NEW ORLEANS — The Grammy-nominated band, "Tank and the Bangas" is out with a new album, Red Balloon.
The album has star power from the start with an intro by actor Wayne Brady.
Lalah Hathaway, Quest Love, and local favorites like DJ Soul Sister and Big Freedia are also featured.
"Big Freedia was in this very room when we did 'Big.' It vibrates the room," says Tank.
Tank delivers the album in her signature styles which includes moments that show how much of powerhouse she is vocally, some rapping, and always reminds us of her roots as a poet.
The style, the beats, and the big names are enough to make this album amazing.
Behind the bops, there are some powerful lyrics that tackle topics like race and relationships and the album critiques society. The song, 'Mr. Bluebell,' references Bluebell Creameries 2015 deadly listeria outbreak.
"...like let's not talk about it. Let's discuss it. This is America. It's making money. It's making sense, and I didn't like that", explains Tank.
The song "Communion in My Cup" also has a message.
"It's basically saying, when I grew up which was very Baptist, and we took our communion religiously. I feel like everybody is doing something different religiously. Nobody is going to church like that anymore, and... they do something else all the time. So 'Communion in My Cup' is basically representative of what everybody's communion is in this day in age," says Tank.
Tank says the band practices together two to three times a week.
"I think the key is that when you practice enough you can go off the cuff....like come on we know this song... and if we do it so many times on tour, I'm the first to tell Joshua, it's time for something new," says Tank.
And evolution seems to be just one ingredient in Tank and Bangas' secret sauce. The band is on the same record label as Jon Batiste who won big at the Grammy's.
Wouldn't it be something if Tank and the Bangas are next?
"I've definitely been speaking it. It should and it would be awesome to be underneath the same label and to be right behind another New Orleans person to get it because New Orleans deserves its flowers because we give so much to the world and we rarely ask for anything back," says Tank.
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