Jimmie Tramel
Tulsa World Scene Reporter
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Once upon a time, if someone talked about Jake Banfield’s release, they could have been referencing his shot mechanics in basketball.
He’s got a different kind of release on the way.
A former all-state guard from Mannford turned music artist, Banfield is staging a release show for his debut album 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25 at The Vanguard. For tickets, go to thevanguardtulsa.com.
“It’s exciting because I’ve toured a bit but never played Tulsa,” Banfield said. “For my first Tulsa show to also be the night my debut album drops makes it even more special. Getting to play these songs for my family and friends for the first time will be a memory I never forget.”
Banfield’s family tree has deep roots in athletics. An injury led him to a different branch.
“I was playing college basketball at Oklahoma Wesleyan in Bartlesville when I hurt my knee,” he said. “While I was recovering, I picked up a guitar at a pawn shop and started teaching myself. Then quarantine hit, and that’s when I really went all in.”
But how does a newbie find a pathway to get their music heard? We live in the age of social media. Banfield introduced himself by way of music videos.
“Posting on social media became my break,” he said. “I didn’t have a plan; I just kept sharing songs every day. One post led to another, and it started to connect with people. Consistency was the key.”
One of his songs, “Hold Me,” generated enough buzz for the music industry to notice. He dropped out of college and spent a few years in Los Angeles writing for other artists (Madison Beer, Anne-Marie, Little Mix) before majoring in his own career.
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Moving to Nashville helped Banfield find a new approach by working with a different group of artists and, in turn, finding a sound he felt was his own, according to bio information.
“Lasso,” described as a pepped-up line dance song with hip-hop undertones, amassed more than 22 million streams within its first two months of its release. “Lasso” is among tracks on the debut album, “Open Bars,” scheduled for Sept. 26 release on Empire.
Among questions pitched to Banfield: For people who haven’t heard your music yet, what artists would you compare your sound to?
“If you like artists like Morgan Wallen, Sam Hunt or Kane Brown, you’ll probably connect with my music, too,” he said. “It’s country at the core, but with some pop and hip-hop influence. Overall, it’s upbeat, fun and meant to be a good time.”
Banfield announced on social media that the album release event will include a free meet-and-greet with an exclusive poster fans can only get at the show.
The album follows the release of singles that helped him garner 79 million streams worldwide and more than 1.5 million followers across social media.
“My music career came from the injury, which was like the saddest time in my life,” he says in his bio. “And then it ended up being a blessing in disguise and entirely changed my life.”
After an Oct. 2 show in Oklahoma City, Banfield will head to Canada for dates in support of Cooper Alan.
jimmie.tramel@tulsaworld.com
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Jimmie Tramel
Tulsa World Scene Reporter
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