INTERVIEW: Bonneville discuss origins and inspirations alongside new single ‘Lady Of The Tennessee’

Having already made their mark with a flurry of dynamic delights these last few years, fast-rising outfit Bonneville are back to their best once again with their bluesy new single ‘Lady Of The Tennessee’.

As the latest cut lifted from their sophomore LP ‘Flying Machine’, ‘Lady Of The Tennessee’ builds upon that dynamic aesthetic they have been building since they first emerged. So we sat down with them to find out more about what makes them tick and who is most responsible for their infectious sound.

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What was the first rock song or artist that made an impact on you?

Jeffrey Hayashi – That would have to be “Whole Lotta Love” by the mighty Zeppelin.

Wes McGee – The first rock band/ bands  that made an impact on me was Foreigner and the J. Geils Band  specifically the song Center Fold.

Who are some of your biggest musical influences within the rock genre?

Jeffrey – Zeppelin, Floyd, ZZ Top, AC/DC, GNR, Stones, Foo Fighters to name a few.

Wes – I’d say Led Zeppelin, Sound Garden, Smashing Pumpkins, Black Sabbath, Queen, Radiohead, The Cult, The Clash, The Cure, The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Doobie Brothers, The Marshall Tucker band , Prince.

Are there any non-rock musicians or genres that have also influenced your music?

Jeffrey – Absolutely, too many to name but a few of the primary ones are JS Bach, Steely Dan, Doobies, Beatles, and Robert Johnson.

Wes – Yeah a big fan of Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Chet Baker, Thee Sacred Souls, Otis Redding, Maribou State, Al Green, Sam Cook, Future Islands, The Temptations.

What is your main inspiration when looking to write new music?

Jeffrey – It’s never any one thing, I have a constant radio going on in my mind, sometimes the reception is FM clear and sometimes it’s AM static.  It just depends on being open to new ideas.  It all starts with a vocal or melodic hook usually. Something I hear in my mind and go, “well that’s something I haven’t heard before…”

Wes – Having a groove that pops in my head and just seeing where it goes or hearing a song thats fresh and is pushing new ideas that I can’t get out of my head. 

What do you enjoy most about performing live and do you have any memorable live performance experiences you’d like to share?

Jeffrey – Connecting with the people and watching them vibe off our music.  That is the best feeling.  Getting to open for Celo Greene, Kool & the Gang, Govm’t Mule, and Blues Traveler are some of my fondest experiences, seeing as how we were a brand new band during those sets.

Wes – The energy of performing live really has no comparison to much else. Focusing the mind but freeing the body is really electric. I really enjoyed opening up for Blues Traveler in Mississippi. I felt like I could float off the stage when we ended the set. 

What has been a particularly rewarding moment in your musical journey so far?

Jeffrey – Seeing the music come to fruition with the whole band in the studio is most rewarding. The songs start out in a very rudimentary fashion, so hearing what they evolve into once the rest of the musicians have added their interpretive parts to the composition, and then hearing what Starita (Producer) and Shef (Engineer) do in the mixdown and master is really a feeling of accomplishment.

Wes – Being able to record and interact with the musicians that are in the orbit of FAME studios in Muscle Shoals. Excellent musicians and even better humans. 

How would you define success as a musician?

Jeffrey – Doing your thing.  Writing and producing the music for yourself and then giving it to the world.  What is going to become of it at that point is really out of our hands and an alchemy that nobody understands.  I think success is staying true to yourself as a writer and not focusing on what the current trends are or what you “think” people are looking for.  If you set out to make tons of money at this you’re gonna hit a hard wall pretty fast.  If you follow a trend that’s already popular, you’re already two years too late, so that is a waste of time, energy, and creativity.  Write the song, execute it to the best of your ability, HAVE FUN DOING IT, and for God’s sake, put it out there and keep repeating that process.  If a musician keeps that up and is prolific, then they are a success in my opinion.

Wes – Being able to continue the process and grow each song we do. Putting too much pressure on plays on platforms or sales or some ego based result really can be draining. 

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out?

Jeffrey – More of the above… just keep writing.  Write every idea and explore it, even if it seems goofy and out of line with what you are mostly creating.  Push your boundaries and feel uncomfortable doing so, its how you grow.  Also, seek out musicians to play, record, practice, and collaborate with who have more experience than you (are sometimes better players) and whom you can learn from and grow with.  Don’t always try to be the most talented player in the room. It gets lonesome on that hill.  Make good decisions and surround yourself with trustworthy people when it comes to management.  If a manager wants a fee to get you gigs and refuses to work solely on an industry standard percentage of what you earn, keep looking.

Wes – Surround yourself with people who are better than you but are still open to your ideas. Practice then practice some more.

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Listen to Bonneville’s new single ‘Lady Of The Tennessee’ below.