GET TO KNOW: BRANDON BANKS
Get familiar with Brandon Banks, an Inglewood, Californian singer-songwriter setting an enticing flame within this new era of alternative R&B. Also, a muse behind the camera, Banks' sound consists of soothing, silky tones transmuting listeners into a space of nostalgia and life experiences.
“I consider myself to be R&B soul,” he clarified. “If you’re singing on some instruments and you are Black, then you’re R&B in my eyes. I know there are some people trying to run away from the title of R&B but it’s nothing to be ashamed of”.
“We’re standing on the shoulders of the Isley Brothers, The Ohio Players, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. R&B Soul is my sound because it’s coming from the heart”.
The beginning of Brandon Banks' musical path did not begin with material gain in mind. Delving into the world of music as a pursuit of interest rather than an actual career, Banks' first play with words was through poetry. “I started writing poetry in elementary school, back in the fourth grade”, he told us. “My grandmother would give me poetry books. I would also read a lot of the stuff we had at school.”
“In the sixth grade, I wrote my first song to Mario’s ‘You Should Let Me Love You’ beat, but I didn’t record my first song until I was eighteen. I never really had big aspirations [in music]. For me, it was always a means of escape. It was a means of how I could express myself. Growing up, everything I wrote I kept to myself. I never let anyone hear what I wrote until I started working with my managers”.
Like many musicians, home influence played a contribution to Banks’ appreciation of the world he's in today.
“My dad was a positive influence in my life. Sonically, he was heavy with the Motown. That was always played around the house. My mum loved Frankie Beverly and Maze. She would play a lot of Hip Hop and G-Funk. That helped me a lot as far as [developing] my ear”. The discovery of finding your voice tends to be apparent when acknowledged by external forces. However, Banks’ realization of his vocal instrument was a birthright. “Being able to sing, you’re just born with it. I could always remember being able to sing”. Getting acquainted with his voice with his guitar and open mic nights, Banks’ built up confidence within himself; leading him to go beyond his artistry.
Being inspired by the greats such as Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo’s abilities to stack harmonies with one another, Frank Ocean’s songwriting, Stevie Wonder’s musicianship, and Kendricks’s lyricism, Banks’ admiration for lyricism is what aspires him to polish his craftsmanship. “I’m learning to enjoy the things that I like, that I can apply to me. Understanding what I need to learn [as an artist] has opened me up to a new world of music for me”.
“My philosophy on music is there are loads of things you can do to be famous and rich. If my focus was on the money, I would be doing something else”, he told us. “Music is a universal language that everybody can speak. It’s like science. When you produce, compose, and write there are a lot of numbers involved. That is something that can heal people”.
“That’s what music has done for me. I feel like it’s only right that I dedicate my life to music because it saved my life. If I didn't get a guitar when I did, I think my life would have taken a completely different course”.
Throughout his journey, Brandon Banks has discovered the value of vulnerability and being true to self. “Before I put out any music, I didn’t know how to be vulnerable. There wasn’t a space for that. I want to let people know, Black Men especially, know that it’s cool to relay your feelings to other people or in some type of art form. It doesn’t make us weak”.
We consider Banks’ dedication to music as ‘rhythm-led’; starting with the music production and later, bleeding into the visual elements. Within his work, there lies unique, thought-provoking visualisations that allow him to stand out from other creatives. “For me, it’s always music first, melody first because that will always give you the full picture for the visual. So I first find some chords that I like. From there, I’ll take those chords and start writing to them. I let the lyrics guide what the visuals will be”.
His latest single ‘Tryin’, continues to strengthen Banks’ flavoured sound. Possessing elements of well-polished storytelling, aligned with a slick reassurance that it will all be worth it; ‘Tryin’ showcases Brandon Banks' levels of empathy.“It’s kind of like a prequel to the ‘Get On’. It is a song about people trying to make it through the day because surviving isn’t always pretty. I wanted to make a song for people that are going through the struggle. Just know, there is light at the end of that tunnel”.
Closing the conversations with what was on the horizon for Brandon Banks, we were excited to know there was more to come. “I finally stopped adding songs to the project. It started with five but now I’ve capped it to nine. If I can, I want to drop a smaller project at the end of the year, that’s going to be exciting! I can’t give any details just yet, but I am going to be doing my first tour. I’m excited to be traveling and touring and getting the music to more ears out there.”
Get to know Brandon Banks!
CREDITS:
Production Company - WEARESOUL
Interview by - Itunu Para-Mallam
Video Edited by - Jedidah M.
