Paul Banks relishes in the versatility that comes with creative license. From the spooky melange of Interpol to the tragically cool depths of his solo material, Banks has been serving up serious yet sensual indie rock showmanship for the past 15 years. His latest music venture is Banks & Steelz, an ambitious collaboration with the infamous Wu-Tang Clan wordsmith RZA. Their debut album, Anything But Words, was released last week and proved to be a riveting jump in eccentricity; Banks’ buttery midrange tenor languidly bobs along to RZA’s impossibly dense rhymes. Although it’s a project that possesses a certain level of elusiveness, the fact that Anything But Words came to fruition was an occurrence that surprised even Banks.
“If it wasn’t going to work, we would have known really early on,” he says by phone earlier this week. “We recorded the demos for fun — to just jam out. The result was dope and it got picked up by the label, but it was just about enthusiasm and fun.”
Although Banks has been penning wryly brilliant lyrics for years, working beside a highly skilled rap lothario has its own set of pressures. Somehow, he remains immune to it. “I feel that as a singer, I have it easier [than RZA] because I can rely on melody. It’s funny, I was just talking about this with someone else. Hip-hop does have melody, but it’s also about cadence. For singing, it’s more about melody than lyrics.” He briefly pauses, realizing he had gotten off track. “But to answer your question, I didn’t feel intimidated about songwriting with RZA because I just do what I do. If I like a lyric, I don’t care what someone else thinks about it. If I don’t have a clear idea, then I’ll ask for a second opinion. A couple of times, RZA suggested I change a lyric and it was cool by me.”
Despite having hectic schedules, Banks knew the importance of the duo being on the same page for this record from beginning to end. “We discussed every song beforehand and decided what we were going to write about together. We waited until our schedules were free so we could both be in the studio and the label was supportive. The reason the album sounds natural and organic is because we were constantly working together. You need the feel of the studio, the air of the studio, the instruments all in one place. That’s something that RZA said to me that just stuck. Otherwise, it’s not really fun.”
When it came to the recording process, Banks admits that he and RZA have two completely different styles. “RZA likes to have fun and party, but I’m a total square in the studio,” he adds. “I’m completely focused. He told me that some people were going to be there with us. I would walk in and Masta Killa and Method Man would be on the couch chilling. [For “Point of View”] Method Man just got on the mic and laid it down — it was fucking awesome. Ghostface was amazing; super, super professional. It was great to be around so many artists with so many different vibes.”
Banks & Steelz may have found their footing as partners, but are still learning how to navigate their chemistry onstage. Banks remains both optimistic and excited about their collective journey. “RZA and I have only done about five shows, but we hit the ground running because we rehearsed a lot. With that limitation comes a weird freedom to ‘play this’ or ‘try that’. We’re a fluid entity right now since we’re still feeling this out.”
In spite of the newness of his latest endeavor, he softens when reminded of his aforementioned creative versatility and distinct privilege as a musician. “Doing all of these projects… it’s more about evolution than reinvention. I just have this impulse to try new and different things –it’s the best part about being an artist.”
BANKS & STEELZ :: Saturday, September 3 at the Sinclair, 52 Church St. in Cambridge, MA :: 8 p.m., 18-plus, $25 :: Advance tickets :: Bowery Boston event page