Has there ever been a bad band that came out of New Orleans? If so, we’ve never heard of them. It seems that New Orleans’ creates musical depth in musicians, due to its history of soul music, proximity to Memphis (the Blues), Nashville (Country), and the general south (Zydeco and Gospel music).

Growing up in a city with that many unique sounds blended together is part of where Tank and the Bangas get their style. The rest is from their combined talent and musical director/drummer Joshua Johnson. And while they’re growing in popularity now, it’s been a long road for the group of musical geniuses. But thanks to their perseverance and an appearance on NPR, they’re on their way up!

Humble Beginnings

The band first started out playing live in New Orleans, in 2013. After they had success locally, they put out their first album “Think Tank” completely on their own. They had a passionate fan base, but it was smaller than any of them liked. So, when they got the chance to enter NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series in 2017, they packed up their stuff and entered the competition. The prize? A contract with official and major record label Verve. Their mix of sounds impressed NPR employees and call/text in voters, and they won the contest. They put out their first big studio album a year and a half later.

Live Vibes and Green Balloon

Their second studio album, and first album with a record label behind them, the band put out “Live Vibes”, followed by “Live Vibes 2”. Their next official record was “Green Balloon”, which came out in 2019.

It seems like this band can do anything and everything, and we can’t wait to hear what they put out next! Future albums or not, you should still see them in person. They’re known to be electrifying in person – which is not a sensation you want to miss.