Jake Banfield Talks NBA, Line-Dancing & The Sound of Nashville - Your Best You's Starlight Spotlight

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:07] Speaker B: And thank you very much for tuning into your best you real conversations around mental wellness. Not just that. We are having a special starlight spotlight. Just like last week, how we were focusing on one of the artists from our upcoming Sound of Nashville benefit concert happening here in Poughkeepsie at the Bardavan Opera House on October 6th. Last week we had Ian Flanagan. Now we have another feature performer. He's not from the Hudson Valley, but, oh, I'm telling you, you're going to really love though. Oklahoma, born and raised singer, songwriter, he blends pop, country, alternative, R and B, all that into his music. He had breakout hits like Boys Don't Cry and Take this Pain. He's right now writing a high with his song Lasso. There's so much that we can get into with this artist and he's a big proponent around mental health. So with us today again, one of our feature performers for the Sound of Nashville concert. We have with us Jake Banfield. Jake, how you doing, bro? [00:00:58] Speaker A: What an intro. Thank you so much. I'm doing amazing and it's really. Thanks for having me. This is super, super co. [00:01:03] Speaker B: Absolutely. And besides, hey, you're the one that's living it. I'm just reading off notes, but dude, so, so happy to have you a part of this concert. I was just telling you off the microphone how I was familiar with Lasso before I was familiar with you prior to this concert. And then it's great to have you on board being a part of this. Now I got to ask, have you had much time ever coming up to New York, playing, touring in New York and how are you feeling over being involved with this concert? [00:01:30] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I've been to New York quite a few times actually, like twice to visit. And then we've probably played four or five shows all around. Kind of like all around New York, honestly. Some of the smaller towns, bigger city type stuff and it's been always a great time and I'm just super stoked. Yeah. To be a part of this event and this, this concert. I think it's gonna be super fun and I'm excited to get back back to New York. It's gonna be a blast. [00:01:52] Speaker B: That's cool. It's funny because we have such a, a broad span of people in their careers. We have grand old Opry member Craig Morgan. We have two time Grammy winner Maggie Rose. We have Ian Flanagan who was on season 19 of the Voice. We have Brooke Morber who started out on Broadway. And then I think you're the token social media star. Out of the whole group then, because, you know, some of them might have had longer careers and some of these other accolades. I'm looking at the social media. Dude, you have so many followers, especially on TikTok. Congratulations on getting that loyal fan base up and going. [00:02:28] Speaker A: Thank you, man. No, that. That means a lot and I'm excited to, you know, just be at an event with all, like, you just named. It's just legendary. It's. It's awesome. It's going to be really cool. And like I said, it's versatile. A lot of different things going on throughout, which I think is always refreshing and cool. I think it'll be really fun. A lot of different stories and, yeah, I'm stoked. Social media has helped a lot, especially get my career going. So I give a huge shout out to that, that. That it's a really strong, powerful platform, so it's a blessing. I'm glad people gravitated towards it and they. They're digging it. It means a lot to me. [00:02:57] Speaker B: Absolutely. And I definitely want to dig into that more in a little bit. When it comes to the artists that you're going to be playing with, how familiar have you been with some of the people that you're going to be playing with? Craig, you know, he had a legacy career. Maggie's been doing her own thing and writing for people. You know, Ian's more recent, his breakout with the Voice. Brook's been around in various different ways. How familiar have you been with some of the other artists you'll be playing with? [00:03:20] Speaker A: Pretty familiar with all. Very familiar with Craig, just because I grew up listening to him and, like, my Poppy and his work truck and everything, just always just hearing his voice. So to be on it, to be on the same, you know, lineup, it's really, really cool. And then, yeah, I've kind of been digging into all the others, and it's just so impressive and like I said, different. It's. It's all. It's gonna be really cool, which I like. I like different types of genres and different types of songs and voices and storytelling, so I'm all about it. I think it'll be a blast. [00:03:45] Speaker B: Love that. So when it comes to 2026, you've been on the road a lot, and you're going to be on the road a lot. First thing that I want to start off with, and I try to make things fun in the beginning. I hear you got a little beef with Australia right now. So apparently people