Spotlight: Tank and The Bangas 'Friend Goals'
☆ By Sloan Pecchia ☆
THREE F’S: FANTASTIC, FRIENDLY AND FEATUREFUL. This is how Tank and The Bangas would describe their newest EP, Friend Goals. Composed of vocalist Tank Ball, bassist Norman Spence, drummer Joshua Johnson, and saxophonist Albert Allenback, Tank and The Bangas have experienced a whirlwind of activity over the last few years, which was kickstarted by them winning NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2017. Since, they have released their major label debut album, Green Balloon, and were nominated for Best New Artist of 2020 at last year’s Grammys. You would think that a pandemic would slow the four piece down, but instead they have just released one of their most ambitious projects to date, featuring over ten people, including PJ Morton and CHIKA.
1824 of Universal Music Group kindly included The Luna Collective in an online press conference, to speak with the band to get a greater sense of not only the new EP, but of who each member is individually and who they are as a group. When thinking of a typical press conference, the words dull, boring, and monotonous come to mind, as well as an image of a long table, crowded with men in black suits who appear to be apathetic. This was the complete and total opposite of that. Tank and The Bangas were animated and effervescent. At times they seemed to almost forget that they were on a Zoom call and it was in those moments that we were able to see their true dynamic as both a band, and as friends. They’d often talk over each other, laughing as someone cracked a joke or recounted a funny memory. They were comfortable within themselves, and with each other, and for that to be relayed so clearly across a Zoom call, says a lot about their relationship with one another and speaks to the title of their newest EP, Friend Goals.
Due to the pandemic, Friend Goals, was not created in a traditional sense, which definitely had an impact on the creative process. “Mixing and stuff over the internet was definitely interesting. Thank god for our friends in Chicago that had nice little software so we could mix in real time,” Tank explained. “And personally I think we needed it. We were on the road so much that we really needed this time to get together and create music cause it’s hard to be on the road constantly. So we needed this time at home to create. So for us it was a challenging and exceptional process.” In the midst of worldly chaos, the band was able to capture their spirit, and turn it into what they would tell you is some of the best recorded music they’ve ever made.
The tone of Friend Goals serves in direct juxtaposition to the solemn feelings so many people are experiencing right now. But that’s also why it works; it’s a form of self care. Listening to “Fluff” transports listeners to Coachella Valley, grooving to Tank’s silky vocals, as they bob their heads to the deep bass, minimalist production, and groove of Duckwrth’s feature. Simultaneously, “TSA” makes listeners laugh to themselves as they reflect on their own relationship with airport security, while PJ Morton sings about losing his cologne. Tank and The Bangas have given us an escape from the sorrowful reality, that so many are currently existing in. “In a really big context for 2020, we have a crisis of respect and stability, and with all of our friends on this, this is a really good model of friendships that are non-toxic, based in self-care, and respect, and stability,” Albert stated. Due to the light hearted and relatable, yet sincere subject matter, along with the features, listeners are made to feel like they are part of the friend group .
While the features bring listeners into the world of other artists, it also brings Tank and The Bangas into the lives of new listeners, “The fact that we can introduce other people to smaller artists and bigger artists introduce us to their audience, it’s just absolutely awesome,” Tank explained. Features also allow for artists to put their own special touch on a track, morphing it into something it wouldn’t have been otherwise. Norman expressed, “Getting to hear one of your favorite artists, whoever it is on the album, place their perspective on your song - that’s special too.” We hear that in Pell’s verse on “Friend Goals,” and the interspersed vocals of Hasizzle, Keedy Black, and Big Choo on “To Be Real.”
During this time we all need to be indulging in more self care than we normally would and it is my belief that Friend Goals is a product of Tank and The Bangas self care, and it isn’t just because they have a song titled as such. In a time where people are feeling as disconnected from each other as ever, the four piece took the opportunity to bring the people they love and admire together on this project. The four not only brought out the best in each other, but also their collaborators and vice versa. When asked how each member individually contributes to the overall expression of the group Albert responded and said, “... A forward sense of motion and a forward sense of hope that if we keep trying there’s always something that’ll come of any situation.” That is not only something for listeners to take away from this body of work, but also in their daily life. The theme of hope and friendship that Friend Goals and Tank and The Bangas exude, simply from how fun it is, is something that all listeners should personally strive towards.
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