Southern Retro Soul Band Pushes Sound Boundaries with New Dance Track
A Grooving, Funky, Feel-Good Summer Tune with Electronic Elements
‘Beautiful One’ is the third single from southern retro soul band Bonneville’s second album, ‘Flying Machine,’ a follow up to their well-received self-titled debut album, to be released on Wednesday, February 7th, 2023. Bonneville is a band that has carved out a reputation for its retro-soul, funky R&B sound. Their compilation of work reflects their Southern artistic roots, passion to preserve music legacy of this era, and tireless effort to reignite the appreciation and celebration of classic soul grooves through their own unique blend of styles.
Top 10 across 250+ Spotify playlists, and was premiered by top international press outlets including EARMILK, CLASH, and Notion.
Bonneville’s releases thus far have garnered enthusiastic responses by fans, press, collaborators, and music curators worldwide with repeated adds to editorial, algorithmic, and user-generated playlists; placing #2 on Norway Itunes R&B/Soul Chart 2024, reaching 2.9M listeners, including Rock Clásico en Inglés (124K followers), Gym Rock | Workout 2023 (56K followers), Best Acoustic Guitar Songs (50K followers), Acoustic Rock (38K followers), The Morning Show – Soundtrack Seasons 1, 2, & 3 (31K followers), and landing placements with press tastemakers (from over 80+ international major and speciality outlets) who premiered the singles including Relix Magazine, Glide Magazine, CLASH, EARMILK, ROUGH, MUSIC CROWNS, Folk N Rock, Backseat Mafia, and Fame Magazine.
‘Beautiful One’ is a grooving, funky, feel-good summer dance tune with a driving, deep groove and hard-hitting chorus hook, with a poignant message about the club scene and selfie culture that inspires introspection. “This is our take on a club track. It’s a banger, a head-bopper, and an all-around party jam, but upon closer inspection has a deep message of introspection and outward observation,” band member and co-songwriter Jeff Hayashi explains. While ‘Flying Machine’ exudes a neo-soul and post-disco energy, the vibe of ‘Beautiful One’ ventures into uncharted territory within the Bonneville sound. Departing from the familiar retro-soul sound that the band is known for, ‘Beautiful One’ seamlessly blends deep funk, house, post-disco, and acid jazz; incorporating electronic elements that boldly push the boundaries of Bonneville’s musical expression. As the most modern and accessible track on ‘Flying Machine,’ it is sure to gain traction with a wide range of age groups. As fans listen to this song, they will be reminded of the Jamiroquai and acid jazz days. Music by The Weeknd will also come to mind.
As they have with other songs on ‘Flying Machine,’ McGee and Hayashi draw insights and inspiration from the prevailing cultural and societal trends of the moment as well as their personal life. ‘Beautiful One’ is a tongue-in-cheek societal observation about the club scene and selfie culture, from the perspective of a wallflower. “The internet being a blessing and a curse has changed the landscape on how we present ourselves in society. With our lives on constant display, so many of us reach for that acceptance, that dopamine hit of popularity amongst strangers,” Hayashi says. Singer and co-songwriter Wes McGee chimes in with his perspective, “Thematically, it is a commentary of the “pick me culture” in dating and in society, in general. Often, real connections are missed due to the epidemic of self-obsession where people would rather take a picture of themselves than actually live in the moment or bounce from one person to the next to avoid anything deeper than surface level interaction,” he explains. “I was just coming out of a break up and upon reflection, I saw there was a lot of “grass is always greener” energy from both sides. It was the resentment I had with my own behavior and the behavior my partner exhibited with wannabe influencer social media activity. This song is a call-to-arms about the negative behaviors men and women exhibit while dating and not really looking for what’s more meaningful,” McGee adds. “I hope that at the end of the day, people not only feel this groove and have fun with it, but each listener takes away their own perspective from the lyrics,” Hayashi shares.
To create the unique sound for ‘Beautiful One,’ McGee and Hayashi pushed the boundaries of their genre to bring in fresh inspiration drawn from pop and house genres to give the tune a modern take.“ Jeff had been going over the Michael Jackson song ‘Off the Wall’ and the fantastic harmonies that Michael accomplished. We took that methodology and put our spin on it,” McGee says. “At first, we had the vocals in a high falsetto but changed that because it was a bit distracting.” Hayashi adds, “As primary rhythm and lead guitarist on this track, I was going for a deep funk/post-disco vibe,” he says. “Being that it was originally written with just a vocal and one electric guitar, I had to keep a lot of the finished sound in my mind. I had a clear idea of the percussion, keys, and bassline, but I wanted to have an element of electronica in this song. I wrote a wide-open bridge so that Starita (producer) could do what he does best in the bridge/breakdown section.”