were reacting a lot to you trying Vegemite and you ranking it so, so low. Have you tried it again since? I did. [00:04:10] Speaker A: I did. I got pranked, I guess by. Can't remember who it was, but they gave me a Vegemite straight out of the can. That's not. [00:04:17] Speaker B: Have it. [00:04:17] Speaker A: But I had no, that was not like staged. I had no idea what Vegemite was. So tried it. It was absolutely horrible. And then like you said, everybody on socials was going crazy and they were just like, who would do this soon? This is horrible. So anyways, I had it made, put it on toast with some butter and had it the correct way and it was better. It wasn't great. It was better, though. And I. I think I got on the good. The good terms with all the Australian people. But, yeah, it's a lot better on toast than by itself. I'll just say that. [00:04:44] Speaker B: Absolutely. Well, I got a buddy of mine who, he used to live here and then he will actually India, Australia, us, then back to Australia. I know he's been all over the place, but no, he. He says to me is like, yeah, that's like one of the things that they love doing to tourists or people who just aren't from Australia. It's like, here, try this. Love. Love pranking people like that. [00:05:05] Speaker A: I didn't know why people were in the back. I didn't know why they were laughing, like, in the back. Like, my, my, my other friends that were in Australia, they were laughing at me. I had no idea. I just thought that's how you ate it. And it was not a good experience. But we're on good terms now. We made it back. We made it back. [00:05:18] Speaker B: I was going to say you're allowed back into Australia. You can tour again. You can play your music. They won't throw Vegemite at you while you're on stage. [00:05:24] Speaker A: Yeah, it's perfect. Exactly. [00:05:27] Speaker B: That's great. So with this, of course, you know, really blowing up during the pandemic and really discovering the music during that point and then kind of growing your social media following and now you're going on tour, you're going out with a lot of people. You're with George Berg, you're with Mitchell Tempany. Him, I'm not familiar with. Am I saying his last name right? Tenpenny. And then you got Lily Rose. All of that before you get to the Sound of Nashville concert. You got a busy time. What is it like being on the road and having this whirlwind of an experience after really creating your musical voice during a period where you couldn't get [00:06:02] Speaker A: out It's a great question. Yeah, no, that. [00:06:04] Speaker B: It's. [00:06:04] Speaker A: It's surreal. It's. It's a blessing to be busy. We've been on the road since January, starting in Australia and then hit Germany for. In March, and we've just been all around, like you said, on the road. It's. It's a blessing to get to play every weekend and, like, people show up and people. Because like you said in my. My career started like I couldn't see anybody or talk to anybody. I was in my. My house, my room, just making music. So the fact that people are gravitating towards it and they want to see me and they want to come out and sing songs back, it's. It's a blessing. It's amazing. And I. I try to do a free, like a. Like a meet and greet thing right after I get off stage where I can just come say hi and come say thank you because it means the world to me and I don't take it for granted. So it's. It's. It's good to be busy and it's. It been an adjustment and it gets tiring at the end, but it's also just like such a blessing to just be doing music and singing it for a living. It's. It's been really cool. And the best part is the fans by far, just getting to hear the stories and how they relate to this song or how they had a great time or, you know, just hearing the. The real human and the real humans, you know, that the. The music is doing something for them. That's what makes. What makes it all worth it, to be honest. [00:07:10] Speaker B: That's great. What's been probably one of your most profound moments on the road? What's been a moment that's really stuck with you? [00:07:16] Speaker A: I had a mom that come up that came up after a show, and she had lost her son to a battle with mental health. And one of my songs was able to help their family get through it. And it was played. It was one of his favorite songs and it was played at the funeral, and it's helped them get through it like their family and her family was there. And it was just, you know, emotional moment just to know, like, I. I wrote that to kind of help myself get out of a dark place. And the fact that, you know, it was his favorite song and rest in peace to him, but that his family can now still, they. They listen to it, they. They remember him and they can all bond over it and try to help themselves get better. That's pretty. That's pretty powerful. And so stuff like that, like in the meet and greet, wherever you hear the real stories of real people and how this song has helped them get through it, that's usually the best