Around this time last year, genre-bending New Orleans outfit Tank and the Bangas were riding high after winning NPR‘s Tiny Desk Concert. Led by infectiously upbeat frontwoman Tarriona “Tank” Ball, the group had just recorded their very own official Tiny Desk Concert and were gearing up to embark on their first big tour as newly-minted rising stars. The past year has been a whirlwind as far as the band’s live evolution is concerned, but today we got our first taste of what they’ve been up to in the studio.
Tank and the Bangas’ new single “Smoke.Netflix.Chill” marks the group’s first release via a major label (Verve Forecast), and its a timely move considering 4/20 is right around the corner. The delightfully laid back, socially insightful, and weed-friendly tune will presumably appear on a forthcoming album, though no information regarding a follow up to the band’s only LP, 2013’s Think Tank, has been revealed at this time.
Tank and the Bangas – “Smoke.Netflix.Chill”<
Unsurprisingly, Tank and the Bangas’ biggest advocates, NPR, got dibs on the premiere of “Smoke.Netflix.Chill”. Ball shared some thoughts on the song, which features guest appearances from fellow New Orleans artists DJ Rq Away and Alfred Banks, with the publication:
“I wanted to tell this story from a girl’s perspective — a girl that actually wants to chill, instead of the guy pushing for it. I wanted to see where that could go. I’ve never written so many verses to one song! But it was so worth it to see the story in my head actually come to life. The organic feel comes from the fricky, fricky, fresh scratches from New Orleans own Dj Rq Away, the smooth, ever-so melodic sounds and beat boxing from Harbinger project, the male over tones from Alfred Banks, and myself and the Bangas — [it] created a feel that set the tone for true down-to-Mars magic! I went to a time when girls were confident if they were into you and it didn’t take away from their fly. We took it back.”
While the new single marks Tank and the Bangas first release with Verve Forecast, it’s actually not the first song that Ball has appeared on for the label. Late last year, the singer collaborated with Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart on the tune “Big Bad Wolf”, which appeared on his latest solo album, RAMU. We spoke with Hart a few weeks ago, and working with the “brilliant” Ball was one of few topics that came up during the discussion.