Who are you and where are you from?
My name is Robyn Banks and I love the Metrocentre (I’m from Gateshead).
What is it you do?
I am an advocate and supporter of Adam Sandler films including ‘Jack and Jill’ but I am also a musician, so yeah I play guitar, sing and write songs.
How long have you been doing it?
I started taking music seriously when I hit the age of eleven, where I was given a homework presentation on molecules, so I decided to write a five minute song called ‘Martin the Molecule’. After digging myself a grave with my peers and settling my fate for the rest of my school years, I started a band when I got to university to put those songwriting skills to the test. We played together for just over three years, before we all jumped into the metaphorical woodchipper and I set out on my own, which I’ve been grafting for around a year now.
What inspires you?
My general inspiration in life is no other than Miriam Margolles, specifically her role as a Grunhilda in ‘Merlin’. Politically, a huge inspiration for me is the second-wave radical feminist Andrea Dworkin. Her work and books have shaped and inspired my politics greatly which has naturally intertwined itself with my music. Artists such as Patti Smith, Kathleen Hanna from Bikini Kill and Pj Harvey have influenced my lyric writing heavily, but I did spend my teenage years as an avid local gig goer, so naturally a lot of those bands have really stuck with me such as Blaenavon, Willie J Healey, IDLES and Goat Girl, sonically shaping a lot of my music. I also wouldn’t really be an edgy musician if I didn’t mention Elliot Smith in there too!
Tell us about your music.
My music to put it plainly is alternative/indie with a heavy lyrical focus. I would describe it as early Katy Perry camp and tongue-in-cheek narratives mixed with the poetry of Fiona Apple. I then collide that with Wilco inspired guitar riffs, the swag and ego of Viagra Boys and a very intriguing vibrato. The dream would be to get on stage and have the impact of a heavily-tattooed topless bald man and have all the indie boys aspiring to be me. In the same breath, I would love to have the cultural impact that Cheryl has had for gays across the world.
What have you got coming up in the future?
I’m gigging pretty frequently around the North East and West Yorkshire but I am most excited for my very first hometown headline which is coming up on the 17th July at The Cumberland Arms in Ouseburn. It’s an amazing grassroots venue and I would absolutely love to fill the room! So for any readers, it would be amazing and greatly appreciated to see you there! From then, obviously comes world domination… but at the end of the year I will finally get to release my music that I’ve been sitting on and keeping warm with my bum for the past year.
Where can people find out more about you?
You can find me either buying flying saucers from poundland, or on all major social media platforms (@robynbanksne on everything).
Also if you want the early juicy gossip, you can also sign up to my mailing list where you might be able to get your hands some pretty exciting stuff and cheeky deals!
Sign up to the Robyn Banks mailing list here.
