Set the Tone is a pop/rock band from Pontypridd, Wales (the home of legendary singer Tom Jones) that I recently learned about when their bassist Kage Jones reached out to me about possibly featuring them on my blog. From what I can tell, they appear to be a fairly new band, as they began posting to their Facebook and Instagram accounts this past April, to coincide with the release of their first songs “Happy” and “Take This Chance”. In addition to Kage, Set the Tone is comprised of Liam Richards on acoustic guitar and vocals, Nate Jones on electric guitar and Dan Hayman on electric guitar and backing vocals.

With their winning combination of an infectious and pleasing sound that melds elements of classic and contemporary rock, folk and pop, intelligent songwriting, and high-energy performances and charismatic stage presence, the guys have quickly built a loyal following in South Wales. The moment I listened to their latest single “Here We Go Again“, I liked it immediately and knew I wanted to write about them.

The song starts off almost folk-like with a lovely little acoustic riff that’s soon joined by soothing strings, shimmery electric guitar and assertive drumbeats as Liam sings with a heartfelt earnestness. The instrumentation is outstanding throughout, and I love the the warm vocal harmonies. Everything builds to a stirring anthemic crescendo in the final chorus, making for a song that’s incredibly satisfying – that feeling you get when a song just hits you in all the right spots.

The poignant lyrics describe a contentious relationship in which a couple continue going round and round, fighting then making up without ever resolving their deeper-seated problems: “Here we go again, falling out the wrong side of the bed. An argument that just won’t seem to end. Then we’ll all pretend everything’s alright. Forget about it, all go out tonight. We knew it would just end up in a fight.“

I’m impressed at the fine songwriting and musicianship of Set the Tone, and if they continue delivering the level of quality shown in the four songs they’ve released thus far, they’ll have a bright future indeed.

Set the Tone’s Socials:  Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

Find their music on  Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Amazon Music