A few years ago, a band playing at a corporate fundraising event launched into a stirring rendition of “If You Could Only See,” the 1997 chart-topping hit from alt-rock icons, Tonic.
After the set, an audience member approached the singer, exclaiming, “That’s the best cover of that song I’ve ever heard!” To which the performer replied, with a wry but appreciative grin, “Thanks, buddy! I try to do my best!”
What the gala-goer didn’t know was that the singer was in fact Emerson Hart, Tonic’s frontman and the writer of one of the defining songs of that era.
“It’s amazing and I don’t take for granted that I wrote songs in the ‘90s that are still kicking around and I’m super proud of it,” says Hart, a New Jersey native who achieved commercial success in Los Angeles before moving to Nashville in 2001. “It reminds me of the power of songs. They can just completely surpass even the artist. Just think about the songs by artists we love who no longer are here.”
Hart has a knack for writing songs that are difficult to pigeonhole. They rock too much to be ballads and are too understated to be all-out thrashers, but they contain elements of each. They’re recognized for catchy riffs and hooks, and emotive lyrics about relatable subjects.
“I don’t think I ever did anything intentionally; it’s just how I write and hear songs,” he says. “But the ingredients, the ‘soup’ I grew up with, was Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, but also The Beatles. So, I love heavy guitars, but I never forget how important the melody is.”
Hart says that his songwriting process has evolved over the years. “When I was younger, there was this constant onslaught of ideas, and I’d have to stop to write them down. Now, my brain is trained so that if I’m preoccupied with taking my boys to school, working outside or splitting wood, I can hold onto the idea until I have time to sit down with a guitar or at the piano and knock it out.”
These days Hart finds much of his inspiration at The Pasquo House, the house that sits atop a hill overlooking Stephens Valley, where he lives with his wife, Heather, and their three children: young sons Liam and Benjamin, and Lucienne, Hart’s daughter from a previous marriage.
The house was built in 1818, making it one of the first in Bellevue. Additions were made in 1828 and 1860. More came in the early 1900s and the Harts, who have lived there since 2009, have continued to expand and improve the structure while preserving its history. There are a couple of guest houses on the property and an active chicken coop where hens roam freely and lay their eggs.
There’s also a tiny, 12x9 structure in the woods with a big window that overlooks trees and fields and the creek. “That’s my safe space,” says Hart. “It’s my guilty pleasure, kind of a man cave. There’s a record player in there and I’ll go out and read my books or just look out over the valley.”
Of course, Hart is still doing the rock-and-roll thing and, this time of year, is busy playing most weekends. Tonic still tours, primarily playing festival circuits. He also performs with Ezra Ray Hart, a super group that includes Kevin Griffin, a Franklin resident and founding member of Better Than Ezra, and Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray. Together, those bands dominated alternative and, eventually, mainstream rock radio in the 1990s and early 2000s.
“Right now, I’m having the best time of my career,” he says. “We’re in the heritage business; the crowds are great (Tonic recently played to 70,000 at the Fiesta Oyster Bake in San Antonio) and parents bring their kids to the shows. And it’s so much fun to spend time with these guys, who are my friends, and not competitors. We have fun playing each other’s songs and going out to dinner and talking about our kids and families.”
When it’s his turn, Hart probably tells his bandmates about grilling hotdogs for his boys and chasing them through the creek or updating The Pasquo House with Heather. The Harts enjoy the restaurants along Highway 100 from Loveless Café to Sperry’s and Roze Pony in Belle Meade. “I’m also excited about the new Dinner Belle; it’s super awesome,” he says. “They have an unbelievable to-go section.”
Because it’s back home around Bellevue where Hart truly likes to be. It’s where doing his best has never been easier.
"I love heavy guitars, but I never forget how important the melody is.”
“Right now, I’m having the best time of my career."