Paul Banks

Born in Clacton-on-Sea, England in 1978 and raised between the United States, Spain and Mexico, Paul Banks established himself in New York in the late 1990s with Interpol, of which he is the vocalist, rhythm guitarist and later studio bassist starting with El Pintor in 2014. His writing sits in a tense indie rock, nourished by post-punk revival, with a deep voice, restrained melodic lines and a pronounced attention to dark textures and tight rhythms. Parallel to Interpol, Banks pursues a personal path that broadens this frame without breaking it entirely. Under the name Julian Plenti, he releases Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper in 2009, then the EP Julian Plenti Lives... in 2012, before releasing the Banks album the same year under his own name. These records push his range toward a more intimate form, between indie rock, singer-songwriter pop and more stripped-down atmospheres. Banks also explores his longtime interest in hip-hop with the mixtape Everybody on My Dick Like They Supposed to Be in 2013, then with Banks & Steelz, a duo formed with RZA, which released Anything But Words in 2016. Since 2020, Banks has also been part of Muzz, a trio with Matt Barrick and Josh Kaufman, oriented toward a softer, more atmospheric rock.