EMERSON HART'S NEW START

As far as famous Jersey Shore-bred musicians go, Emerson Hart usually doesn't come to mind right away.

But Hart, formerly the lead singer for the rock band Tonic (best known for the hit "If You Could Only See"), has roots in Atlantic Highlands. And on his upcoming solo album, Cigarettes and Gasoline, Hart reflects on memories both good and bad from his formative years in the Garden State.

As for the title, the Nashville, Tenn.-based Hart says on his Web site, "It refers to an olfactory sense from my childhood -- my dad smoking Marlboro reds and getting gas in Jersey; I remember sitting in the back of his Caddy, and the smell of that, and his arm up on the armrest and him smoking -- early memories for me.

"Also, working on boats as a kid in Jersey, going out on the water in the mornings, that boat smell -- and cigarettes."

As for the bad memories on the album, he addresses a big one -- the still-unresolved murder of his father, whose body was never found, when Hart was 10 years old.

"I had to address those issues before I moved on," says Hart, "so I had to forgive the people who killed my father and let that go. Also, learning how to come full circle with that, thinking about being a father myself someday."

Hart's solo debut is due June 19 on EMI/Manhattan Records. His concert itinerary includes a show Wednesday (Feb. 28) at the Village Underground in New York and a showcase gig March 16 during the South by Southwest music conference/festival in Austin, Texas.