Making up the rules as he goes, Bankston blends genres and continues to break boundaries. Growing up, playing in bands landed him in the studio constantly. This is where he learned how to produce and engineer music. Being a multi-instrumentalist whose skills eventually took him to The LA Recording School where he specialized in music production, his new musical vision is a mix of Pop-punk and Hip-hop with lyrics that hit.
His latest creation titled, “Cannibal” introduces us to a fusion of intriguing intensification matched with swift melodies that grace your mind. It’s not out of the ordinary to plunge into a Bankston record with the type of mind-altering effects that take over your entire being.
The buoyant instrumentation that is carefully strung together dips in between upbeat and effervescent hues that instill a sense of optimism before you delve into the gritty, bolstered atmosphere that leads the song to its sonic destination.
We are completely absorbed in the unique tone that Bankston’s croons adopt as, “Cannibal” which thrives in the realm of Pop Punk angst meets the new wave melodies of Hip-Pop. Bankston’s lyrical performance paints vivid imagery upon our minds as the words that he passionately pours out has us feeling a type of way about the narrative he addresses.
Lyrical motifs such as, ‘And all I ever wanted was a peace of mind. I know I tried again, and again, and again,’ prove to us that he’s at his wit's end, and the strength in which he conveys these words backs it all up equally. “Cannibal,” truly fits into Bankston’s artistic vision, and with a record of this caliber dousing the sound waves, we’re ready for the next anthem to come reigning from his music catalog.
Hello Bankston, welcome to BuzzMusic, and congratulations on the release of “Cannibal.” There’s such an array of genres that jump out at us, and we know how authentic that is to how you create your music. How did you decide which genres would be apparent in the creation of this song? Did you make this decision before, or after the theme was chosen?
Thank you so much! I really wanted to mix pop-punk and hip hop, both of my favorite genres. My co-producer Gearshift and I started with the trap drums in the verse and right off the bat I wanted to add guitars. Once we had the vibe of the first verse I knew it needed a dynamic change which was done by the acoustics in the pre-chorus and then the acoustic drums and distorted guitars in the chorus itself. It was one of those songs that just came together really quick off of the jump. The first session is where we came up with the majority of the verse and pre-chorus and the following day I was so pumped about it I produced and wrote the rest of the track.
In your own words, what does the message in “Cannibal,” mean to you? What are you hoping that your audience takes away from this song?
The idea behind "Cannibal" was about my lifestyle and some of the unhealthy aspects of it and how they were bothering me, eating at me so to speak like a cannibal.
How does this single compare to your previously released, ‘Running Uphill?' What are some similarities and differences that the creative process saw?
Leading up to the release of running uphill I was kinda nervous about people’s reactions to the song and this new style I have adopted but once it came out I got really great feedback and was very inspired by it actually. Now leading up to cannibals release I was more excited than nervous, I knew I had something I was really proud of and ready for people to hear it. The process is always different but usually stems from just messing around and experiment with sounds and different instruments and both of these songs were based around the drums and guitars.
What has been the most eye-opening moment for you throughout your artistic career this far?
To be honest, it was when I stopped caring what people think about my music and just know whether I vibed with it or not, and funny enough that’s when people really started to pay attention.
What's next for you?
I have a couple of singles in the bag that will be coming out throughout the year and gonna be playing some shows soon too now that everything is opening back up.
