NAME:
Jacob Banks
ABOUT
Songs recall familiar feelings, emotions, and memories. Jacob Banks transmits comfort from this familiarity. The Nigerian-born and London-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist allows a flood of thoughts, perspectives, and inspirations to flow through his music. After generating nearly 200 million streams and receiving praise from NPR, Vibe, Coveteur, and Wonderland Magazine, he further polishes and perfects this approach on his 2021 For My Friends EP (Interscope Records).
“For me, songwriting feels more like remembering a song,” he explains. “I’m trying to remember a vague dream. The song already exists. I just need to be present enough to pull it out of the sky. Nothing is truly new. We’re trying to tell old stories in new ways. Every sound, sample, kick, and snare has been used, but you can put your own little twist on them. Whoever has the best memory wins,” he smiles.
Jacob first put his own twist on soul, R&B, and alternative with a series of independent EPs. His 2018 full-length debut, Village, garnered widespread critical acclaim. OnesToWatch dubbed it, “[his] most introspective work to date,” and The Guardian claimed, “his command of blues grit and electronic spell-casting is borderless.” It yielded anthems such as “Unknown (To You)” and “Chainsmoking” and landed on VIBE’s “30 Best Albums of 2018” list. In addition to headlining sold out shows on multiple continents, he delivered electrifying performances at Coachella, SXSW, Austin City Limits, and Lollapalooza and opened for the likes of Emeli Sandé, Sam Smith, and Alicia Keys. He delivered standout sets on television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Later… with Jools Holland. Not to mention, he landed music in The Equalizer 2, Lucifer, Suits, and Game of Thrones, to name a few.
Returning from the road as society went into Lockdown at the top of 2020, he sequestered himself at his place in London and turned his sights on a new chapter. For the first time, he created and recorded at home under the watchful eye of his two cats. He worked with longtime collaborator Sillky through the wire as well as Jonah Christian in Los Angeles and Dani Young in Australia.
“When you’re in a studio session, there’s a finite amount of time, so you feel like you have to leave with a song,” he says. “I had never set up a home studio, because I was always afraid I’d just lose myself in it. It turned out that I only went into the home studio when I knew I had something versus all of the trial-and-error in a session. Even though I’ve been making music for years, I acquired so many skills and adopted new ways of looking at situations. At home, I keep listening until I hear something I can make a whole story out of. Whatever I record is worthy of the album. It wouldn’t have gotten me out of my seat from playing Call of Duty otherwise.”
The first single “Stranger” illuminates his evolution. Sparse beats, hypnotic handclaps, wailing guitar, and delicate piano stitch together a warm soundscape as his vocoder-wrapped vocals carry a hymn-like chant, “No one makes it out alive, even time will have its time…Stranger, once upon a time.”
“Things can just be, and one day…they can stop,” he observes. “It’s the game we play, but it’s worth trying, exploring, and learning from, even if it ends in flames. Nobody will make it out of this in one piece, so you might as well see what happens. Even if you find a perfect relationship, one of you will leave the earth before the other—which will ultimately end in heartbreak. We crave love, but it will forever result in pain. I find it very interesting anyone would sign up for something that will 100% conclude in tears. ‘Stranger’ explores this concept.”
On “Devil That I Know,” solo piano underscores a dynamic vocal performance, stretching from intimate verses into a graceful chorus.
“I was thinking of the saying, ‘The devil that I know is better than the devil that I don’t’,” he states. “Even if you find love, there are so many things to be sad about. There’s still oppression, racism, sexism, bigotry, and hunger.”
Then, there’s “Parade.” A window into a world on fire, the intensity of his voice reflects the friction of changing tides on the streets.
“I wrote it after going to a protest in the UK,” he remembers. “I hoped to experience a sense of pride or whatever, but I didn’t experience any of that. I felt defeated by the fact we still have to do this after all of these years. We’re all risking our lives with the pandemic out there. However, it turned around in my head. No matter how hard it gets for the oppressed, civilization still doesn’t move without our consent. It was fascinating to me. I found power in it. Society requires those who stand up on the frontline and march. It needs all of the marginalized and disenfranchised groups, so get on board or get used to it.”
