Bankhead recently discussed “I Am Experienced.”
Getting personal: “This was a really important project to me. Every single style I used has its roots somewhere in Black music. It’s something I had to get off my chest for catharsis reasons. I decided on the concept during the height of the George Floyd protests. I process my emotions through writing songs. When (George Floyd) was executed by the police in the chokehold that made me want to write some more songs that talked about uniquely Black experiences. There’s not really much you can do to fix it when you see things that aren’t right, but one thing we can do is share what we’re feeling so that other people understand. That’s what I wanted to do.”
Check out “Good Times,” the new R&B song from Mike Bankhead featuring the Kadence:
Building new relationships: “I always record with Patrick Himes but for the artistic aesthetic of the record I wanted people that could relate to the music and the message on a personal level. Everyone involved in any part of the creative process on this project was Black, which meant I worked with people out of my comfort zone. It was great. Everyone immediately got it, and you can hear that in the performances. I’m really proud of the way it came together. I made some new connections and grew my network.”
Musical diversity: “I can’t say any of these songs by themselves are the best things I’ve ever written, but as a cohesive artistic statement, I think this project is the best thing I’ve done. It’s less about the styles of music and more about the message in the songs. If somebody listens to it and isn’t sophisticated enough to understand sometimes more than one genre can be on a project, this EP isn’t for them.”
“I Am Experienced” is streaming on all major platforms. A CD version is available with bonus songs, a 16-page booklet and a QR code linking to a dedicated Web site with music downloads, photos, essays, videos and more.
Artist info: mikebankheadmusic.com.
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or donthrasher100@gmail.com.
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