The truth is that you have no true self-realized opinions, you have no absolute idea about who you are or what sort of legacy you’ll leave. Everything you are is an adoption, a slice of someone else’s thoughts, a misinterpretation between the excitement of something new and the fear of missingout.
A deep anxiety took hold of Sam Gillbanks. A story told by too many of the newly graduated youth: no job, no money, no future. Still no inkling into what he really wanted, he ventured into a labyrinth of dreamscaping, guitar playing, and songwriting and found a release of residual energy and captive ideas of his own making. These were not adopted. These were hisideas.
He took his guitar and his voice and burrowed in the coastal town of Falmouth until he surfaced with a host of songs. Aided by the infallible Hugo Heaverman, the two made GILLBANKS with the self realized dream of giving the world their own creation. A Wavey Head released album called ‘Lived In’ followed and spawned the interest of many a keen eye. GILLBANKS dreamt of writing songs for the wicked, for the useless, for the kings of us. The ones who both know what they want and don’t know who they are, we are all guilty of falling into those well trodden paths and GILLBANKS want you to know that you can tread theirs.
On November 25th, GILLBANKS release their debut EP ‘Lend Me Your Skin’, riding on the waves of the initial singles ‘Anxious?’ and ‘Loosen Up’. Coming from the industry heartland of Birmingham, its not hard to hear where the gritty noisier extremes and the punishing self-examination of faithless and trustless love originate. Spinning the coin between dark realisation and melancholy appendix, Sam explored the lighter side of his mind to create a juxtaposition in melody and lyric writing, most notably on the track ‘Tiffany’. However, as chilling to the bone ‘Nerve’ may be to the ear, it’s sanctity is it’s musical journey, whisking you from subtle lows to cliff-edge highs.
‘Lend Me Your Skin’ is Sam’s promise not only to the listener, but to himself. He will constantly mine into the bottomless caves of musical innovation to create what will ultimately be, a voyage of his mind.
“There was a sense that the opening guitar and vocal were just circling me – like a shark toying with me in some dark ocean, waiting for its moment to strike… the band show a stunning understanding of dynamics both vocally and in the instrumentation”
FreshOnTheNet“Opening on a doleful loop, it gradually introduces distorted guitar and drums that attack in intensity and turn into something not wholly expected”
Little Indie Blogs“Sometimes I get a surprise and I find this little gem. GILLBANKS.”
Maz, Communion Presents
LINKS:
http://www.facebook.com/gillbanksmusic
http://www.gillbanksmusic.com/
http://twitter.com/gillbanksmusic
http://instagram.com/gillbanksmusic
