BANKS has spoken to NME about why her new record ‘Off With Her Head’ has “the most joy that she’s ever had on an album.” Check out our full interview below.
Due for release on February 28, BANKS’ forthcoming fifth LP marks the first album from the California-born artist – who is now based in Seattle – since 2022’s ‘Serpentina’, hailed by NME as an “innovative and resilient reintroduction”.
Last year, BANKS (real name Jillian Banks) also unveiled ‘Goddess: Unplugged’, a stripped-back re-imagination of her seminal 2014 debut LP ‘Goddess’. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the singer performed the album in full at special intimate shows in Los Angeles, New York and London.
Speaking to NME in London, she explained how the London show at KOKO “felt truly like a celebration”, having played at the same venue on the original ‘Goddess’ tour in 2014.
“I remember being on that stage for my first [London headline] show: the nerves, anxiety and the different struggles I was having in my head,” she continued. “I’m in such a different place now. Everybody was screaming every lyric, and it just felt like joy was everywhere.”
Discussing her decision to re-imagine ‘Goddess’ into a stripped-back experience, Banks explained how the “milestone of 10 years” prompted a desire to celebrate the record. “‘Goddess’ was such a big moment in my life, and that album impacted so many people.”
She added: “That tour felt really empowering – I was completely alone on stage with a piano. I feel really strong as a performer after doing it, carrying an entire show on my own.I think the best songs sound equally as beautiful as skeletons, in their rawest form.”
Check out our full interview below, where Banks discussed what London means to her, why Doechii was an “angel” to work with and the multi-faceted emotions behind her new album.
NME: Hello Jillian. Are you enjoying your time in London?
BANKS: “I’ve been here for about a week, I came here to write with some of my favourite people. I’ve booked the studio every single day for two weeks. I’ve never done that before, [having an album coming out and still] wanting to write more. It’s a lot of creative energy and it’s pretty exhausting, but I’m more of a savage now! I guess I can just get through it. I’ve been in a little creative bubble, but we went to this really delicious vegan restaurant last night called Olivieira, it’s in Shoreditch. Although I haven’t found a good chai latte here yet – I’ve tried five different places…”
What does this city mean to you? After all, it was one of just three locations you chose for the ‘Goddess’ shows…
“London is a huge part of my career – my first EP was called ‘London’. This was the first place I ever travelled to, to write. I ended up meeting my creative soul mates on that trip – Lil Silva, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. I really discovered my sound, which had been building for over 10 years of writing on my own. Beyond that, the UK was one of the first territories that really accepted me and embraced me, and I will always feel a closeness for that.”
What stands out to you from your breakout period around ‘Goddess’?
“Anxiety, truly. I was writing music for such a long time, but I didn’t tell anyone, so when my music started coming out, people were like ‘You make music?’, because I kept it so close to my chest. When I started touring, it was a big shock to be in front of so many people. I had a lot of anxiety… excited anxiety!”
You’ve said you feel like “the mother of that person” who released ‘Goddess’ – what would you say to your younger self?
“I would say ‘You’re OK, truly.’ My yoga teacher, she’s now one of the dearest people in my life. When I first started working with her, I was going through a lot, and she would say, ‘You’re OK.’ It always gave me a lot of peace, hearing those very simple words.”
What are your memories from touring with The Weeknd in 2013?
“That was so special. I love that whole camp and his music; he’s just awesome. Those venues were huge for me. Every single thing was so new, it’s ingrained in my memory. Playing Radio City [in New York] with him, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is crazy.’”
Are you still in touch?
“Not as much, but I’ve always got so much love for him.”
How did it feel to give your Doechii collaboration ‘I Hate Your Ex-Girlfriend’ its live debut at KOKO in London?
“Everybody knew every lyric already – it was such a vibe. I could put the mic down and just dance around with the audience during Doechii’s part.”
How did the two of you end up working together?
“I was a fan of hers, and we had a mutual friend. She was such a lovely angel from the beginning, she said, ‘I’ve listened to your music for so long and ‘Goddess’ had an impact on me’. I love hearing that from people who inspire me – it’s the ultimate compliment. We sent it back and forth. Every time I got a new version, I just [had a] stank face, the whole time!
“It was kind of a joke at the beginning, telling horror stories about our exes. We were joking around, because we weren’t even planning on writing a song about that. When you’re collaborating with someone, it’s all kind of jumbled. We were just like, ‘Damn, that’s a fire hook’. We were cracking up the entire time writing. It’s so mean, like, ‘You basic bitch, you should be lucky I’m even touching one of your exes!’”
Like you say, it’s savage, but it feels quite playful at the same time…
“I think that every girl – every person – can relate to that. This album was so incredible to make because there’s fun and sassy songs which are not that deep, and then there are [more emotional] songs like ‘Best Friends’ or ‘Stay’. I love having a whole human, rather than one mood.”
‘Best Friends’ is incredibly bittersweet – did it help you process being at peace with the situation, drifting apart from that person?
“It’s really sad, I still dream about her all the time. It’s just part of life, I guess. Who knows where the road of life takes you… that’s a hard lesson, growing up, being at peace with [the fact that] people aren’t always meant to be in your life. Your first best friend is like your soulmate, it’s like your first love. It’s got that energy of magic to it, but growing up is also painful, sometimes. It’s hard not to think, ‘What did I do wrong?’ Writing that song helped me put it in perspective – it’s sung from both perspectives.”
‘Guillotine’ is such a high-octane opening to the record…
“I wanted to book-end it with ‘Guillotine’ and ‘Off With Her Head’. This album is brave, it’s joyous and it exists – it’s not hiding. It’s not tip-toeing in a room. It’s fun book-ending this body of work with punches to your gut.”
Did working with Lil Silva for the first time since ‘Goddess’ roll back the years?
“That’s actually who I’m working with this week, too. When you do take a break and come back together you both have grown as artists. Your process, the dynamic is a little bit different. It was really fun re-establishing a flow in the studio.”
Why did ‘Off With Her Head’ sum up the feeling of the record?
“It means so many different things. That negative voice in your head, you have to really train yourself to let that go and [quieten] that voice… just cut it out. Also, it really means being present. Get out of your head, get in your body, and let go of the past – stop thinking so much. That idea comes with a lot of acceptance and peace.
“It’s funny, because the phrase ‘Off With Her Head’ sounds dark, but this album has the most joy that I’ve ever had on an album. There’s not that many sad songs on it, which was very different for me. ‘Stay’ is such a beautiful snapshot of sweet love and being lovesick… there’s a lot of songs that have a brightness to them. You can’t have that unless you’re being present, because it’s not true joy, true brightness or true love. If you’re not experiencing it, you’re just somewhere else in your head.”
BANKS’ fifth album ‘Off With Her Head’ will be released February 28 via ADA Worldwide.