The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and genre-defying recording artist Bankston releases his cathartic and emotional new single entitled, "Wild."
Making up the rules as he goes, Bankston is known for his versatile creations that never abide by the cookie-cutter norms of genres. Playing in bands taught him how to produce and engineer, and he would eventually end up at the LA Recording School. He's gone so far as working with Azealia Banks and has even flipped the script to create theme songs for Audible.
Expanding on his latest single, "Wild," listeners can catch Bankston taking on a whole new and authentic style that lies between the realms of pop-punk and hip-hop. While passionately singing of a tumultuous breakup and navigating his way out of it, Bankston's energetic punk-inspired instrumentals perfectly back him up to create an uplifting and feel-good listening experience.
In more detail, "Wild" takes off like a whirlwind of emotion through a grungy electric guitar melody that later transitions into a snappy and upbeat hip-hop drum arrangement alongside organic punk-inspired drums. Then, as the energy begins to rise with Bankston's expressive and powerful vocal stylings, he grabs our heart with his passionate and relatable lyrics about needing his fix of love and doing what he can to mend the pain.
The song's second half offers the utmost energy and passion one can find from compelling pop-punk tracks, especially with the addition of the lively hip-hop drums to level the playing field. As Bankston continues to shout his anthemic and relatable words, he makes his way over to the outro while slowing it down and closing the song staring at loneliness in its cold eyes.
Find emotional relief in Bankston's latest single, "Wild," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Bankston. We're very appreciative of such a relatable and vulnerable release like "Wild." What experiences led you to create such a poignant single like this?
What's up and thank you very much! I wrote this song earlier this year when I was at an emotionally low point for a couple of weeks, and this was kind of my therapy of getting it off my mind and talking about it. I had been going through a breakup, and it was all just based on a lonely night of good and bad thoughts running through my head about my relationship and just life in general and also a way of telling myself that it'll be alright in the end, that this feeling is only temporary.
Are you new to this exciting and modern fusion of pop-punk and hip-hop, like within your single "Wild?" Or is this a sound you've been practicing for a while now?
I grew up playing in punk and pop-punk bands when I was a teenager, so I'm not new to that, and I produce a lot of other artists in all types of genres, so I am very familiar with making hip hop trap beats too. I started working on the fusion of the two a little over a year ago. I saw the genre was making a comeback and the teenager in me from my older days of playing music was like YES! Our time has come back to start creating pop-punk again.
Did you work entirely solo on the production and instrumentals for "Wild?" Or did you have anyone around to bounce ideas off of?
One of my best friends and songwriting partner Alberto Luna helped me write the song. He had the lead guitar idea, and we wrote it around that. I layed down some melodies and lyrics based on a journal entry I had done the night before, and then we fleshed it all out together over a few sessions. Also, my good friend and one of the partners in my studio who goes by Gearshift helped me out with production. The song was all written and had been recorded previous to his drums and 808's. I had originally had live drums through the whole music, and one day while working on it, when Gearshift had come to the studio, he said, let me put some drums on this track, and I am so glad he did the song wouldn't be the same without them.
How did you want your audience to react and receive the single "Wild?" What did you want to make them feel?
I feel like people can relate if they have gone through any depression and sadness. Whether it's specifically from a breakup or something completely separate, there is still a common feeling of being alone. But, in the end, it will all be okay, and there is nothing wrong with feeling just okay at times and not doing great.
What's next for Bankston?
I have a couple of singles I am getting ready to drop throughout next year and start playing some shows next year now that the world has gone back to some form of normalcy.
