Mysterious, hypnotic, edgy – American singer and songwriter, Jillian Rose Banks, simply known as Banks, has crept up onto the alternative R&B scene, and we’re not complaining. The Orange County, Californian began writing her own songs when she was 15 years old to cope with her parents divorce.
After receiving a keyboard from a friend, she taught herself piano shortly after. It was then she brought her lyrics to life. Little did she know, this would lead to her breakthrough in the music industry.
Years later, the singer enrolled into the University of Southern California. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, friend and actress Lily Collins distributed sample tracks to other individuals in the industry. Banks was later signed to Harvest records and Good Year Recordings.
Banks has received nominations for awards from MTV, was artist of the week for Vogue in August 2013, and was named one of Spotify’s “Artists Under the Spotify” Spotlight for 2014. It is no surprise she had been mentioned in well-known publications such as The Boston Globe and The Huffington Post. To add to her accomplishments, she was the opening act for The Weeknd during his 2013 tour, “The Fall.” Shortly after, she announced her own headlining tour, “The Goddess,” with stops at iconic festivals such as Bonnaroo, Governor’s Ball and Lollapalooza in 2015.
Her debut album, “Goddess,” sent shockwaves when it was released on September 4, 2015, selling 25,00 copies the first week. On June 8, 2016, she announced the completion of her second album. Singles “Fuck With Myself,” “Gemini Feed” and “Mind Games” were released building up to her sophomore album titled, “The Altar,” released on September 30, 2016.
Her sound has been compared to The Weeknd and Aaliyah and influenced by Lauryn Hill and Fiona Apple. Her haunting and mesmerizing lyrics paired with her edgy vocals create the perfect combination. It is no surprise Banks has seen great success in such a short amount of time. It won’t be long until she makes her next move.
