How Jacob Banks Is Bringing Soul to the Digital Era
If anything’s been proven as true in the first half of 2017, it’s that the U.K. is a serious creative hub for the music industry. There’s been a wave of up-and-coming artists capturing the attention of the U.S., including soul singer Jacob Banks. His debut EP The Monologue, contained equal parts silky-smoothness and Otis Redding raspiness, capturing the ear of the industry. That very sound led him to a record deal with Interscope, and he just released his newest project, The Boy Who Cried Freedom. He just wrapped up a U.S. tour with Leon, and is currently gearing up for the busy festival season. Trust us, it’s only a matter of time before America will be just as obsessed with the young crooner as his U.K. audience.
You’ve been putting in a lot of hard work early this year touring and releasing singles for your upcoming EP. Your last project (Paradox) was self-released, how has your perspective on music shifted now that you’re releasing your first project on Interscope Records?
Aside from the soundscape changing, it’s essentially still the same thing. This EP introduces a digital side to the soul music. It’s a bigger machine and made with a little more love. And it’s nice to have help from people who care so much.
“The soul side just always resonated with me, it always sounded like the truth and I gravitated towards it”.
You were born in Nigeria, currently based in England, and have a sound created around soul music. Where does the inspiration to sing come from?
Singing for me came, honestly, just from singing along to songs. I had no plans to be a musician, my friends kinda pushed me and it spiraled out of control. The soul side just always resonated with me, it always sounded like the truth and I gravitated towards it.
Music in general, but especially soul and R&B seems to be going through an incredible transition. It seems you can’t just release music anymore, it has to be a package. It has to be accompanied with some sort of visual – whether it’s a video, dope album cover artwork, or some kind of zine or merch. Do you feel the need to produce extra content in this age?
I feel like you have to do what the fuck you want really, content helps, but its not for everybody. So, I think you gotta find your engagement factor and work that.
You wrote and directed the visual for “Unholy War” – what’s your ideal workspace when writing music and conceptualizing ideas for a video? Are you able to write while on the road traveling?
I tend to write treatments for music videos while I’m making the music, they go hand in hand for me. I’m a very visual person, I gotta see it to understand it, it’s two parts of the same coin for me.
Then there is of course your sound. You’ve described it as “digital soul.” How did you come to develop such a unique voice, especially in such an EDM and club-obsessed generation?
I kinda looked at what I love and what I believed in. I knew I loved Al Green and I also love Kanye West, so I wanted to give people what I loved. I wanted to make soul music sound like it was made in 2017 and tell my truth.
“I knew I loved Al Green and I also love Kanye West, so I wanted to give people what I loved.”
Do you remember the first time someone told you that you had a good voice, or the first time you went on a stage and felt a connection with music?
Ahh my friends Dan and Kumle at University always cheered me on and borderline forced me to do shows. I loved singing with a guitar in my university bathroom. It pissed a lot of people off but I honestly never felt more at peace, I was where I belonged for the first time in my life.
As we mentioned, you’re currently based in England but you’ve been doing a lot of touring in the U.S. lately. How is that going?
U.S. is fun, all very different energies which is interesting. I love being on stage sharing experiences and connecting with people so that’s been a real blessing.
Is it difficult being a U.K. artist and developing a following here in the U.S.? And do you feel a difference or switch anything up when performing here?
Nah, it’s all the same! If anything, it’s humbling that people fuck with me like that. I love traveling so I get to see a lot places that I’d probably never go to on my own accord.
What was your favorite city to perform in while touring with Leon?
I really loved New Orleans! The energy, the food, the people, the closeness… I felt very at home there.
Besides the release of The Boy Who Cried Freedom, what else can we expect from Jacob Banks this year?
I’m hoping to drop a full length album towards the end of the year and we are playing lots of festivals across U.S. and hopefully a tour to support both releases!
The Boy Who Cried Freedom, is now available here. To keep up with Jacob Banks and for upcoming tour dates check out his website.
If you liked this story, check out more in our Urban Transplants issue.