moments and emotional moments, but still so important. And that lights a fire in me to keep going and keep wanting to do it and keep wanting to write real experiences and help other people. That's usually the biggest, most profound moments for me is the real interactions. [00:08:24] Speaker B: That's heavy. That's heavy. Imagining going up to somebody like that. Oh my gosh, I can only imagine. I too am a musician, so I've gone out and I've played a number of shows. There was one time in particular I played the song that I wrote called Cry at an American Cancer Society event. And yeah, it's an emotional song, but like all the people who came up afterwards sharing the moments of like, I cry because of the loss of this person. The loss of this person is like those are the moments when you can touch an audience and you can strike a chord in that way. You're going to be a part of their lives forever and they're going to link the songs to that emotion. It's huge. That is huge, dude. [00:09:02] Speaker A: 100%. 100%. [00:09:04] Speaker B: So with that being said, I think that's a really good transition getting into some of the music. It's very hard to google your name without Take this Pain right next to it. If. If I'm not mistaken, was that like really the first breakout song that really kind of put you on the map? [00:09:21] Speaker A: I had one right out of quarantine called Hold Me that was kind of in the same vein of just, you know, raw emotion, dealing with mental health. Take this Pain was a one that kind of helped it get to another level, though, I would say. [00:09:34] Speaker B: So. [00:09:34] Speaker A: Yeah, that song we wrote really, really fast and it just kind of flooded out of us whenever we were in the room. And it was just raw emotion, just what. What I was feeling at the time. And it's been able to help people. That's one of the songs that I perform live on tour and people, at least one or more people come up after and they say that song has done this has helped me in this way, or I'm going to go at it because I feel this or my friend does and that's all I. That. That keeps me going. That's good stuff. [00:09:58] Speaker B: I got to say. That's probably my favorite song of yours that I've listened to up to this point. No, I. Extremely powerful song, Em Raw. I, I, I loved listening to. I've listened to it so many times at this point. But when it comes to take this pain. Where were you? How long ago did you write that song and what was the process of going through it? [00:10:16] Speaker A: I want to say it's been three years, maybe. I, I, it's been a, it's been a little bit. Yeah, it was, the melody was, like, kind of given to me and like a dream, like sleep. I just woke up with the melody. I didn't have the words, and I had been going through it at that time, and I, I, whenever I go through it, I like to write about it. I, like, that's my kind of way of dealing with it, and it's able to help others, which is awesome. But most of the time I'm like, going through it, or one of my buddies is one of my friends, my parents, my family, and I'm able to get through it like that. And yeah, like I said, we wrote the song really quickly, like less than an hour. It was kind of just out and then recorded, and we were like, I remember we got done, like, with it, and it was like an hour later, and we had, like, the song and, like, it was recorded and it sounded good how we wanted it. We were like, whoa, how did that happen? And so sometimes it just, you know, it's given to you, and you just got to get the message out. I was kind of just the messenger, and it was a blessing. But, yeah, that was a quick one, and it was, it was wild. Whenever we got done and then putting it out, it felt good. I was just like, this is real. I think people will connect to this and relate to it. And luckily people have. And that's, that's. It's been really cool to see the interaction. Yeah. [00:11:25] Speaker B: Because if I'm not mistaken, that's got like 13 million views on YouTube alone. And then you have one of your top performing songs across most song platforms. Was the song as quick to resonate with your audience as it was quick to create? [00:11:43] Speaker A: Yeah, it was. I remember one of the, I know it was one of the first three videos I did of. It was just kind of sitting at a keyboard or at a, at a table next to a keyboard, like, with a mic. And it was a dark room and the words were connecting. It wasn't even, like, a visually pleasing video. It was just kind of the rawness of the, the emotion. And, yeah, it started getting traction pretty early, and we were, I was cool with it. I'm not a huge numbers guy, but When I see comments that are helping, that's big to me. And I remember the comments early. Like it was like a day after. We're kind of just like, whoa, need this right now. Sending this to my friend that's hurting that. And I was like, I told my buddy who, who helped me with production, I was just like, I think this one's going to touch some people and let's get it out as soon as possible. We