Banks
Last but not least, Banks is a singer/songwriter from Los Angeles and is relatively new on the scene. She has a dark sound and brings a whole new eerie realness to the genre; almost like the female version of The Weekend. But at the same time she remains powerful and stands in front of the crowded backdrop.
Banks released her debut album Goddess in September last year, but this failed to take off, as she seemed to release almost every song on the album before she eventually dropped it.
As an artist, Banks is very specific about where she appears and whom she appears with. She’s the artist that nobody really knows anything about, despite the fact that her music hugely circulates on the internet and the press have frequently written about her.
But, there doesn’t seem to be any real appreciation towards her voice as a single entity. For example, Banks recorded an acoustic live set for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts where her voice is highlighted entirely – she establishes that she is a compelling body in her own right, a quality that is often ignored. She combines her captivating and sultry voice with carefully composed beats; she’s leading the electro-soul movement forward, and it’s something you don’t want to miss.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbwPwWqA-QQ&w=560&h=315]
Words by Sophie Nutt