Bonneville return with ‘In the Jungle’ the second single from their highly anticipated third album, Hold for Room Tone. The band, known for its retro-soul, funky R&B sound, continues to channel its Southern roots and deep respect for classic soul, reviving the urgency and groove of the genre through a modern lens.
“In the Jungle” is a dark, cinematic ’70s soul-funk track set against the realities of inner-city life, where survival feels like constant combat. “If a knife fight were a song, this is it,” says guitarist, songwriter, and co-producer Jeff Hayashi. “That old Bobby Womack and Donnie Hathaway energy that makes you feel the danger of dark alleyways and the slow creep of the struggle.” Featuring legendary drummer Bernard Purdie—2013 Modern Drummer Hall of Fame inductee and architect of the iconic Purdie Shuffle—the track leans heavily into deep funk. “This is one of the darker grooves on the album – deep funk, with Bernard on drums. There couldn’t be a tighter pocket,” Hayashi adds.
Singer Wes McGee sees the song as a turning point for the band. “This song feels like we’re really settling into our sound. A lot of what we’re doing now carries this same color, but this track has a rhythm section that’s spine-tingling.” Considered influences like Curtis Mayfield, Donnie Hathaway, and Bobby Womack run throughout the track, with Hayashi describing it as “emotive, like watching a vintage crime drama.” McGee drew from gritty 1970s inner-city cinema and soul. “I wanted a song that felt like 1970s Philadelphia,” he says, “with a string section that really soared to represent ambition, while still carrying the sense that something might be lurking behind you in an alley.”
Produced by Starita, known for his work on GRAMMY® Award–winning albums, the song was recorded at the legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. “We knew we wanted to harken back to that gritty-but-soulful ’70s sound that expresses the adversities in life,” Starita says. “Another element that drives the track is the drumming of the legendary Bernard Purdie. We brought him in specifically to give it that classic groove he’s known for.” For McGee, the emotional core is clear: “I wanted to personify the darkness of a bleak cityscape, but contrast it with a heart that still beats with enough love and ambition to break through the oppression.”
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