Retro-soul revivalists Bonneville return with another taste of their forthcoming third album Hold for Room Tone, releasing the single ‘Fools In The Game’. The track arrives as the band’s third preview of the record and finds the group leaning fully into the groove-driven R&B sensibilities that have defined their sound—equal parts Southern soul reverence and modern revivalism.
Built around a laid-back slow jam pulse, ‘Fools In The Game’ captures the emotional push-and-pull of early romance—the moment when pride, strategy, and vulnerability collide. It’s the kind of track made for dim lights and close dancing, a slow-burn reflection on love’s unwritten rules.
“It’s all about the game of love,” says guitarist, songwriter, and co-producer Jeff Hayashi. “We all play it. Sometimes you win, more often than not, you lose. You discard and draw again, but most of us never stop playing.”
Musically, the single taps into the lineage of classic soul and R&B while filtering those influences through Bonneville’s unmistakable groove. The band has built a reputation for resurrecting the textures of the genre’s golden era—lush arrangements, warm rhythm sections, and hooks that linger long after the final note.
“This song has a very stylistic groove, possibly more nostalgic than some of the other tracks on the album,” Hayashi explains. “It’s a feel-good track with a touch of desperation lurking in the wings; something anyone who has felt the helpless force of being drawn to another in the early stages of courtship can relate to.”
Singer Wes McGee adds, “It’s a slower tempo with a heartfelt sincerity.”
Listeners might catch flashes of classic influences woven into the arrangement, with echoes reminiscent of artists like Al Wilson, the Bee Gees, Bobby Womack, and the Doobie Brothers—an intentional nod to the sonic era Bonneville has long championed.
Like many of the band’s songs, “Fools In The Game” began with a simple spark: a riff that refused to leave Hayashi’s head. The idea struck during a road trip through Tennessee when a Sharon Jones song came through the speakers at a Chick-fil-A.
“It had a groove that I dug,” Hayashi recalls. “By the time I got back in the car, it had already morphed into something else in my mind, somewhat reminiscent of an early 1970s Al Wilson vibe. About 50 miles down the road, the chorus hook just hit me, and I came up with the lyrics over the rest of the drive. By the time we reached the hotel in Lexington, Kentucky, I broke out the guitar and the song basically wrote itself.”
Lyrically, the song captures the tension between emotional control and surrender.
“It reflects the experience of trying to win someone over by acting nonchalant, before realizing you ultimately have no choice but to submit,” Hayashi says.
McGee hears something slightly different in the emotional core of the track.
“It’s an apologetic quality, with hope of resolving bad behavior.”
Before the band even stepped into the studio, they already had a sonic direction in mind. McGee initially imagined the track leaning into Northern Soul territory.
“I had been listening to a lot of Thee Sacred Souls and wanted that feel,” he says. “It ended up landing outside of that, with a more straightforward bass groove and what feels to me like a late 1970s sound, similar to Andy Gibb’s ‘I Just Want to Be Your Everything.’”
Hayashi says the arrangement almost revealed itself during the writing process.
“In my mind, the track and the hook naturally spoke for themselves. The guitar and bass line automatically intertwined and played off one another. The song has a natural counterpoint, both rhythmically and sonically.”
To bring the vision fully to life, Bonneville teamed up with producer Starita, whose résumé includes work on GRAMMY® Award–winning albums. Together they leaned into the song’s classic soul DNA while ensuring its emotional weight remained front and center.
“Given that ‘Fools In The Game’ is somewhat of a classic soul vibe, we leaned heavily into the groove while keeping things smooth. The strings and background vocals were a main focus that had to be right for the sentiment to come through,” Starita explains. “The background vocals from The Shoals Sisters, along with the string arrangements, really take you to that place of 70s soul. Wes really displayed his range in this track; showing that he can lay back and deliver a soulful performance. As always, the Muscle Shoals session players brought it home with their deep pocket and groove.”
For Hayashi, shaping the track’s orchestration was a particular highlight. The violin and cello arrangements were designed to deepen the song’s emotional sweep without overpowering the groove.
Still, it was the moment the band gathered together that ultimately transformed the track.
“It took on a new life when the groove was born the first time all of the band members were in the room,” Hayashi says.
Looking back, McGee says he embraced the way the track evolved once the studio sessions began.
“I accepted the path the song took, and ultimately was pretty happy with where it landed.”
Recorded at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, ‘Fools In The Game’ features a full ensemble performance from the band alongside seasoned session players. The lineup includes Jeff Hayashi (guitar, co-producer), Wes McGee (lead vocals), Andy Dixon (bass), Brad Kuhn (keys), Justin Holder (drums), Brad Guin (sax), Allen Branstetter (trumpet), Marc Franklin (trumpet), Tammy King (violin), and Courtney Blackwell (cello), with production and mixing by Starita and recording and mastering by Wes Sheffield. Creative direction and photography were handled by Tam Akiko.
As for what McGee hopes listeners take away from the track, the message is simple—and perhaps a little wiser than the game itself.
“A better way of conducting yourself in pursuit of love: be open and vulnerable, and don’t play games.”
Bonneville’s “Fools In The Game” is available now across digital platforms, offering another soulful preview of what’s to come when Hold for Room Tone arrives.