Biography
1) London based duo Tough Love have been at the forefront of the house scene for sometime now since they started out in 2011. Their distinct production, together with energetic and bass-heavy DJ sets, has created a cult following of hard-core fans across the UK and beyond.
Their sound is instantly recognisable in their production hard-hitting grooves accompanied by crisp drum layers & undeniable dancability. It’s this infectious sound that won them 'Best Single' in The Bass Music Awards 2015 and saw them nominated for ‘Best Breakthrough Act’ at the DJ Mag Awards in 2016 & see’s them rated in the top 50 house acts in the world in 2018 on Beatport.
Already notching up two UK Top 40 singles as well as going gold in numerous countries, Tough Love have continued to demonstrate their production and songwriting prowess with a string of big dance records. Having previously been signed to the most influential major & independent record labels around including Madtech, Mother, Nervous, Toolroom, Nothing Else Matters, Sweat It Out, Sony Columbia, Island & Warner.
They also have their own successful imprint Get Twisted which has had a steady flow of quality house cuts since 2012. Tough Love strike the ultimate balance of releasing big dance records whilst still being part of the respected underground scene. Support regularly comes from the dance music tastemakers at BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra, Kiss & Capital, with massive radio support from big names including Annie Mac, Danny Howard, MistaJam and DJ Target. As well as key features in the likes of Mixmag, DJ mag, Insomniac & Complex to name just a few.
2) Tough Love was a reformed version of local hard rock legends, the all-female rock band Bitch. Whose then guitarist Lorrie Kountz wanted to change the band’s name to Tough Love, to any avoid censorship and achieve accessibility on any commercial formats. Tough Love would release their first single in 1984, two years after Bitch’s debut album, America’s Sweethearts. Tough Love as a band in their infancy was similar to Bitch however a change in line up was the only difference, with only three members remaining. Fronted by the hypnotic vocals of Nancy Davis, the one constant member in a long line of member changes, hailed for her perfect pitched Pat Benatar-esque vocals that collaborated well with guitarists Berni Popiolek, who left the band before their debut single, and Gerre Edinger a true guitar virtuoso that could have easily originated the now famous phrase “guitar shredder”. The rhythm section consisted of drummer Leslee Kaye, the last remaining original Bitch member, and bassist Deanna Rose. This line-up would release the band’s 1984 single Dizzy/Romantic Fever, which featured Tom Orsi on keyboards shortly before being replaced by Laura Jerri Bolton. The debut single was a strong effort and engineered by the famed Phil Bonnano, however its keyboard driven overlays overshadowed the guitar genius of Gerre Edinger, but a shift in musical style would take place soon after leaving the band’s overall sound much more guitar driven. Tough Love would bring in hard hitting drummer Courtney Wolfe to replace Leslee Kaye and had already began establishing themselves in the music industry, playing hundreds of shows, along with marketing the band at any chance they could is partly why such a strong buzz was growing over the band, the second was due to their sheer determination to break into the mainstream. Tough Love did gain the attention of former Runaways manager Kim Fowley who was rumored to have a worked with the band for a short time but true or not, mainstream success eluded the band, but continued on releasing a three track demo in 1987. The stand out track, A Gerre Edinger/Nancy Davis written hard rocker, Mama’s Boy, received some local radio rotation and became a fan favorite with many describing the band as a heavier version of Heart. By 1987 the band consisted of, Nancy Davis on lead vocals, Laura Jerri Bolton on keyboards, Courtney Wolfe on drums, and new bassist Jeanne Von Graf. Katrina Britt, formerly of the all-female hard rock band The Hunted, was brought in on guitar to replace Gerre Edinger who had already left to form the all-female band She Rok, who also did a version Mama’s Boy. Soon after lead vocalist and founder Nancy Davis would leave the band to focus on a solo career and the band’s original bassist Deanna Rose was brought in to replace Nancy on lead vocals. This version of Tough Love would continue on before calling it a day in 1990. The remaining members of Courtney Wolf, Jeanne Von Graf, Deanna Rose, and original guitar player Berni Popiolek, who replaced the departed Katrina Britt, would reform the band, now known as Romantic Fever, paying homage to the Tough Love single of the same name, the members said it was their way of keeping a connection between the two bands. Romantic Fever would release several demos before officially disbanding in 1993. By 2018 Tough Love would reunite for a reunion benefit concert for Lurie Children’s Hospital, with Nancy Davis on vocals, ex Bitch bassist Patti Prendergast on bass, Berni Popiolek on guitar, Marianne Sullivan on guitar filling in for the late Gerre Edinger who sadly passed away from an aneurysm in 2008. Gerre’s twin sister Terre Beach would play drums for the band for the benefit, which gave fans a last chance to see these amazing talented women that have a long intertwining history in music and with each other that should have reached a level of fame that matched their aptitudes for music.
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