Russo moved to L.A. in 1990 and formed Tonic with his friend Emerson Hart. They had a hit right out of the box with 1996's Lemon Parade, which spawned the irrepressible singles "If You Could Only See" and "Open Up Your Eyes." Parade went platinum and set up the release of 1999's Sugar. Tonic's third album, 2002's Head on Straight, received two Grammy nominations. The band was a great showcase for Russo's guitar work and songwriting, but by 2004 he was branching out. With work continuing on his solo album -- which he was writing and playing in its entirety -- the multifaceted Russo wrote a ballet, wrote music for commercials, and got involved in producing. ~ Johnny Loftus