Lawrenceville based artist Tony Lio just released his latest single Better to Sleep, a stripped back, deeply personal track that feels less like a song and more like a secret shared in the middle of the night. Lio is moving away from flashy sounds and stepping into a minimalist world where every note is honest and every room has room to breathe.
From the moment you start to listen, it’s evident that this track comes from a different place. It’s more honest and softer than all Tony Lio’s previous works and that’s exactly why this track is different. This is the kind of music you sit with in your quiet moments when reality feels heavy and you just want to drown in your thoughts.
Notably, Better to sleep existed as a titled even before it became a song. The track feels like an idea that waited patiently until it was ready to be told the right way. Lio pushed himself out of his comfort zone to find that form. There’s nothing here that doesn’t need to be. Everything is just right. The soul of this track comes from a special reunion years in the making and for the first time in nearly three years, Lio teamed back up with Christopher Kapshock, the producer and close friend who helped create his very first EP.
This is not just a trip down memory lane, though their chemistry feels more mature and it’s clear how much they’ve grown. Kapshock keeps the production quiet and steady, allowing the weight of Lio’s lyrics do the heavy lifting.
The theme of this song is something we can all relate to: The temptation to retreat into dreams and fantasies when the real world feels too much to handle. We have all had moments where staying in a dream feels easier than facing what’s in front of us. This song simply acts as a breath of forgetting it all, a temporary escape into a liminal space.
Adding a beautiful layer of softness to this track is Mackie June, Lio’s partner from their side project Mackie and Lio. Her voice harmonizes and weaves seamlessly around Lio’s lead. She brings a tone that perfectly balances the artist’s vulnerability. Her voice makes the song feel more like a Dialogue than a Solitude.
There’s a deep mythical layer to how Lio writes and you can tell that this is not your typical Folk or Acoustic music. Tony Lio has created a special tune here that allows you reverse into the expressive world he has built. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed and just needed to close your eyes for a while then this song is for you.
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