Exclusive Track Premiere: ‘Unholy War,’ Jacob Banks

PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIE PATTERSON. 

Back in Britain, singer-songwriter Jacob Banks has been busy crafting “digital soul” music. Showcased over his two EPs, 2013’s The Monologue and 2015’s The Paradox, it’s a genre-bending style that lends his powerful vocals an extra punch, and has landed him tours in the U.K. with artists such as Emeli Sandé and Alicia Keys. Today, Banks ventures across the pond to share his combination of synth and soul with our premiere of his latest single, “Unholy War.”

“It was born out of a moment of doubt, which I’m sure happens to everyone, to not have the bravery to jump into the unknown,” says Banks of the track’s origins. “But then a tiny voice in my head said, ‘You are a real life G Jacob, don’t be a little wimpy shit!’ And then, I jumped.” He landed on a rousing, take-no-prisoners tone that suitably carries the lyric, “You better run.”

“Songwriting, for me, is more like remembering a song I’ve heard before,” says Banks, who emphasizes that the process should feel organic. “Unholy War” serves as an introduction to Banks’ forthcoming EP The Boy Who Cried Freedom (Interscope), which is expected to continue in the same vein. As Banks explains, “We’re trying to put a modern twist on a genre that’s older than time.”

THE BOY WHO CRIED FREEDOM (INTERSCOPE) IS OUT SPRING 2017. FOR TOUR DATES AND MORE ON JACOB BANKS, VISIT HIS WEBSITE.