When you think of New Orleans music, many big names come to mind: Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Mahalia Jackson, The Meters and more. The list could go on for paragraphs with the names of those that have helped shape not only New Orleans music, but music as a whole. In the last few years, a new generation of New Orleans artists have been continuing the legacy while forging a new path with their own sound, and their own definition of what it means to be a New Orleans musician. Tank and the Bangas is one of those groups that is helping to continue to keep New Orleans and its musical culture on the map. The band formed in 2013 and really made a name for themselves on the national stage, winning NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series in 2017. Since then, the group has gone on to release three albums, two EPs, score nominations for two Grammy Awards, countless performances on national television, and even a shout out from former First Lady, Michelle Obama on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Following the 2023 Grammys and ahead of their spot in the 2023 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival lineup, we caught up with the band to talk about what makes them tick and how the ride of the last couple of years has been.
Q: What’s the backstory of Tank and the Bangas?
Tank: Take it away, Norman.
Norman: Initially Tank, Josh and I met at the open mic night. The house band at this particular open mic, was the guitarist and the bassist that had a group called The Blackstar Bangas. It was every Sunday evening event, so we would all come every Sunday. Eventually, a group formed from the artists that were showing up. We call that group Liberated Soul Collective. Tank was a part of that group. When the group kind of dismantled, people spread out, and we made it Tank and the Blackstar Bangas. When our original members left, we made it Tank and the Bangas, and made an LLC and kept on working. Eventually, a few years later, after we made “Think Tank,” we met Albert. And Albert came on and had an experience and was like, take me with you, and we needed a flute player. He kind of fit right in on a Jay Cole song “Power Trip.” He stuck around he nailed a Tipitina’s show. And he’d said after the show, to our manager, “take me with you.” And he’s been here ever since. And, you know, we’ve just been going and going and growing. Knowing that we serve people with our music, and now it’s renowned a bit.
Q: How would you define your sound?
Tank: It’s pretty undefinable. I can guarantee you that the next album won’t sound like this one. Just like, Red [Balloon] doesn’t sound like Green [Balloon], Green doesn’t sound like “Think Tank,” you know, we change and we allow each other to modify, and grow. Because we have mostly Black faces, people like to slap R&B on it. But that’s really not all we are, especially if you come to a live show. It’s pretty dynamic.
Joshua: Yes, we’re genre fluid.
Q: What did it mean to you to be nominated for a second Grammy this year?
Tank: It was very cool to be nominated. And what makes it so different from the first time, the first time [the nomination] was for Best New Artists. We weren’t new, but okay. But this was special to us, because it’s for the work. It’s for the album. And it’s so special and cool. It doesn’t define us, but it’s very cool that your peers are on the same wavelength and listening ears… Not to mention, Michelle and Barack Obama, you know, who doesn’t want that? So, it’s an honor to be recognized by your peers for the work that you put in, and I love the category, because for this album, particularly, I think it’s perfect.
Albert: (jokingly) I mean, you know, we thought we were going to win, so it was it was really nice to see it bear out. It’s great to have brought the trophies home at this point in March. Have them on the on the mantelpiece, you know?
Oh, no, no, no. But this one does feel good, like Tank said, because it’s about the work. And I feel like we’re not just in this big category that can include literal already pop stars, like Billie Eilish, and mid-level bands like us, that’s what “Best New Artist” was. It was like, alright, well, this is not a commercial match that is like, this just doesn’t work. I feel like I feel like we actually have like, a real shot based off this being based on our merits of the work. And the category we’re in. So yeah, it’s I think we have a really, really good shot. I felt good about the last one, though, too. So don’t listen to me.
Norman: But honestly, the fact that we’re nominated, to me, is a big win, because a lot of great artists with great projects, they’re not in the category. And so what, because the reality, it was still one of the best whether it’s seen by the people in this particular academy or not. I think, for us, we’re grateful, we’re grateful for sure. Yeah, we’re grateful that we won… (everyone laughs) you know what I mean, but, if we didn’t, and we were still amazing. And what we did was still powerful.
How does it feel to represent New Orleans and New Orleans artists on such a big platform?
Tank: Wooo, it’s insane. It just feels like it’s getting out there. It’s like the word is getting out there. You know? People are always looking at us, like, “so when you finally broke in, how does it feel to have made it?” We all really don’t feel that way. It’s just always amazing, because it feels amazing to feel heard. Because sometimes, with all this music out there – Spotify, iTunes, the millions of music, millions of songs are released literally every day. Sometimes it can feel like you’re throwing your work out into a big void. So when somebody like Barack and Michelle, they notice it and they actually say something about it, you’re part of their playlist, you feel heard and you feel seen. And that’s in that special and that’s important. It gives you the strength to keep going on because we don’t see each other the way that everybody sees us, you know, we still feel like underdogs still really trying to crawl out and make it and to be from New Orleans is even more special because a lot of people take from us but they don’t really give back.
