Up-and-coming New Zealand band Banks Arcade are set to release their first full-length album, entitled Future Lovers. The band’s singer Josh O’Donnell along with their drummer James Feekes took the time to talk with Metal Express Radio about the band’s debut album, the formation of the band, the music scene in New Zealand, and more. Check out the chat below!
Metal Express Radio: The band’s debut album entitled Future Lovers is set to be released on July 29th, what can you tell fans about the band’s first full length album?
O’Donnell & Feekes: Future Lovers will be an introduction for fans to the band’s eclectic sounds and musical inspirations. There’s gonna be something in there for fans of anything from Emo to Metalcore to experimental Electronic Music.
MER: How was the writing and recording process for the album compared to the previous EPs?
O’Donnell & Feekes: This is the first project that involved all current members throughout the writing and recording process. It was recorded immediately after the initial 2020 lockdown in New Zealand and everything including the music videos for the singles was finished in 10 days.
MER: The band has released two singles from the album, what kind of feedback have you received so far?
O’Donnell & Feekes: People have been very positive so far which is extremely gratifying especially considering how different all of the singles are in their sound.
MER: Do you feel like those two songs give fans an idea of what to expect from the full album?
O’Donnell & Feekes: We hope it prepares people to expect the unexpected from the album.
MER: How did the band’s formation come about?
O’Donnell & Feekes: The band started with Josh at the centre and an entirely different lineup to today, Jason joined around 5 years ago and James and Harlan joined about 2 or 3 years ago. The band is driven by our collective passion for music and to see the world through sharing our music with our fans.
MER: What are some of the band’s influences?
O’Donnell & Feekes: Our individual tastes are quite eclectic but some core influences for the band’s sound include Northlane, My Chemical Romance, and Saint John.
MER: How is the music scene in New Zealand?
O’Donnell & Feekes: The scene is obviously smaller overall than other countries due to its population but there’s plenty of talent in all genres. We love the Hip Hop/production scene especially as well as the beautiful Jazz scene in Wellington.
MER: What are your hopes for Banks Arcade’s future?
O’Donnell & Feekes: We all want to see how far we can take the band, creatively and in terms of the business side. We have all sacrificed any semblance of a ‘normal’ life to get it this far and none of us plan on stopping any time soon.
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