Interview with Amy Banks


Q: Both your parents were music education majors at Eastern Illinois University. How influential were they for your musical education and how supportive were they when you've told them you wanted to pursue a singing career?

Amy Banks: My parents are the sole reason I attached to music. When we were little, they would sing little songs to my brother and me before we went to sleep at night. I had piano lessons by age eight and learned to play the French Horn because of their urging. Ironically, I wouldn't call them particularly fond of my vocal performance career. I'm clear they would have preferred I be a music teacher, rather than the unpredictable circumstances that sometimes dictate the security of a stage performer. In fact, I'm certain my Dad still doesn't understand the fact I'm actually an accomplished singing professional.

Q: You've performed in numerous musicals and for the American Music Theater in Lancaster. How helpful has this training (singing on a daily basis the same songs for a long time) been for you?

Amy Banks: The experience is truly incredible. I'm not the same singer I was when I arrived at the theater four years ago. The biggest benefit, however, has been working with people more experienced than me. My best teachers are those who set an example on the stage. And performing a specific show on the theater stage for a house of 1600 is a different animal than singing jazz standards of my choosing for an intimate crowd. Precision and control are paramount, and those skills roll-over on the jazz stage.

Q: What was the spark that eventually lead you to pursue a solo career and release your first album?

Amy Banks: I was strongly encouraged to record by a co-worker friend of mine. I had previously had no interest in recording, but by his urging (and producing my first two projects) I got into the studio. Three albums later (in as many years) I produced When the Sun Comes Out after my influential "angels" put up enough money to back the album. I think those combinations of events gave me the confidence to believe that I had something to sing and others wanted to hear it.

Q: When The Sun Comes Out is already your third album. Please tell me more about the first two releases. Why did you started with a collection of spirituals and Christmas songs?

Amy Banks: I don't have a very inspiring answer for this one! Truth be told, the gospel album, In the Spirit is very dear to my heart, though I'm not particularly religious, nor do I have a background in that music. Both albums were released to coincide with the type of shows we were performing at the theater. Performers with albums sell their work during intermission of the shows.

Q: You did an impressive job on the covers of Phoebe Snow's Poetry Man and Michael McDonald's It Keeps You Runnin'. Please tell me why did you choose these songs and what was your approach when you recorded them.

Amy Banks: It was kind of random. I had a long list for the album, and indeed four songs we recorded did not make the album. I knew I wanted to record some songs from the 70s and growing up we had Phoebe and the Doobies in the house, along with Blood, Sweat and Tears, Stevie Wonder, Tower of Power, The Crusaders, Earth, Wind & Fire... The list goes on. One of my fans mentioned Poetry Man one night and I thought, "Yeah, that would make a great cover". The McDonald tune, frankly I'm not sure how I came back to it. When I approached Allen Farnham about doing jazz renditions of the songs he jumped right on it and after a meeting or two, we came up with the final products. Allen really is a genius and a fine player, not to mention one hell of a nice guy. I think he gets the credit on those!

Q: I really like your song Ruined For The Rest. Why didn't you include more originals on When The Sun Comes Out?

Amy Banks: It's the only song I've ever written. I woke up one morning at 5:00 AM, feeling particularly cute and out came this song. I had been listening to Betty Carter's "I Can't Help It" album, and I'll bet the song is inspired by cuts on that album. (That's where I found the tune "Foul Play"). I think the person who inspired the song was unusually cruel around that time and I just had to laugh at myself, knowing he would never be what I wanted him to be, yet not seeming to find a worthy replacement. I woke up with this melody and all the words and wrote it down and went back to sleep. Later Steve added the chords and voilà! If I find another song in my brain, maybe it'll make the next album. The way I see it, though, is my forte is song interpretation. There are too many brilliantly written songs out there for me to waste too much time on what's in my head.

Q: Please tell me how you've met the musicians involved in the album. Do you also perform live with them?

Amy Banks: I seemed to meet all the pivotal players in the area within a relatively short time. Steve Varner, the bass player, and I worked at the theater together. He introduced me to pianist Steve Rudolph, who coordinates live jazz at a major hotel in Harrisburg, and world-reknown saxophonist Tim Warfield from right down the street in York, PA. I was introduced to Allen by a friend who is a member of the band Steely Dan, because they worked in the pit together on a Broadway musical. Allen brought in drummer Rich De Rosa for the album. I work with the local guys when I can afford them (smile).

Q: You've released your albums on your own. How easy or difficult was it for you to raise the money, find the musicans, promoting the releases, producing everything etc?

Amy Banks: If I may pat myself on the back, I think you have to have quite a business mind to pull this off. The major benefit in my case is I had a steady theater gig with a built-in market. My first two albums cost less than $5000 each and paid for themselves within the first year. As I mentioned earlier, the latest album was financed by friends and fans. Musicians are easy. Lancaster is only a 3½ hour drive from New York City and if you can pay them, jazz musicians load up the car and come. Promoting the release of When the Sun Comes Out is financed by CD sales, but I hired two publicists who had solicited me on the Internet. It's going quite well, as I am getting airplay currently on over 50 straight-ahead jazz programs around the country and in The Netherlands, and satellite radio. If we keep the momentum going, I'll be booking outside my area and I'll take it from there, but it's a lot of managing.

Q: You live in Lancaster, PA. Please tell me something about the jazz music scene there. Wouldn't it be easier to promote yourself in a larger city like Philly or NYC?

Amy Banks: I don't think it will be easier. I say will because eventually I'll have to pursue bigger markets, but for the time being Lancaster is cool. Several restaurants hire combos and I've garnered a decent following as a result. But I'm also the self-proclaimed queen of shameless self-promotion. I participate in several music related fundraisers and keep a profile that generally gets me a lot of attention. That's much harder to do in a bigger city where there is more competition. There are many fantastic musicians in NYC that you will never hear. I've found everything I need to do for my career I can and am doing right in the middle of Amish farm country, at least for now. Now, who would have imagined that?

For more infos visit amybanksonline.com, cdbaby.com and read my review of Try This.