alt-pop group Jet Jaguar 2. Formed in the heart of Columbus, Ohio?s music scene in the early 1990?s, she held position of drummer, singer, and songwriter. JJ5 opened for such artists as The Georgia Satellites, Rick Derringer, The Detroit Cobras, and filmmaker John Waters. Looking to be apart of the larger music industry, JJ5 moved to New York City in late ?98. ?We broke up shortly after that. We found it much harder to break into the music scene than in Ohio. Things that were simple before, such as rehearsing, became overwhelming. In Ohio, we all had apartments or houses that were large enough to accommodate the entire band. In NYC, that is just not the case; space is always an issue. You have to pay a studio just to practice.?

?I made a decision to stay and make a go of it. Whether it was just going to be me and my guitar or auditioning for other bands, I didn?t know. But I knew that I had a lot of songs and I wanted to get them heard somehow. In the meantime, I got a job as a project manager at a CD production company. That allowed me to network and work on projects for major recording labels like Universal and BMG. Working with creative people, dedicated full-time to their art, gave me the push I needed to do this for myself. During this time, I continued to write my own material. Eventually, I placed an ad in the Village Voice in search of like-minded musicians. That is how I found my songwriting partner and band mate, Amy Koza.?

Amy Koza grew up in the sunshine of Clairmont, CA singing and playing keyboards with an all-girl reggae band called the Casual Girls. Created by three childhood friends, they went onto have five year run opening for Los Lobos, and performed with David Lindley at Hollywood?s Palace Theater along the way. After leaving home, Koza performed and recorded with Ben Harper (Will To Live) and became a chartered member of the Bright Mountain Choir of the Mountain Goats. Before meeting Gayle, Koza performed as a solo performer in New York City for nine years.

Dubbing themselves Sin & Tonic, Koza and Gayle started performing around NYC as a duo. Gayle playing acoustic and electric guitar; Koza playing mandolin and acoustic guitar. Both singing. Soon, they were making their rounds from restaurants in Brooklyn to bars in the Wall Street area and onto a residency at a pub in the East Village. ?At that point, we would perform anywhere that would have us. We just loved to play.?

Sin & Tonic did everything to get heard including playing their music in the subway. ?It was something Amy wanted to try and, at first, I was very reluctant. It is very intimidating. It toughens you up; nothing prepares you for that amount of activity and noise that you have to compete with. It?s fantastic for stage. But it is very much like guerilla performance. People rushing to work, boys on skateboards doing tricks around you, school kids mocking you, and of course the occasional hastily thrown coin that whizzes past your head. You have those days when everything is going really well and people seem very receptive, and they want to be entertained. When too big of a crowd gathers, the Metro officials or police comes and shut you down.  And the last thing you want to do is use money you just earned paying an expensive ticket, so you grab your gear and leave as quickly as possible.?

Eventually Sin & Tonic decided they wanted to round out their sound with a complete band. (Their current line-up includes Nelson Pla (drums), John Neish (bass), and Ethan Fiks (electric guitar)). Once they did that, the possibilities opened up. Places that would not book a duo were then open to booking them. ?This was important to us in terms of getting exposed and playing other venues. This allowed us to get the word out a little more. Having a large and ever-increasing mailing list of fans is so important to a working band.?

The music they were writing also began to change shape. Along with the obvious pop and rock influences, Sin & Tonic found country creeping into their sound. ?It was as surprising to us as to anyone else. But both Amy and I grew up listening to artists influenced by country music such as the Eagles and Bob Dylan, as well as traditional country artists like Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn.? NYC is not known for country or roots music, but they have found a community of musicians and clubs that share their tastes.

In order to get gigs in the New York City, it is often necessary to have a demo to send booking agents. Early on, Koza and Gayle recorded two demos for this very purpose. But they realized in order to push their band to the next level, they had to record music that they could sell at shows and shop to the music industry. This decision led Sin & Tonic to record and co-produce the ?Take Me Home? CD at the Viewing Room (Springfield, NJ) with Scott Anthony who has worked with such artists as Daniel Lanois, Seal, and the Beastie Boys.

Banding together friends and colleagues from NYC, including Jamey Garner (finalist of USA Networks ?Nashville Star?), Sin & Tonic spent months working on a product of which they could be proud. ?There are so many issues and questions to be hammered out when you are thinking about recording. What songs truly reflect our sound? What songs do people seem to like best? What will the instrumentation and arrangements? Should we hire a producer or produce it ourselves? Do we want to record using Pro Tools or do it the old-fashioned way- analog tape? What should be the look of the finished product? Making an album can be very expensive, so it is best to go into it with a plan or at least a rough sketch. Of course, things always change and take a different shape. But by that point, hopefully you will not have exhausted your funds.? When Sin & Tonic were finished putting the final touches on the album, they went back to Gayle?s old company to have the disc pressed and printed. Ultimately, Koza and Gayle are very pleased with the results. Take Me Home is selling quite well and garnering great reviews.

Sin & Tonic are currently speaking to record labels and in fact had an audition for label in January. ?If we can find a label that will allow us to the freedom to grow as artists, we will definitely be on board. Until then, we will keep plugging away and calling the shots ourselves. Amy and I make our own schedule, take care of the financial end, and are ultimately responsible for the marketing and promotion of this band. Being a self-sustained, independent unit is a lot of hard work, but it has also taught us a lot about the business. Being a musician is a viable career choice, and extremely rewarding.?

Tracks from Sin & Tonic?s CD, Take Me Home are getting radio play from across the US including WMBR in Cambridge, MA and KMFB in Mendocino, CA. Take Me Home is available through www.towerrecords.com and www.cdbaby.com.  For further information on the band, check out www.sinandtonicmusic.com.

We wish Sin & Tonic the very best and salute a hometown artist that stuck with it and made a name for herself. Good Luck Girls.