hometown: Victoria, BC
Nelson Bankes: Vocals/Guitar
Morgan Bankes: Vocals/Guitar
Carson Cleaver: Lead Guitar
Gray Oxley: Drummer
· Official website · Spotify · Soundcloud · Facebook · Instagram ·
Bio
With the release of their forthcoming In Waves EP, The Bankes Brothers are about to light up Canada’s indie-rock scene and ignite audiences everywhere.
The Victoria, BC four-piece — brothers Nelson and Morgan Bankes on vocals and guitar, lead guitarist Carson Cleaver, and drummer Gray Oxley — formed in a pool hall one Friday night in 2017. Less than a week later, they played their first gig. Delivering a dynamic set list ranging from Otis Redding to Talking Heads, the former high school classmates were overwhelmed by an undeniable musical chemistry. Within three days of the first show, they had written a handful of original songs, including an early version of “See Me Run,” the EP’s soulful, swelling closing track.
Determined to grow their own sound, over the next year, the band played every gig available — from community fairs to jazz clubs — and rapidly built a reputation for wailing new life into classic hits. This acclaim landed the band a residency at the former Canoe Club in 2019, where they sharpened their live show every weekend in front of raucous audiences—until the pandemic abruptly pulled the plug. Filled with the electricity and drive of their live shows, the band used the pressure cooker of lockdown to channel their creative energy into writing fresh songs. When the world opened back up many months later, The Bankes Brothers came bursting out with a refined sense of direction and purpose.
The result is In Waves, a six-track shot of dopamine spilling over with irresistibly catchy melodies, exhilarating vocals, and joyous indie-rock instrumentation. Produced and recorded by indie legend Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat, The Zolas, Mounties), the EP is the culmination of the band’s wide-ranging influences — from Elvis to The Strokes, Paul Simon to The Pixies — coming together in a way that defies sonic parallels, yet remains welcomingly familiar.
Discography
In Waves – May 2023
Latest news
First official single, In Waves, released on February 24, 2023
MP3s
The Bankes Brothers – In Waves (download)
