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Tones And I Covers Amyl and The Sniffers at APRA Awards:Watch

At a glance, Tones And I, the vocally-blessed “Dance Monkey” star, has very little in common with Amyl and The Sniffers, the punk-rockers on the rise with such numbers as “Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled),” “Got You” and “Hertz.”

You’d be wrong.

Tones (real name Toni Watson) was raised in Melbourne before she was discovered busking on the streets of Byron Bay, a beach town in northern New South Wales. The rest is recorded music history, as “Dance Monkey” flew past 7 billion streams, topped charts in 30 territories and broke records in the U.K. and Australia.

Like Tones, Amyl and The Sniffers emerged from the Victorian capital, and they’re making fans everywhere they go with their sweaty pub-rock vibes and knuckly punk attitude.

The two Aussie acts formed a special bond during the 2022 APRA Music Awards Tuesday night (May 3) at Melbourne Town Hall, when Tones covered Amyl and The Sniffers’ “Guided By Angels,” shortlisted in the peer-voted category for song of the year.

The Kid LAROI’s “Stay” won the award, but Tones won hearts with her performance, which featured a backing band and orchestra. It was the type of pin-drop moment everyone in the room will talk about for years to come.

Tones also took home two awards on the night, while Amyl and The Sniffers are in the hunt for two trophies at the 2022 A2IM Libera Awards, set for June 16 in New York City.

Led from the front by pocket-powerhouse Amy Taylor, Amyl and The Sniffers are rocking out abroad with their trans-Atlantic tour well underway, following two Coachella performances and their U.S. late night debut on Seth Meyers. 

They’re back in Australia for Splendour in the Grass this July, and the just-announced Falls Festival jaunt at year’s end and early 2023.

Tones’ sophomore album is on the way, and will feature a collaboration with her favorite artist Macklemore.

Watch the performance below.