E81. The Sound of Success with Tank and The Bangas

The Institute of Black Imagination.

In today's episode, we're joined by Tarriona ”Tank” Ball and Norman Spence of the Grammy-nominated Tank & The Bangas, a band hailing from the vibrant, swampy, and swinging coastal town of New Orleans. They've been wowing audiences since 2011 with their eclectic fusion of funk, soul, hip-hop, and spoken word. Today, we explore their dynamic journey from open mic nights to Grammy nominations; diving into the inspiration behind their genre-blurring music.

To date, they’ve released three studio albums, Thinktank (2013), Green Balloon (2019), and Red Balloon (2022). With two Grammy nominations under their belt, they are just getting started. Also, a note, the audio quality of this episode gets a little bonkers as Norman’s headphones begin to fail and Tank’s phone dies. But it’s all a part of the journey to becoming, so we left it in.

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Current members.

Tarriona "Tank" Ball – lead vocals (2011–present)

Norman Spence II – bass, keyboards, guitar (2011–present)

Joshua Johnson – drums, musical director (2011–present)

Albert Allenback – alto saxophone, flute (2014–present)

Band History:

Members of Tank and the Bangas met at a New Orleans open mic show called Liberation Lounge and formed the group in 2011.

The band won the 2017 NPR Tiny Desk Contest and in November 2019, they were nominated in the Best New Artist category for the 2020 Grammy Awards. They have released three studio albums, Thinktank (2013), Green Balloon (2019), and Red Balloon (2022).

Throughout their career, the group has performed on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Austin City Limits” and “The Today Show.” Tank and The Bangas have toured non-stop, selling out venues both stateside and abroad including festival appearances at Coachella, Glastonbury, Bonnaroo and the Newport Jazz Festival.

Key Links:

Tank and The Bangas - Wiki

Tank And The Bangas: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Tarriona “Tank” Ball | geauxgirlmagazine

Tank and the Bangas Unveil 'Black Folk (Remix)' Featuring Kota the Friend, Rapsody & More

Alumnus Albert Allenback Is Living His Music Dreams As A Member of the Grammy-Nominated Band Tank and The Bangas | The University of New Orleans

What To Listen To:

Hands by Tank and The Bangas

Cafe Du Monde by Tank and The Bangas (feat. Jamison Ross, Trombone Shorty, Rachel Robinson

In The 6th by Trombone Shorty

Mo’ Better Blues by Branford Marsalis Quartet (feat. Terence Blanchard)

Who to Follow:

TARRIONA TANK BALL (@thinktank20) • Instagram photos and videos

Norman Spence (@namronyoccm) • Instagram photos and videos

Joshua Johnson (@1drum) • Instagram photos and videos

Albert (@albthebuilder) • Instagram photos and videos

This conversation was recorded on June 05, 2023.

Host Dario Calmese

Producer: K.T. Thompson

Visual Art Direction and Designs: River Wildmen

Director of Digital Content: Vicky Garcia

Production Asst: Noa Lesche

Original Music composed by Adam Radice

Sound Engineer: Adam Radice

Visit us at blackimagination.com

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.