In the end, For My Friends reminds the world of a story it needs to hear.
“I just want to keep people company,” he leaves off. “Millions of us feel alone but have survived. You will too. I hope you know you have a friend in me. I want you to be seen and heard.”
Expand“For me, songwriting feels more like remembering a song,” he explains. “I’m trying to remember a vague dream. The song already exists. I just need to be present enough to pull it out of the sky. Nothing is truly new. We’re trying to tell old stories in new ways. Every sound, sample, kick, and snare has been used, but you can put your own little twist on them. Whoever has the best memory wins,” he smiles.
Jacob first put his own twist on soul, R&B, and alternative with a series of independent EPs. His 2018 full-length debut, Village, garnered widespread critical acclaim. OnesToWatch dubbed it, “[his] most introspective work to date,” and The Guardian claimed, “his command of blues grit and electronic spell-casting is borderless.” It yielded anthems such as “Unknown (To You)” and “Chainsmoking” and landed on VIBE’s “30 Best Albums of 2018” list. In addition to headlining sold out shows on multiple continents, he delivered electrifying performances at Coachella, SXSW, Austin City Limits, and Lollapalooza and opened for the likes of Emeli Sandé, Sam Smith, and Alicia Keys. He delivered standout sets on television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Later… with Jools Holland. Not to mention, he landed music in The Equalizer 2, Lucifer, Suits, and Game of Thrones, to name a few.
Returning from the road as society went into Lockdown at the top of 2020, he sequestered himself at his place in London and turned his sights on a new chapter. For the first time, he created and recorded at home under the watchful eye of his two cats. He worked with longtime collaborator Sillky through the wire as well as Jonah Christian in Los Angeles and Dani Young in Australia.
“When you’re in a studio session, there’s a finite amount of time, so you feel like you have to leave with a song,” he says. “I had never set up a home studio, because I was always afraid I’d just lose myself in it. It turned out that I only went into the home studio when I knew I had something versus all of the trial-and-error in a session. Even though I’ve been making music for years, I acquired so many skills and adopted new ways of looking at situations. At home, I keep listening until I hear something I can make a whole story out of. Whatever I record is worthy of the album. It wouldn’t have gotten me out of my seat from playing Call of Duty otherwise.”
The first single “Stranger” illuminates his evolution. Sparse beats, hypnotic handclaps, wailing guitar, and delicate piano stitch together a warm soundscape as his vocoder-wrapped vocals carry a hymn-like chant, “No one makes it out alive, even time will have its time…Stranger, once upon a time.”
“Things can just be, and one day…they can stop,” he observes. “It’s the game we play, but it’s worth trying, exploring, and learning from, even if it ends in flames. Nobody will make it out of this in one piece, so you might as well see what happens. Even if you find a perfect relationship, one of you will leave the earth before the other—which will ultimately end in heartbreak. We crave love, but it will forever result in pain. I find it very interesting anyone would sign up for something that will 100% conclude in tears. ‘Stranger’ explores this concept.”
On “Devil That I Know,” solo piano underscores a dynamic vocal performance, stretching from intimate verses into a graceful chorus.
“I was thinking of the saying, ‘The devil that I know is better than the devil that I don’t’,” he states. “Even if you find love, there are so many things to be sad about. There’s still oppression, racism, sexism, bigotry, and hunger.”
Then, there’s “Parade.” A window into a world on fire, the intensity of his voice reflects the friction of changing tides on the streets.
“I wrote it after going to a protest in the UK,” he remembers. “I hoped to experience a sense of pride or whatever, but I didn’t experience any of that. I felt defeated by the fact we still have to do this after all of these years. We’re all risking our lives with the pandemic out there. However, it turned around in my head. No matter how hard it gets for the oppressed, civilization still doesn’t move without our consent. It was fascinating to me. I found power in it. Society requires those who stand up on the frontline and march. It needs all of the marginalized and disenfranchised groups, so get on board or get used to it.”
In the end, For My Friends reminds the world of a story it needs to hear.
“I just want to keep people company,” he leaves off. “Millions of us feel alone but have survived. You will too. I hope you know you have a friend in me. I want you to be seen and heard.”
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