didn't wait very long and yeah, got out there really quickly. So it did resonate quickly though, which was. Which was really awesome to see. [00:12:36] Speaker B: So, yeah, it's beautiful when a song does something like that. You know, I've talked to a number of artists and the one thing that seems consistent is sure it starts out as your song, but the moment that it hits the population, it's no longer yours, it's everybody else's. And how they interpret it and how they bring it into their own lives, it's. It's such an incredible way to be able to connect with people and with such a beautiful song such as that. So we kind of been going in reverse order when it comes timeline wise. Now that's such an important song when it comes to mental health. And I. God, I hope you play it at the Sound of Nashville concert. Oh, yeah. I don't think there's going to be a dry eye in the audience, but with that song and with your music prior to that, let's back up even further. Was it your mental health journey or your music journey that came first and when did they coincide? [00:13:28] Speaker A: It would have been a mental health journey first. I grew up an athlete, so speaking up was never a part of my. Of my life. I just did not. I'm not saying athletes don't. I didn't. I use sports as advice to not talk about it. So I would go get shots up, like basketball shots or play, get on football field. Something where I didn't have to actually feel what I was going through. And so I think whenever quarantine happened and I was taken away, that was first. Like, whoa, I don't have a vice to go to. Which led to me talking about my mental health and having to talk about it, which then led to music. And it was like, okay, I have a way to get this out. And that was through music. So mental health took. It was. Was the first priority and like, taking care of myself and making sure, you know, I was. I was gonna. Gonna be good. And then music was able to help follow that and then really help become the vice. But like a healthy one, you know, where it was like, this is a good one. [00:14:18] Speaker B: It became an outlet. [00:14:19] Speaker A: It became an outlet. An outlet, exactly. An outlet. And so it was a blessing. But yeah, it started as a mental health journey for me and then fell into music, which is a blessing. [00:14:30] Speaker B: What a blessing indeed. A blessing for you and a blessing to now everybody who gets to enjoy your music. [00:14:34] Speaker A: Love it. [00:14:35] Speaker B: So one thing, when it comes to your journey about being the athlete first, before that, you really dove into music. MHA we just recently did this coaches conference. And the whole idea of this coaches conference is the first time that we did this. And the whole goal of it was to teach coaches, athletic directors, and anybody involved with scholastic SP how to introduce mental health curriculum into their coaching. And it was really based on athletics and identity. So many athletes out there base their identity on what they are doing. And then for whatever reason, when that sport has to stop, it can be very, very difficult. In your case, just like the guy who started all of it, your story is because of a bad injury while playing basketball. [00:15:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:23] Speaker B: What did that do to your identity at the time? [00:15:25] Speaker A: Oh, man. And that's beautiful, by the way. I'm glad y' all did that because I have a lot of coaches in my family and I feel like that's super important to emphasize. So start with that. But that was no, I was full on athlete. Never thought I'd ever be doing music. I was going to go be a coach or a sports announcer. Something to do with it was my full identity was sports. And yeah, so having that injury, we were in Briggsdale, Colorado, at a college. It was like a preseason college, open gym type vibe. And yeah, that was, I mean, just in a snap of a finger, just like, oh, I can't play right now, I can't play anymore. And I had never had that. And it was an identity. I didn't know who I was outside of that. And so other than being a good person, I knew I had that and I could be good to people, but I didn't know what I was going to do. That was like it. And so, yeah, it was wild. It was an identity crisis on my end and I had to really dig deep and find out what I want to do and who I am. And it was not easy, but it needed to happen. Like it was a blessing in disguise. So, yeah, I feel like that's super important now. [00:16:21] Speaker B: Was that right before or right around the pandemic? Tell us about the timeline. [00:16:26] Speaker A: Yeah, so the timeline, I was 2019, whenever I got hurt and Then got healthy to come back in March. So, yeah, I got healthy and then we got right after. [00:16:37] Speaker B: So that sucks. [00:16:39] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. So it was. It was. I picked up the guitar while I was hurt, just as, like a hobby at a pawn shop. I went and bought and taught myself how to play because I was. I