Do New Orleans the Tank and the Bangas Way
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Tarriona “Tank” Ball isn’t just from New Orleans; she lives and breathes it. The frontwoman of Tank and the Bangas is the kind of local celebrity who’ll get stopped on the street. She channels—and remixes—the city’s musical legacy in her band’s jazz, funk, hip-hop, and R&B-inspired discography. She recently hosted the PBS digital series Ritual, exploring sacred traditions in the South, including those of her hometown, which earned a Webby Award and Emmy nomination. And in the band’s viral NPR Tiny Desk performance in 2017, she reminded audiences of how the city continues to heal post-Katrina: “There’s some areas of New Orleans where the storm has never passed.”
Ever since that breakthrough perfomance hit YouTube, the Grammy-nominated Tank and the Bangas have toured all over the world, but nothing beats the crowds at home. “Just knowing people and knowing that my mom’s going to be right there, knowing that my day-one fans are right there, front row,” Ball tells me Sunday on the grounds of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. “That’s the cool part about performing at Jazz Fest at home, and of course the food. The food is amazing.”
She personally recommends her family’s fried chicken and jambalaya stand. “I get that every year. It’s consistent. The chicken is never burnt. It’s fried to perfection.” And then the crawfish bread and sausage bread, which have a devout following.
While Tank and the Bangas aren’t performing at Jazz Fest this year, they are hosting a three-day residency, from May 2 to 4, at Toulouse Theater following the festival, where they’ll play songs from all three of their albums. (Get tickets here.) And just last week, they joined Anderson.Paak on stage for Expedia’s Global Jam at the Joy Theater, in honor of the travel brand’s first year supporting the renowned fest. The exclusive performance also included Bomba Estéreo and The Free Nationals; John Batiste even attended as a guest.
Here, Ball shares where to go in NOLA and what’s cooking on her next album.
You’ve been such a representative of the city and of this festival, so what does Jazz Fest mean to you?
It’s just history. I remember when we got our first Jazz Fest opportunity, it was just such an honor. We rehearsed so much and we felt so unworthy. So every year you just want to feel worthy of the stage, honestly. Another artist may be [like], “Oh, I just got another festival.” But to us, it’s a big deal. We put on for it. We get all the dancers, we get all the musicians. The stage is full every year, so it’s pretty exciting when you get it as someone that’s from here.
Is there a memorable set or performance that you remember seeing here?
Last year was my first time really seeing Maze and Frankie Beverly, and it was their last year here, I believe. So everybody was here. All the Black folks was with their white on, which is tradition by Congo Square [stage]. I was like, I’m so happy I get to witness this. Even though his voice was leaving him, he pushed through for us. It was really special.
I saw you perform at Expedia’s Global Jam. Tell me about being able to collaborate with Anderson.Paak.
When I see Anderson, it’s just like seeing my cousin. We hug each other. It’s big, it’s warm and whatnot. And even after the show, when I told him that he did an amazing job, I could tell that he appreciated that, artist-to-artist, so much and I love that. I know that we both respect each other and it’s been that way since day one, since Tiny Desk took both of us to such another level in our careers. So it’s always love.
We met years ago at Hangout Fest. [It] was amazing to be up there with him, and I just love the way they practice downstairs. They have all their instruments downstairs and they just rehearse.
And right then and there, just spontaneously, [they’re like], “Let’s do Maze and Frankie Beverly,” which was so monumental, which people probably didn’t realize, because it’s Jazz Fest time. And the fact that we did that underneath my poem, it was so special. If people are really in tune, they would know how special that moment was between us. And it was our first time ever performing on stage together.
How does poetry inform your songwriting?
They’re very intertwined. I’ll literally be speaking and then I’ll start singing. I’ll be singing and I’ll start speaking. They are both in a marriage now. At one point they were separated. Then when I joined the poetry group, they became like friends and then after that, family. And I just realized those are the moments that gave us these viral moments. The poem from Tiny Desk and Black Folk the poem and, This Boy Be in My DM Say I’m Pretty on TikTok. Those are poems. That’s why in our next project we’re going to lean more into that. It’s really special so far.
Can I ask about the next project? You’re working on it right now?
