Aiming for the top are four young lads who met at school in Gravesend and want to bring the independent rock music back to the masses.

Rock quartet The Tonics are made up of Zac Vincent, 18, of Darnley Road, Gravesend on guitar and lead vocals, Conor Toner, 18, of Broomhill Road, Strood, who plays rhythm guitar, Connor Lillistone, 17, of Laurel Avenue, Gravesend who plays bass and Gareth Furlong, 18, of Swaisland Road, Dartford, who plays drums.

The youngsters specialise in music from the 60s to the present day and have recently begun writing and recording their own original tracks.

Conor said: “We are influenced by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines. We all studied music at St John’s school where we met and we have been booked for gigs and making a small living from it for around 18 months.

“It’s great we’re now going into recording, we have our latest EP out and we’re hoping to record our second one by the end of this year.

“We are trying to bring the old-school, independent music back into the mainstream and be different from the manufactured pop music that is being churned out”

Zac added: “We know this is only the beginning for us, every week a new opportunity presents itself. I know there are bigger things to come for us”.

You can catch the band at the Pelham Arms on June 1 and the Vigo Inn on June 8.

For more information visit www.the-tonics.com