An enticing continuation of their earlier works, the new Banks Arcade chapter solidifies today, with the group’s brand new EP A Muse, out now via UNFD.
Evolving from the darker sides explored on their recentDEATH 2EP, released in February, A Muse finds the New Zealand-hailing, Melbourne-based quartet shedding the expected and instead flourishing between moments of searing rock, towering hooks, dance beats, and fresh explorations into heavy surrounds.
A deeply personal extension of DEATH 2‘s chaos and sonic metamorphosis, A Muse spans six tracks and a horde of stylistic influences, from the towering shimmer of opening track “Alive” through to the infectious hooks of “Heartstop,” flourishes of hip-hop (“Lost Cause”), flexed anthems (“No Future”), and raw yet polished confessionals (“Self Help”).
The band also dropped the video for their recent single “Heartstop,” filmed by Davis Sutclife and Jackson Bentley.
Traversing personal issues, including relationships and internal struggles, a powerful thread of vulnerability flows throughout A Muse, with Banks Arcade also showcasing their unique superpower to avoid genre pigeon-holing while remaining compelling and cohesive.
“A Muse follows on from DEATH 2 in a much more vulnerable way,” the band shares. “It covers a lot of personal issues from relationships to internal struggles and in each song I tried to speak with my own voice as much as possible as opposed to the more abstract stuff on DEATH 2.”
Banks Arcade bring passion and potent execution to their myriad of influences and creative ideas. Formed over a shared love of music with a razor-sharp avant-garde aesthetic, Banks Arcade have always teetered on modernity; a fact displayed firmly on their 2018 debut EP Endnote, its 2020 follow up Fever Dreams, and the group’s head-turning singles “Roses” and “Drown,” both of which have gone on to amass well over two million individual streams.
Releasing their full-length Future Lovers in 2022, Banks Arcade cemented their future-facing trademark style while also turning heads courtesy of their emphatic soundscapes, searing metal and hip hop additions.
Fresh off the back of releasing DEATH 2 in February, Banks Arcade also supported metalcore titans Northlane nationally alongside ERRA and Landmvrks that same month. And after two years of non-stop touring, Banks Arcade will also hit the road in New Zealand and Australia with a brand new live show this May, with the Death 2 A Muse Tour set to compile the band’s best work to date.