Yes. I should ask Anderson if he wants to be a part of it. Oh, that would be crazy. A poem from Anderson. I should ask him, because [I don’t think] his fans heard him really do a poem before, so that would be great.
That would be very cool. So what are you exploring for this new album?
Just diving into my first love, because I always loved music, but poetry really loved me back first. It’s my first love. And so to really spend time with her and love on her in a very intimate space is beautiful. And to combine that with my music, it’s a beautiful project, so I can’t wait for it to come, and the fans are going to love it.
I saw you posted on Instagram with Robert Glasper in the studio. I feel like something really good is going to come out of it.
You got a feeling, you’re correct.
When did your love for poetry spark?
Reading my sister’s diary. I have no business reading her diary. [Laughs] And she wrote poetry and it was beautiful and it was amazing. I started writing after that around 12. It’s been going up ever since then. [I just wrote] for years, until I went to one open mic where I met musicians and then I was ready to combine the music and the poetry.
Since your last album Red Balloon came out in 2022, where do you see your music going next? What is the evolution like?
Oh, the sky is really the limit, because now we are a very random band. We play anything we want.
But that’s the beauty of you guys.
It is the beauty of it. But on this particular project, I want to find a vibe where you can listen to that thing straight on, where it won’t feel like, “Oh, it’s a country song. Oh, it’s an R&B song. Oh, this is a hip-hop song.” Though I always dabble in those things. But this one, I want to find a wave and I want to ride it. And that’s what it is right now.
Do you listen to other music while you’re writing?
No. Now, the week before I go into the studio, I would probably go through Spotify and just look at titles of songs and that will inspire me. Not even listening to the song. Something is called “a waste,” “a waterfall by a desert,” or “diving into the deep end.” Just those words alone will inspire me to create a song.
Right now I’m just going through all my writings that I write down, period, and I’m making either melodies or poems out of them. You got to stay writing. Even I realized that. I’m like, “Girl, I need some new poems.” You’ve got to write down all your feelings, because while you’re crying about it, a couple of years or months later, you may laugh at it. You have to document all of it. That’s your life.
And writing often helps people makes sense of their feelings, once you see it on the page.
And the best thing about the page, unlike a friend, a family member, or even a therapist, is it will not judge you back. It will not gossip about you. It will not tell your secrets. It will not [say], “What do you think about this way?” You can look at it and examine your own self for yourself. It’s good for reflection.
It’s been seven years since your Tiny Desk.
Since people love it so much, it doesn’t even feel that long. Bob Boilen [host of NPR’s Tiny Desk] had told me it would change my life. He really meant it. He just kept saying, “Your life is about to change.” He was right.
You guys have worked with Big Freedia and Jacob Collier. Who are some dream collaborators?
Everybody always wanted to work with who we worked with. I’m just waiting on Kendrick Lamar and Stevie Wonder.
Do you have any tips for first-time visitors to New Orleans, on how to approach the city?
[Be] open. Talk to locals, because the best places really are the holes in the walls. The best places to eat really is sometimes just a corner store to get the best po’boy, at a Cajun seafood spot. To not just stay where you think it’s going to be safe. Nobody’s going to bother you. You’re going to be all right. Ride a bike. Walk the neighborhood for real, for real. Go to all the shops, have a good time, because that’s what you’re going to have here. It’s so special.
If there’s one place we need to go to listen to music here, where do you suggest?
Depending on the day, go to Blue Nile. Blue Nile has stayed true to the traditional Frenchman Street of good music to me. They always have somebody good there downstairs and upstairs. You go downstairs and have probably a good juicy, good brass band and come with some dollars so that you could tip the boys and then go upstairs for a cool dope Afrobeat DJ set. Hang on the balcony with some people, smoke some weed or some shit. I don’t know. You’re just going to have fun.
And then there’s your After Dark series.
Oh, of course you have to come to Toulouse. See Tank and the Bangas. Our three-day musical residency. I’m going to be doing songs from all of my albums, Green Balloon, Red Balloon, and Think Tank. If you’re a true Tank and the Bangas lover, you’re going to love to come on in.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
You Might Also Like