Norman: I love it. It’s amazing. It’s an honor honestly. The fact that we are based here but we don’t sound like we’re based here is amazing to me. I’m super grateful for that. I’m also grateful for the fact that it actually is therapy, it’s helping people. Way before Tiny Desk, we had the same people come to the same shows every time and I’m just thought, they saw the show last time, but it was like church to them. That door fee was almost like paying an offering. And they was coming to get something intangible. And it was joyous. I seen people that we had seen come to the show over and over crying. I’m looking around like “what the hell wrong with you, bro.” I said, “what’s wrong?” “Oh, nothings wrong, I’m just touched. That was a good show.” I was like, “yo, you seen us like a million times though. The same shit. You know the songs.” But they see God at our show. God had to show me that, “they ain’t coming for y’all, they coming from me. So shut up. Just go play and be humble.”
What do you hope people know and take from New Orleans music and culture as we’re pushed onto a larger scale?
Tank: If people talk about us the way that we talk about Philly in a way that their movement was, that’s the goal. When we first Liberated Soul Collective, that’s what I wanted. Because with Philly, I think of The Roots, Jazmine Sullivan. I think of all of these amazing people, just good talent, but not one person overshadows everybody. It was just good. And that’s what I wanted to be known as, that we were part of this amazing new school class that also came from good stock like Toussaint and like Irma, or just people that was cut from this amazing cloth and kept it going. And then we make the people that came before us proud, and the people that come after us excited to take on the challenge of continuing on the legacy. Even though we don’t feel like we’re making a legacy, but you happen to be making one.
Norman: I tell you one thing that I’ve learned about New Orleans artists, especially the singers, even the musicians, but um, you could get a lot of notes and a lot of technical greatness, and a lot of other places. Singers that will impeccably nail every note with a lot of crazy, crazy runs. And it’ll be felt to a point. But when you come here to New Orleans, what I learned is, everybody on every level is coming straight from their soul. And it’s gonna be felt because they feel what they’re doing. When I first heard a Tank, she wasn’t as mature vocally as she is now. But it was amazing because it was sincerely her, it was fully her, fearlessly her, you know what I mean? It’s just this power from a place of, I notice if I own it, and I’m about to give you every part of it. I love that about this place. And it says it seems to run through even with musicians and most singers as well.
Albert: I’m glad that we can play a role in showing other parts of the city. I can speak specifically to this, when you’re outside the city, you don’t know what music strains exist in the city. And there are so many of them. I thought I had to go up to the northeast to make like more soulful music, like I was going go to Boston because I knew there was this scene up there that had things I was looking for, just more roads adjacent, like, Brass Band adjacent. That’s what I thought I was going to do, so when I came down to New Orleans, within a year and a half I kind of found like, oh, there’s this whole scene going on that Tank and the Bangas was the center point of. And I’m glad that we’re doing our thing now with attention on it because now more and more people know that this is one of the things that you’re even allowed to think about when you think New Orleans music. You don’t have to think about Mardi Gras beads on the end of trombones. You can think about beautiful vocals and thoughtful composition, delightful chords and improvisation, so I’m really glad that we can kind of evangelize that type of music from here.
If you had to pick one song that would define Tank and the Bangas forever, which song would you choose and why?
Tank: It’s hard to pick one, there is no one song that defines our catalog really, but I’m going with “Stolen Fruit.”
Albert: I’m going to say “Stolen Fruit” as well.
Joshua: I say it’s impossible to do. One song is missing like 70 percent of what we do. I feel like an answer would be a lie for me.
Norman: I got one that rings true for all of us in this band, “Human,” for sure.
What’s next for Tank and the Bangas?
Albert: You know we heard a lot of talk, but we’ve never actually met Barack Obama. If he likes the music that much… I’m just saying.
Joshua: Let’s put him on a record!”
Albert: Could you imagine… “Featuring President Obama”
Norman: Saturday Night Live is my big one. I’m trying to be on there.
Tank: I look forward to our children’s book.
Lagniappe
Favorite Local Artist:* Tank: Sweet Crude. Joshua: That’s such a hard question, man, there’s a lot of artists I like for different things. There’s no one favorite. Albert: Ha Sizzle and Zack Villere – he’s like frighteningly good Norman: Anjelika Jelly Joseph and Jon Batiste
Favorite festival to attend: Tank: Bayou Boogaloo is really laid back, but Essence is number 1. Joshua: Essence! Albert: French Quarter Fest has a special place in my heart.
Favorite place to hear live music in the city: Tank: I still have a heart for Blue Nile. Joshua: The Orpheum! Norman: When One Eyed Jacks was One Eyed Jacks I had some good times there.