E81. The Sound of Success with Tank and The Bangas

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. Be sure to share some of your thoughts on today's episode with us on Instagram at @blackimagination. If you want to stay updated on all our latest news and exclusive content, click on this newsletter link. If you love what we do and want to support the show, click this support link. 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 - WikiTank And The Bangas: NPR Music Tiny Desk ConcertTarriona “Tank” Ball | geauxgirlmagazineTank and the Bangas Unveil 'Black Folk (Remix)' Featuring Kota the Friend, Rapsody & More