![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/bangas.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOne of the most intriguing and compelling musical acts to gain recent national attention is Tank and the Bangas. The New Orleans-based group combines spoken word, hip-hop, gospel and other styles into a unique sound all its own. Tank and the Bangas won the prestigious Tiny Desk Contest in 2017, and the group is currently on tour.<\/p>\n
Slam poet Tarriona \u201cTank\u201d Ball started the group in 2011, and by 2013 Tank and the Bangas had released a debut album, Thinktank<\/i>. Ball’s approach of alternating sections of spoken word, freestyle rap and spirited vocals earned the group a strong following in New Orleans and beyond. But the group’s unique and defined sound isn’t the product of some carefully thought-out plan.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I stared with the band, we were still in the midst of finding our sound,\u201d says keyboardist Merell Burkett. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to pinpoint when \u2013 or even how \u2013 it became what it is today.\u201d He believes it’s simply the product of the band members’ backgrounds, and a commitment to allowing all members to contribute with no thought of genre. \u201cIt\u2019s not like we have to mash every influence in every single song,\u201d he says. \u201cWe do what organically feels good to us; that\u2019s<\/i> what makes it our sound.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though Thinktank<\/i> earned enthusiastic reviews, the group is best appreciated in the context of a live performance. Tank and the Bangas implicitly acknowledge that reality: to date the group has released three live sets: The Big Bang Theory: Live at Gasa Gasa<\/i> came out a year after the studio debut; there’s also a live EP (Jam in the Van<\/i>), and the vinyl Live Vibes<\/i> was released on Record Store Day 2018<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Burkett emphasizes that the string of live releases doesn’t signal difficulty crafting a studio album. He explains the multiple live releases as \u201ca demand thing. People come to our show and enjoy it, so they want to take a piece of that home with them.\u201d Burkett points out that each show is different from the next, so each live release \u2013 even if it shares some of the same songs \u2013 is unique. \u201cAnd Big Bang Theory<\/i> is uptempo; Live Vibes<\/i> is more intimate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The band recently released a new single, \u201cSmoke.Neflix.Chill.\u201d And a studio release is planned for later this year. \u201cWe have something cooking in the oven, something in the works,\u201d Burkett promises.<\/p>\n
Burkett describes Tank and the Bangas’ onstage demeanor as \u201corganized chaos.\u201d The band can take off on improvisational journeys, but it never loses the plot or descends into aimless jamming. The group’s live shows are boisterous and exciting, and Tarriona Ball’s lyrics connect with the crowd. \u201cI think the excitement makes people more<\/i> attentive to what\u2019s being said,\u201d Burkett says. \u201cAnd we like to break down the music to compliment what\u2019s being said when Tank gets deep in those poems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sometimes, Burkett says, \u201cwe just let Tank do her thing and we follow her. Kind of like church!\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact, church creates a common bond among the band members. \u201cEvery last one of us grew up in church,\u201d Burkett says. \u201cMy grandparents were choir members; we had to go every Sunday.\u201d Bassist Norman Spence’s father is a pastor, as is Ball’s grandfather. \u201cI think [drummer] Josh Johnson’s dad is a preacher too,\u201d Burkett says. \u201cAnd Albert [Allenback, alto saxophone] used to play at church with Norman.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group is currently touring as a five-piece, but membership sometimes swells to twice that size. And Burkett says that Tank and the Bangas feels more like a family than a band. \u201cThey\u2019re like my brothers and sisters,\u201d he says. \u201cI couldn’t have chosen any better group to be a part of.\u201d He says that he treasures \u201ccreating music with my friends. We’ll start something from scratch, and then the outcome is just crazy every time. I’m blessed to have them in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
With awards, successful albums, a tour and a new release on the way, Tank and the Bangas have a solid foundation to take the group into the future. And Burkett already has his sights set on another achievement: a Grammy Award. With a smile, he asks, \u201cIs that reaching too high?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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