Tonic was formed in 1993 by Emerson Hart and Jeff Russo. Later members have included Dan Lavery, Kevin Shepard, Pierce Bowers, and Dan Rothchild. Signed to a recording contract in 1995, the band released its debut album, Lemon Parade, in 1996. The single "If You Could Only See" reached number 11 on the Billboard Airplay Hot 100, and Lemon Parade itself reached platinum status. Tonic spent much of the next two years touring, adding to its reputation as a relentlessly gigging band. In addition to extensive touring, Tonic produced other work, including songs for feature film soundtracks. After self-producing its 1999 album, Sugar, Tonic released its third album, Head on Straight, in 2002. Tonic received two Grammy nominations for Head on Straight, including one for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Take Me As I Am" and one for Best Rock Album. The band then went on hiatus beginning in 2004 while its members pursued other musical endeavors. It wasn't until late 2008 that Tonic became active again, embarking on a tour and releasing a greatest-hits compilation, all of which served as a prelude to their fourth studio album, 2010's Tonic. After the release of that album, Tonic has continued to tour and remain active into 2016, when they announced they were utilizing direct funding from fans to release an all-acoustic version of Lemon Parade in celebration of that album's 20th anniversary.