In the studio, GRAMMY®-recognized producer Starita collaborated on ‘Beautiful One,’ contributing to its ultimate production vision and shaping the progression of the Bonneville sound for this tune. “With this song, the band left it very open for me to work my magic and blend electronic elements with live instrumentation,” Starita says. “It’s been an evolutionary goal for me as the producer to begin pushing boundaries with the Bonneville sound and you can hear the evolution beginning in this song. The songwriting and production is steering toward a more modern sound while still preserving the classic soul and funk Bonneville is known for. I’m excited for the world to hear more of the songs from ‘Flying Machine.’ This album really showcases their range and our collaborative work to push boundaries.”
The band was thrilled with the final song. “What Starita did created a dark element to what is otherwise a very upbeat song. I love the juxtaposition and ironic contrast this element achieved. This was a super fun track to create from start-to-finish,” Hayashi says. McGee adds, “I hope fans walk away wanting to hear it over and over again.”
The full production team on ‘Beautiful One’ include band members – Jeff Hayashi, songwriter, guitar, co-producer; Wes McGee, songwriter, lead vocals; Andy Dixon, bass; Brad Kuhn, keys; Justin Holder, drums; Starita, producer, synthesizers, programming; Wes Sheffield, recording engineer, mix, mastering engineer. The album was recorded at Fame Studios, Muscle Shoals, AL. Creative direction and photography by Tam Akiko. Released by Starita Records, a division of Starita Music.
Bonneville’s ‘Beautiful One’ single is available across all digital service providers on Wednesday, February 7th, 2023. For a complete list of upcoming performances and events, visit http://bonnevilleofficial.com/.
ABOUT BONNEVILLE:
Sometimes an artistic journey is a road back in time, to a place where you’ll find the most genuine version of yourself. If you embrace the wisdom of the past, you may find the purest form of your art. Bonneville duo, Jeff Hayashi and Wes McGee, have both had a lifelong love of music. Each has traveled a bumpy road searching for the truest expression of that love. Their retro-soul, R&B sound embodies that fearless reflection of their artistic roots. Their energetic sound expresses the joy in the discovery.
For Wes, the time machine reveals memories of his father’s well-traveled Gibson 335 guitar, sitting by the door in a weathered case. It was a sacred object to Wes, who stole moments to open the case and strum the strings. He grew up with artists like Journey and Phil Collins; he was emotionally gripped by the sounds. “It helped to sew the tapestry of who I became” says Wes, “listening to these people and understanding their tones.” At an early age, Wes forged a deep connection to music.
But when his father suffered a debilitating injury, it put distance between Wes and his creative pursuits. “In college, I did what everyone told me to do”, says Wes. He started his career in IT work, but it wouldn’t be long before his true nature emerged. Influenced by a girl, he tried acting and rediscovered creativity. It was a revelation: “I don’t have to be anyone else except who I wanna be,” says Wes. Now his creative pursuits are numerous, including writing and acting. But music is his first love, and Bonneville is the vehicle to revisit those early influences.
When guitarist and songwriter Jeff Hayashi bought a Gibson 335 guitar identical to the one owned by Wes’ father, their collaboration seemed like it was meant to be. Jeff was also captivated by music in his childhood and heavily influenced by his father, a jazz/rock drummer who was his first and only guitar teacher. Having learned the major chords by age 11, Jeff would be self-taught from that point forward. It seems the teacher and the pupil flourished. “Jeff pulls songs, rhythms, and melodies out the air like nobody I’ve ever seen,” says Wes.
Jeff’s time travel is embodied in his love of rare guitars, evidenced by his purchase of the Gibson. His favorite is a 1957 reissue of Les Paul Black Beauty, a key to the retro southern blues sound that is Bonneville’s acoustic signature. Working with a trained vocalist like Wes gives him new artistic space. “There’s a freedom, like shackles being removed,” says Jeff. “I feel like I can write whatever I want, and Wes can sing it.” Bonneville is for Jeff, as it is for Wes, a return to his past to rediscover his voice. “For the first time in my life,” says Jeff, “I am writing and playing the music that is closest to my soul.”
Bonneville’s journey continues as they experiment with new sounds. But the common thread is a musical legacy. It’s not a strictly retro sound, but it echoes the passions of the previous generation for both men, and recalls the time of hand-crafted, “analogue” music, sung from the soul. It’s a beautifully imperfect sound that makes you want to go along for the ride.