Paul Banks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Paul Banks | |
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 Paul Banks at Frequency festival (2007)
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul Julian Banks |
| Born | 3 May 1978 Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK |
| Genre(s) | Indie rock, Alternative rock |
| Instrument(s) | SingerVocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 1998 - present |
| Label(s) | Capitol, EMI |
| Associated acts | Interpol |
| Website | http://www.interpolnyc.com/ |
Paul Julian Banks (born May 3, 1978) is an English-American musician best known as the lead singer, lyricist and guitarist of the band Interpol.
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[edit] Early life
Banks was born in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England. His family left England when he was three years old, moving to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and then to Spain. His father was later transferred to Mexico, where Banks finished secondary school. There he attended the American School Foundation, where he was involved in theatre productions, and played the lead role in the musical South Pacific. He speaks fluent and almost perfect Spanish with a Castilian and Mexican accent.
After high school, Banks attended New York University where he studied English and Comparative Literature, and, after graduating, worked at magazines such as Gotham and Interview. Banks later took a job in data entry, and then in a café, in order to devote more of his time to music.
[edit] Music career
[edit] Interpol
Banks joined the band in 1998 when he ran into Daniel Kessler, whom he had met on a study abroad program in Paris.
Banks's voice has been compared to that of Patrick Fitzgerald of Kitchens of Distinction and, most notably, Ian Curtis, the deceased lead singer of the band Joy Division, despite Banks's protests that the comparison merely forces influences onto the band in an effort to describe their music style. He has also stated that he does not try to emulate his greatest influences because he thinks he can't stand up to those ("I would never try to sing like Frank Black or Kurt Cobain because you just can't do it").
Throughout Interpol's early career, Banks typically played a black Les Paul Custom guitar. Now, He plays a Fender Jaguar, as well as a Gibson Flying V (for a time with the word "breasts" spelled out in white tape on it) for songs from Our Love to Admire and his Les Paul for songs from Antics and Turn on the Bright Lights, although some songs like Obstacle 1 are now played with Banks' Fender Jaguar because of the impracticability of switching.
His pedalboard includes a Tube Works Real Tube Overdrive, a Pro Co RAT, a BOSS GEB-7, MXR Micro Amp, BOSS CS-3, BOSS DD-5, and a BOSS TU-2. Along with fellow bandmate Daniel Kessler, he uses a Fender Twin amplifier.
[edit] Personal life
Banks was in a long-term relationship with Vice magazine photographer Abbey Drucker since his days in NYU. The couple split sometime before the recording of Interpol's third album, Our Love To Admire. Banks is currently dating Danish supermodel Helena Christensen.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ People magazine staff (March 27, 2008). Helena Christensen Steps Out With Interpol Rocker. People magazine.
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