Over these last few years, US duo Bonneville have established themselves as one of the more enjoyable names on the rise. And with their flair for classic soul grooves growing more infectious with every new release, they recently returned once again to deliver their breezy new offering ‘Over Breakin’.
So with the new video now available, we sat down with them to discuss their origins and where they are planning to take their sound next.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
WM I was born in Atlanta but grew up in Augusta Ga home of James Brown and Hulk Hogan. I moved to Los Angeles after graduating from university to pursue a career as an actor. My first go at music came as I was in college playing with a cover band that did mainly The Black Crowes covers. I’ve always had a love for southern rock.
JH – I was born and raised in Santa Cruz, CA, lived in CA all my life until 2019 when I moved my family to Atlanta. I started on guitar at 11 years old. I’m self taught, thanks to my dad getting me started with all the basics. I was in the school jazz band in 6th and 7th grade, then went on to have numerous projects and garage bands over the next 30 years.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
WM My biggest vocal influences are the musicians found mainly in the 1960’s and 1970’s like Marvin Gay, Robert Plant, Steve Perry, Al Green, etc they all have such connection to their emotions that sometimes will make ya cry and soaring vocals that’ll send you to another planet.
JH – Zeppelin, Steeley Dan, Funkadelic, James Brown, Michael Jackson, and everything Muscle Shoals and Motown. I was raised on blues and rock. As I got older in my late teens I got really turned on by the funk and by soul music. I started incorporating funkier riffs into my rock and blues playing and it just kind of unfolded from there. I learned a lot from breaking down what Donald (Fagan) and Walter (Becker) were doing with the Dan… how they could play with such technical prowess whilst weaving such harmony and texture into their arrangements. I learned a lot about arrangement, segue, and movement from that band, and I learned most all of my technique developed my tone from emulating my guitar heroes, Page, Knopfler, Santana, Glimour, Denny Dias to name a few.
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
WM Id say singing with my family on special occasions. My aunt is always been a soulful singer and watching her around a camp fire while my dad played guitar made me feel very connected to music. But to be honest meeting Jeff made beleive pursuing music was something that was in cards for me.
JH – Probably in my late teens when my ear became really developed and I realized that I could pretty much play any style that moved me. I could just hear things and emulate some semblance of the style of any given player or ensemble. Then it was awhile before I took those lessons and started writing. In my mid 20’s I stopped playing other peoples music as much and started creating my own works, developing a sound that was the cumulative amalgamation of everything I had absorbed to that point.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
WM Jeff usually comes up with a riff and then puts lyrics to it. we will convene and find where we make tweaks and find how I interpret the vibe of the song
JH – Things just hit me, usually in the middle of the night. 90% of the time it’s a hook. A melody and a groove overlapped. It makes for a lot of late night writing sessions. If I am moved by what I’m hearing in my head I have got to go get it down. If I allow myself to fall back to sleep it’ll be gone by morning, so I’ve learned to seize the moment. Sometimes the lyrics come on the spot and the song just kind of writes itself. Other times I have to sit with the melodies awhile until the message starts speaking to me.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
WM we seem to look two types of inspiration usually viewing things like global politics and the shift in societal norms. Then other times what would make peoples butt shake.
JH – For me it’s just about being open to endless possibility and combinations of notes, grooves, and rythyms. At this stage of my life I have listened to millions of pieces of music. It’s all in there knocking around like tuning an infinite dial on a radio. It comes from God, truthfully. Sometimes He blessese me and the signal comes in real clear… that’s when something new emerges that I haven’t heard before.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
WM that in the end it’s all gonna be alright
JH – Focusing on the positivity around us, using the dark so that the light has a place to shine, using the light to remind others that the light does not exist without contrast, and getting people to look inward. We don’t look inward at ourselves enough. Most of the time the cause of our own suffering comes from our outward perceptions.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
WM I’d say the biggest challenge is trying to play out more. The musicans we prefer to play with are scattered all over the southeast so we could go months without seeing each other. And the other burden is navigating marketing and the ever changing environment of social media and how we can beat the algorithm without a major label attached.
JH – Just the grind… I love it though. Building a fan base is a lot of work, and it’s different from when I was in bands and on indie labels in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Getting opportunities to showcase live and connect personally with fans is downstream from the internet/streaming music marketplace. I’d say bridging the gap between those two mediums is the biggest challenge.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
WM the friendships and the thrill of recording in the lengendary in Muscle Shoals Ala
JH – 100% agree with Wes. Making the pilgrimage to the Shoals and connecting with the best musicians in the world who have become lifelong friends and and such an integral part of my music life have been, and continues to be, an absolutely life changing experience.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
WM id say doing the music that we want to do and what inspires us and not giving a shit about anyone’s egos or feeling like we need to compare ourselves to others.
JH – Yes, writing for myself is the best way to convey what’s real to an audience. If I get in a mode of trying to create e music FOR other’s (and it happens to the best of songwriters every now and again) I lose the realness. You start to get in a trap of commoditizing your product, trying to direct something outward that you think people want, because of whatever trends are happening. But trends are exactly that, they dont stand the test of time. The truth is sonically, most human ears don’t know what they want, but they know when it moves them, and If I stay true to what moves me, chances are that emotion, that soul, will filter through to the listener.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
WM Jeff and I were discussing releasing a separate album that is more country and blues related from some b-sides we’ve accumulated. And I think we may be playing a few festivals soon.
JH – We are just keeping on keeping on, continuing to write, explore, and share what moves us. We’ll be out and about in a theater near you in the near future. We are most excited about bringing our live performance and huge sound to the masses!
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
WM I’d like to see us performing on a late night show too bad. David Letterman is on anymore. Would’ve love that! And having a few of our songs on movies. Music can shape the tone of movies so much.
JH – Touring and getting placement in film. I share Wes’ sentiment on combining sonic art with film. Shaping scenes, both physically and metaphorically.
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Watch the video for Bonneville’s ‘Over Breakin’ below.
