“Banks Arcade are a breath of fresh air. They are part of the new generation of Aussie bands that are shaking up the heavy scene and bringing something a bit different to the table” – Wall Of Sound

“On the debut album Future Lovers from Melbourne-via-New Zealand band Banks Arcade, the future of modern heavy music is here – and it’s explosively thriving” – The Soundcheck

Opening with the resounding declaration “passion drives, I feel alive again“, today Melbourne-via-New-Zealand modern heavy mavericks Banks Arcade step boldly into an exhilarating new phase, officially unleashing their debut full-length album Future Lovers via UNFD. Grab a listen to the new album here.

While the the album itself may have been crafted amid uncertain times, the end result is a breathtaking peek into the nascent future legacy for the formidable quartet. Future Lovers journeys through emphatic soundscapes, hip hop hues, searing metal and everything in between, with Banks Arcade brandishing their signature blend of futuristic heaviness at every turn on their new debut release.

Accompanying the build up and ultimate release of Future Lovers, the band have also recently unveiled bonus content for fans to devour, including an appearance by vocalist and guitarist Joshua O’Donnell on UNFD‘s Music Is My Life series, an explosive video capture of the group performing their single Don’t Start at the UK Download Festival back in June, and a live playthrough clip of Banks Arcade performing their biting track Used.

An LP initially devised as a concept album that evolved into a vessel of personal self-discovery, creating Future Lovers, as well as the overarching global circumstances surrounding it, ultimately offered frontman O’Donnell an unexpected opportunity to explore new sounds alongside uninterrupted introspection.

“The pandemic definitely allowed the space to have no expectations,” says O’Donnell of the album’s conception. “For me, I’ve been so busy over the past five years, grinding to try and make this music thing work, and this finally freed up the time to not have to go to work and to focus.”

Escaping into nature in familiar surroundings also fanned the flames for O’Donnell to synthesise a unique array of genres that both he and the broader Banks Arcade team have been immersed in over the years. “It wasn’t even just heavy music,” O’Donnell explains of the stylistic inspiration behind Future Lovers. “Our whole musical journeys came to a head, and there was the space there for the creation to happen.”

Formed over a shared love of music with a razor-sharp avant-garde aesthetic, Banks Arcade have always teetered on modernity, their gaze ever-fixed just beyond the horizon via their flourishing sonic wiles. From their 2018 debut EP Endnote to its 2020 follow up Fever Dreams, the group’s head-turning singles like Sick and Drown have gone on to amass over 1 million streams, while their explosive single Chosen was itself chosen by Ubisoft as the official theme song of the Rainbow Six Siege Oceanic Nationals earlier this year.

Following recent appearances on tour with Thornhill around Australia earlier this month, and previous performances in the UK at both The Great Escape Festival and Download Festival earlier in 2022, fans can imminently catch Banks Arcade armed with their new album starting in August for a mammoth 27-date regional tour supporting In Hearts Wake, alongside RedHook and Pridelands, which will undoubtedly cultivate future lovers of the band alongside current fans.

A band who always wanted to make history, Future Lovers sees Banks Arcade bring heart, passion and potent execution that will undoubtedly springboard them to even greater heights in the not-too-distant future. “The kind of releases that will follow Future Lovers is where we’ll really be able to expand and make this into something even bigger,” O’Donnell concludes. “This is just the opening act”.

FUTURE LOVERS – OUT NOW
https://unfd.lnk.to/FutureLovers

BANKS ARCADE IS:
Joshua O’Donnell / Vocals, Guitar
Jason Meadows / Guitar
Harlan Allen-Jones / Bass
James Feekes / Drums