Many collegiettes watched the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show back in December and remember the gorgeous VS advertisement shot in Paris. Karlie Kloss, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel and others strutted around French landmarks while a moody, dark R&B song played. The artist behind this track is Banks (stylized as BANKS), an American singer/songwriter who is poised to be the next big thing in music. With a legion of fans (including Ellie Goulding!) and a sold-out tour of North America, nothing is standing in her way to stardom!
Jillian Banks started making music when she was 15. In 2012 at age 24, she finally took the leap and started posting her songs on Soundcloud for others to hear. Within four months Billboard had noticed her, remarking that she was a “magnetic writer with songs to obsess over”. She was quickly signed and released two EPs, Fall over and London, in 2013. MTV detected a future superstar and named her the MTV Brand New Nominee 2014. Despite all her success, Banks is incredibly down to earth and private. She has admitted to hating social media, and posted her phone number on her Facebook fan page to talk directly to fans. Banks says, “I’ve never really been into social media — I don’t have a Facebook, I don’t do Twitter or Instagram or anything, but I still really want to be able to connect with people and have people make connections through my music, so I figured, ‘What a better way than to give out my number?”. Banks may not be able to keep up with the many texts and calls for long though – her upcoming set at Bonnaroo on June 12th will certainly create even more fans for her.
Banks creates music that is a fusion of ethereal indie folk and sultry R&B. Her delicate, almost eerie, vocals soar over the expertly produced beats (many made by Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs). Her songs and music videos have a feeling of film noir and mystery to them. Banks credits Fiona Apple and fellow Bonnaroo performer Lauryn Hill as musical influences. If you like The Weekend, Lorde, or Lana del Rey you should give Banks a listen. Her new album, Goddess, drops September 9th and the title track is number two on Spotify’s Viral 50 chart.