In my experience, musically inclined Collegiettes love being ahead of the curve, and this girl is no different. Recently BANKS has decided to make herself known after years of opening shows for artists like The Weeknd. Her first album, Goddess, aptly named for her otherworldly voice, was released on September 5th under the imprint group Harvest, which is under the umbrella of Universal Music Group.
BANKS, originally Jillian Rose Banks, grew up in the music-savvy realm known as Los Angeles, greatly influencing her choice to pursue music. At the age of 15, she taught herself piano and delved into the realm of songwriting and lyricism in response to her parents’ divorce. She told Billboard last year, “I could say anything I wanted — I could be as graphic as I wanted, I could be as real and as vulnerable and as angry and raw, and it was the most liberating feeling,” exposing how harshly she was affected.
Since then, Banks utilized the growing site, Soundcloud, as a means to begin releasing singles and gaining popularity. Her first track, “Before I Ever Met You,” which is also featured on Goddess, debuted in early 2013 and quickly followed up with the release of her EP Fall Over.
Fall Over was met with a positive reaction from Billboard, Metacritic, and other various music sites. Considered a “magnetic artist,” her voice has the appeal of a combination of The Weeknd and Ellie Goulding. Haunting and intrusive, her voice seeps into the minds of the listeners and enchants them with her words.
Banks continues her recognition in the music community from internationally touring with The Weeknd and performing at multiple music festivals including Coachella and Bonnaroo this past summer, hanging out with the likes of fellow songbirds, Jhené Aiko.
Her sound has evolved on Goddess, crafting the lengthy 18-track album into a trance-inspired mix of heavy, ambient synths and echoing vocals, layered to create a sound guaranteed to suck you in. Banks pulls at your inner turmoil and gives it life, making her emotionally connected to her listeners. In many of her songs, “Brain” for example, her voice sounds as if she’s drifting farther and farther away, intriguing yet untouchable. She is an exemplary idea of what it feels to be wandering and powerless yet so completely aware of it.
Her textured sound and seemingly lo-fi effect fits into the budding alt-R&B, or PBR&B, a joke on the favorite hipster beer Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR 4 life). In this hipster, internet-fame sense, Lana Del Rey seems like an appropriate counterpart, considering their mysterious appearances and striking looks, as well as the vocal abilities.
Long story short, her name is BANKS and after you listen to her you won’t be able to forget it.
All images found here