Great musicians appear in all genres of music. What makes them great may differ, depending on individual preferences and taste. Some musicians are world renown for a single instrument, like Billy Joel with the piano, or Eddie Van Halen with the guitar. Instant vocal identification in singers, like Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin, may be someone else’s cup of tea. Then there are the showmen and women, like David Lee Roth, Freddie Mercury and Madonna. But what happens when you have a musician who is a virtuoso with many instruments and is a great lyricist, and they meet another musician, who is a great showman, writer and musician also? You get Tock and Tone, out of Sparta, Wisconsin.
Joel Tock and Steve Laxton both have storied backgrounds in the music industry. Laxton spent much of his music career in Nashville and Chicago. While in Chicago, Laxton played with well-known musicians in blues clubs. Some recognizable names Laxton performed with were: Chuck Berry, Junior Wells, and Lefty Dizz.
Joel Tock, as well as performing all over the northern hemisphere, has produced many up-and-coming bands since 2008, including Stephen Jerzak. He started performing at age one, as a percussionist of pots and pans. He once toured in Russia, without a visa. “I have been on a musical journey my entire life.” Tock stated. “I have my parents to thank, both for the genes and the guidance.”
Joel remembers seeing Laxton performing with Rusty Star, at Memorial Field in Sparta. He thought that Laxton’s vibe and showmanship was almost too powerful for the band. Joel thought, “This guy is a straight rock and roller.”
In 2018, after one of Laxton’s gigs with local band, Carlos Danger, at the American Legion, the two sat down and had a beer, and started discussing previous endeavors and adventures. What they found out was that they had a lot in common. “There was a lot of ‘You have got to be kidding me’ going on,” Tock recalled. What they discovered was that they were both prolific song writers, bringing performance experience and a dedication to writing songs, as well as performance. Tock was stunned by the musical history of Laxton and by the fact that he lived in Sparta now. As well, Steve started listening to Joel’s music and was in awe of Joel’s ability to play all instruments to perfection. “In many instances, Joel had played all the instruments on songs,” Laxton stated. “He played the keyboard, sang the vocals, played the guitar… I was blown away.” The duo had very similar stories, just different timelines.
Tock and Laxton talked about the difficulty of finding bands in the area, who create their own music. “This is an area that loves familiar songs, so many bands cater to that energy, in order to make a go of it,” Laxton said. “It is rare to find a like-minded musician, who wants to create their own music. It is especially rare to find that person in Sparta, Wisconsin.”
Joel agreed with Laxton and went on to state, “To find that like-minded musician, who pours their energy into the effort, and is willing to listen and collaborate, in full… that is beyond rare.”
When the two of them got together in 2018, they started working on one of Laxton’s songs. “When I work and produce a musicians work, I like getting my mind to understand their mind--like tapping into the same creative river they tapped into,” Tock explained. “Then I wring it out, so that the world hears the song as it was meant to be expressed from the musicians heart and mind.”
When the tables turned, and it was Joel’s music being looked at, Steve took on more of the producer role. “Joel had so many songs that he had started, but not finished,” Laxton said. “He had around a thousand, without hyperbole.”
“Yeah, I went into a funk for a while, where I would write the beginnings to songs and then just put them away,” Tock said. “When our collaboration began, Steve would say “Let’s work on this. Let’s complete this song, and we would. Working with another professional, at such a high level, relieved a lot of anxiety I had had up to that point [in the funk], and we pushed forward, knocking the songs down, one at a time.”
Laxton and Tock worked endlessly on all of their material, for four years; working when time permitted, as a team, but also individually. When the two would meet up, all ideas were worked on and accepted, or discarded. “A song, from its first thought to finished product, is really a mixed bag of tricks,” Laxton stated. “When we hit that creative wall, we just hack away at it. Persistence is king, just keep it moving, never let the effort fizzle out.”
Joel was dealing with the effects of long-term covid and it showed up at times, during rehearsal. “I was standing up, playing the guitar and singing,” Tock remembered. “I actually fell asleep!”
Steve started laughing, as he recalled that moment: “I was playing along with Joel, when I thought ‘Wow, the tempo is really slowing down… wow, the tempo has stopped,’ then I looked at Joel and just waited for him to wake up. It was equal parts hilarious and weird.”
Tock and Tone put out Apples and Oranges, their first album together, in May of this year. There were eleven songs that made the cut. On why songs make or do not make the cut, Joel says, “We both do not like picking favorites, but setting limits on what makes it on the album helps us to streamline and polish the ones that do. This way, we can dip our toes in the raging river of ideas, without drowning in it.”
On the album, it was Joel and Steve that played every instrument and did the vocals, for the studio recording. Their first live shows were this year also, and that is a whole different animal, according to the duo. “We perfected the album in the studio, without thinking much about how we would pull some of the songs off live,” Tock stated. “We have a band that has been amazing in picking up the nuances of our music, and they play with such a high energy… it is a blessing to have them.”
The band spoke of playing new music for crowds, who may have been hoping for a cover band. “We see them looking at us while we play, sort of figuring out our music and whether they dig it,” Tock said. “Then between songs we get an uproar of applause and cheer. That is our validation, the proof that we have something good here… that all of our efforts have been worth it.”
Laxton nodded in agreement, and stated, “Creating the music is a blast. It is difficult at times, especially when we near completion, and deciding when the song is ready, or complete. But when we hear the applause… that is the moment that our collective efforts, time and craft have been acknowledged, bringing us the true sense that we know what we are doing. Without that acknowledgement it would be difficult to gauge our talents.”
Both Laxton and Tock feel solid in their approach with the band. Having put everything together, over a four-year period, before releasing an album, creating videos and performing live, is working out well for them. Both have stated that the business end is a bit more difficult for them, and they hope to find people who will help out with that effort in the future, but for right now, they feel that they are exactly where they should be.
Joel Tock said that he is entirely grateful to his parents, Russ and Dana Tock, for all the support that they have given him throughout his musical career. Russ and Dana had spent decades performing music, and they helped their son throughout his life and whenever he needed support, even when Joel was on the road.
The ”Live” members of the band include Dana Tock, Russ Tock, Ivy Anderson, Ethan Anderson and Josiah Tock (Ray)(Son of Joel Tock). They can be followed on Facebook, at Tock + Tone, or reached for booking at smashpublishing@gmail.com. Their website is http://tockandtone.carrd.co.
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