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Banks

Banks

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

News
Banks On Her New Single, "Crowded Places" banks-writing-crowded-places-coming-her-body

Banks: Writing "Crowded Places," Coming Into Her Body

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Singer/songwriter opens up on the song that took off in HBO's "Girls" and how her sophomore album got her moving
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Sep 5, 2017 - 12:09 pm

Certain albums can move you. For the many music fans who latched onto Banks' moody and candid sophomore album, 2016's The Altar, listening became an emotionally moving experience.

Banks On Writing "Crowded Places"

More recently, her new single "Crowded Places" moved TV audiences everywhere when it was discovered and featured by Lena Dunham, creator and star of the hit HBO series "Girls." The song drives an isolated yet self-empowered pulse through a party scene that drifts into Dunham's reverie of a new life in the suburbs in the series' second-to-last episode.

For Banks, the personal experience of writing these moving songs and the extensive touring that followed The Altar have built a staircase to a new floor within herself. What started as a songwriter making a necessary artistic move has grown into making a physical transformation.

"For me, I think of this album not only as something I needed to write just like any other song I've ever released," she says. "But it's where I really found my own body and my own movements."

Her live shows have become more and more mesmerizing and adventurous, shedding some of the mystery that shrouded the singer when she arrived in 2014 with her debut, Goddess. It's easy to see why the Banks names GRAMMY winner Fiona Apple as a constant inspiration for her honesty and clarity of feeling as an artist, traits the singer/songwriter also oozes. Just as The Altar lets listeners deeper inside her mind and heart, her performances these days strive to express the same devotion to her instincts.

"It's been therapeutic. … Through touring this album I've really come into my own body," says Banks. "I'm incorporating a lot more movement onstage than I ever have before. I feel really confident creatively. … I feel like this last chapter has been all about me just trusting my own ideas, and I'm really proud of where the show is and I think because of that I don't get as tired when I tour because it's inspiring me."

This level of physical onstage engagement with her music must no doubt take its toll. With a massive tour ahead of her, taking her show across the United States and Europe, Banks described the almost spiritual way the soul overcomes the body when she allows the songs, and their essence, to take over.

"You just dive into the music. Sometimes touring is really exhausting, so you're in different time zones and [doing] all this craziness to your body and once you get onstage and you feel the energy of the crowd, you're singing your own music," she says. "I write all my own music, so once I'm up on stage and I'm in it, I'm transported to why I wrote those songs, everything kind of disappears."

As hard as it is to disappear night after night and return again and again for the next show, Banks remains motivated, liberated and as creative as ever.

"I'm always writing. I'm excited," Banks says with well-grounded enthusiasm. "I feel free right now. … I'm learning and I feel like I have new things to write about, so definitely going to get back in the studio right when I get home."

More Exclusive Interviews: Sylvan Esso On Growing Up In "Die Young" 

GRAMMYs

morgxn

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

News
Exclusive: morgxn On "Carry The Weight" & More exclusive-morgxn-carry-weight-his-mantra-vital-and-home

Exclusive: morgxn On "Carry The Weight," His Mantra For 'Vital' And "Home"

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In an inspired and thoughtful moment, the singer/songwriter opens up about his latest album and breaks down two of its most impactful songs
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Aug 4, 2018 - 7:07 pm

"In order to have something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done."

So goes the mantra morgxn took on during the making of his latest album, Vital. As the piano chords and melodies started falling into place on songs like "Carry The Weight" and "Home," so did the transformational album that contains them. As he travels across the country sharing the very personal material from the new album, one conversation with the singer/songwriter and you can plainly see he means every word.

morgxn On 'Vital' & His Journey "Home"

We spent some quality time with morgxn backstage at Lollapalooza with morgxn to delve into the process of making the album and focus on two of its standout songs.

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

Clairo

Clairo

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

News
Exclusive: Clairo Discusses Her 'Diary 001' EP exclusive-clairo-discusses-her-diary-001-ep-growing-her-live-show

Exclusive: Clairo Discusses Her 'Diary 001' EP & Growing Her Live Show

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Backstage at Lollapalooza the rising alt-pop star talks about taking her songs from her bedroom to the big stage
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Aug 20, 2018 - 5:05 pm

From the secluded makeshift recording studio of her bedroom, singer/songwriter Clairo has been pumping out intimately honest and irresistibly catchy singles since 2013, including last year's notable singles, "Pretty Girl," "4EVER" and "Flaming Hot Cheetos." Now with her Diary 001 EP and a brand new stellar collaboration with Cuco on "Drown," the rising alt-pop songstress is taking her sound from behind closed doors to the big stage.

Clairo Discusses Her 'Diary 001' EP

We sat down with Clairo backstage at Lollapalooza to ask about her latest EP and hear how she's translating her signature sonic approach to bigger and bigger audiences.

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

Lollap

Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images

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Lollapalooza 2018 Recording Academy Recap recap-lollapalooza-2018-recording-academy

Recap: Lollapalooza 2018 With The Recording Academy

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Follow us backstage at Chicago's Grant Park for exclusive access to one of the summer's biggest and best music festivals
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Aug 6, 2018 - 11:10 am

Lollapalooza arrives year after year at summer's peak to celebrate music with one of the most can't-miss festivals. This year, the Recording Academy was on-the-ground in Grant Park for exclusive interviews and backstage access, bringing you insight from a wide variety of artists. Whether you're a fan of EDM, rock, pop, hip-hop, or R&B, there was something for everyone on this year's lineup, and we were there to capture the action.

Lollapalooza 2018 Recording Academy Recap

The four-day festival featured dozens of acts across eight stages including Kidzapalooa for the parents out there. For more coverage from backstage in Chicago, check out our Lollapalooza 2018 photo gallery.

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

 

Lizzo

Lizzo

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

News
Exclusive: Lizzo On Lolla, New Music & More exclusive-lizzo-lollapalooza-new-music-rupauls-drag-race

Exclusive: Lizzo On Lollapalooza, New Music & RuPaul's 'Drag Race'

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We caught up with Lizzo backstage at Lollapalooza to get the latest on her music and career
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Aug 5, 2018 - 1:38 pm

You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger personality than Lizzo. The hip-hop queen exudes confidence, humor and attitude. Her last album, Coconut Oil, established her as one of today's strongest voices for individuality and self-love, and she gained even more exposure as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race. But Lizzo is just getting started.

Lizzo On Lolla, New Music & 'Drag Race'

Right before she rocked the stage at Lollapalooza, Lizzo stopped by to talk about her upcoming set, the new music she's working on, and how Drag Race changed her career.

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.