Written by - Esi Mongo
GET TO KNOW: BRANDON BANKS
Get familiar with Brandon Banks, an Inglewood, Californian singer-songwriter setting an enticing flame within this new era of alternative R&B. Also, a muse behind the camera, Banks' sound consists of soothing, silky tones transmuting listeners into a space of nostalgia and life experiences.
“I consider myself to be R&B soul,” he clarified. “If you’re singing on some instruments and you are Black, then you’re R&B in my eyes. I know there are some people trying to run away from the title of R&B but it’s nothing to be ashamed of”.
“We’re standing on the shoulders of the Isley Brothers, The Ohio Players, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. R&B Soul is my sound because it’s coming from the heart”.
The beginning of Brandon Banks' musical path did not begin with material gain in mind. Delving into the world of music as a pursuit of interest rather than an actual career, Banks' first play with words was through poetry. “I started writing poetry in elementary school, back in the fourth grade”, he told us. “My grandmother would give me poetry books. I would also read a lot of the stuff we had at school.”
“In the sixth grade, I wrote my first song to Mario’s ‘You Should Let Me Love You’ beat, but I didn’t record my first song until I was eighteen. I never really had big aspirations [in music]. For me, it was always a means of escape. It was a means of how I could express myself. Growing up, everything I wrote I kept to myself. I never let anyone hear what I wrote until I started working with my managers”.
Like many musicians, home influence played a contribution to Banks’ appreciation of the world he's in today.
“My dad was a positive influence in my life. Sonically, he was heavy with the Motown. That was always played around the house. My mum loved Frankie Beverly and Maze. She would play a lot of Hip Hop and G-Funk. That helped me a lot as far as [developing] my ear”. The discovery of finding your voice tends to be apparent when acknowledged by external forces. However, Banks’ realization of his vocal instrument was a birthright. “Being able to sing, you’re just born with it. I could always remember being able to sing”. Getting acquainted with his voice with his guitar and open mic nights, Banks’ built up confidence within himself; leading him to go beyond his artistry.
Being inspired by the greats such as Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo’s abilities to stack harmonies with one another, Frank Ocean’s songwriting, Stevie Wonder’s musicianship, and Kendricks’s lyricism, Banks’ admiration for lyricism is what aspires him to polish his craftsmanship. “I’m learning to enjoy the things that I like, that I can apply to me. Understanding what I need to learn [as an artist] has opened me up to a new world of music for me”.
“My philosophy on music is there are loads of things you can do to be famous and rich. If my focus was on the money, I would be doing something else”, he told us. “Music is a universal language that everybody can speak. It’s like science. When you produce, compose, and write there are a lot of numbers involved. That is something that can heal people”.
“That’s what music has done for me. I feel like it’s only right that I dedicate my life to music because it saved my life. If I didn't get a guitar when I did, I think my life would have taken a completely different course”.
Throughout his journey, Brandon Banks has discovered the value of vulnerability and being true to self. “Before I put out any music, I didn’t know how to be vulnerable. There wasn’t a space for that. I want to let people know, Black Men especially, know that it’s cool to relay your feelings to other people or in some type of art form. It doesn’t make us weak”.
We consider Banks’ dedication to music as ‘rhythm-led’; starting with the music production and later, bleeding into the visual elements. Within his work, there lies unique, thought-provoking visualisations that allow him to stand out from other creatives. “For me, it’s always music first, melody first because that will always give you the full picture for the visual. So I first find some chords that I like. From there, I’ll take those chords and start writing to them. I let the lyrics guide what the visuals will be”.
His latest single ‘Tryin’, continues to strengthen Banks’ flavoured sound. Possessing elements of well-polished storytelling, aligned with a slick reassurance that it will all be worth it; ‘Tryin’ showcases Brandon Banks' levels of empathy.“It’s kind of like a prequel to the ‘Get On’. It is a song about people trying to make it through the day because surviving isn’t always pretty. I wanted to make a song for people that are going through the struggle. Just know, there is light at the end of that tunnel”.
Closing the conversations with what was on the horizon for Brandon Banks, we were excited to know there was more to come. “I finally stopped adding songs to the project. It started with five but now I’ve capped it to nine. If I can, I want to drop a smaller project at the end of the year, that’s going to be exciting! I can’t give any details just yet, but I am going to be doing my first tour. I’m excited to be traveling and touring and getting the music to more ears out there.”
Get to know Brandon Banks!
CREDITS:
Production Company - WEARESOUL
Interview by - Itunu Para-Mallam
Video Edited by - Jedidah M.
Written by - Esi Mongo