was only stuck in my dorm bed. I couldn't really get out. So it was either video games, movies, or, like, do something that I can, you know, learn. And so I picked up the guitar just as a hobby, though. Never, ever was going to do music with it. Just fun. And then, yeah, I got healthy to come back. We get sent into quarantine and it was like, okay, that's where the mental health. We had to check it right there. That's like, whoa, Identity crisis. I learned how to play a little guitar. I grew up in church singing, let's try this out. Let's talk about what we're going through. And so that's how it happened. It was wild, though. Yeah. So it led right into it. [00:17:16] Speaker B: It's a very Phoenix kind of analogy right here, like, really rising from the ashes, where you thought this was like, where the hell is my life going to? Oh, cool. Where the hell's my life going? All right. [00:17:27] Speaker A: Exactly. Exactly. [00:17:28] Speaker B: Wow. What a powerful story and way to be able to turn it. Turn it on its head and kind of go from there. So now, during the pandemic, you're discovering music, you're getting into the music, you're getting into the production. As we mentioned before, you probably have the biggest social media following out of the people that we're going to be having for the Sound of Nashville concert. You were definitely like the token social media star, the viral star with it all. It's not easy to go, quote, unquote, viral. It's not easy to build that kind of following. You have 1.2 million people on TikTok alone. That is hard to keep up with. Do you want to talk about the grind of the consistency that you have to go to in order to establish it and then to maintain it? [00:18:09] Speaker A: Yeah, man, it was a lot easier in quarantine because, you know, we were locked. There was nothing else else to do. So it was really easy for me to get started. Just consistent, just being alive on all the time and talking to fans and trying stuff music wise and putting this video out? Yeah, it's. But it's not easy now. It's a blessing. I. I have to get away sometimes from socials and just not do anything, especially on the road when I Get off the road. The last thing I want to do is, is really worry about social media. I like to kind of get off the grid and go fish and go hang out with my family and go play pool and stuff like that. But at the end of the day, the, the industry I'm in, socials is the way to get out right now. And. And so you have to do it. And yeah, it's not a complaint, it's just, it's. You got to stay consistent because there's so many people doing it right now. And not to say you'll get left behind, but you can, you. I mean you can fall behind a little bit if you. If you don't stay consistent on it. But it's also a blessing too because like, if you get. If you get a little moment, it's. It can, it can build gradually. And that's been really cool to see. But yeah, I've always from the job, have just tried different stuff. Try. I grew up listening to so much different types of music, so I would just tease this song and I would tease another song. Doesn't sound anything like it. And now choose this and just see what you guys like. What do people like? So, yeah, it's been cool. And I think that's where the fan following has grown is I'm posting a lot of different types of stuff. So I think there's a big community. Like I'm just bringing in different communities and trying to get them to mesh together, which has been really cool. [00:19:43] Speaker B: Beautifully said way to bring it all together. Because it's true, your music does span a variety of different genres and it's clear that you have a variety of different influences. Who are some of the artists that really, really, really spoke to you the most? You said how you got started in church. I don't know if that influenced you, but like what are the. Who are the artists that really got you going? [00:20:04] Speaker A: Yeah, well, yeah, like growing up in church, it was just a piano and a vocal. So that was also. That was always just. It was church hymns. But that was the. From the earliest memory of what I remember, music wise. So I think with songs like Take this Pain and like Boys Don't Cry, they're very piano ballad based. And that's just kind of like how I grew up listening in church. I grew up listening to 80s hair bands a lot. Like I loved like Def Leppard and Motley Crue and Guns Nurses loved all that. And then I grew up listening to 90s R B like the Boys Zoom in and the New Edition, all that stuff. And then I really got into 2000s, like hip hop. I love 2000s hip hop, which, like the M M's and the Dre's and the. [00:20:38] Speaker B: All that. [00:20:39] Speaker A: And then, yeah, 2010s was a lot of country music for me and a lot of, like, pop. So, like, artist wise, Justin Bieber has been a huge. I grew up listening to him a lot. Bruno Mars, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, and kind of literally everywhere, just on the map. I loved every type of music, and I grew up in a town where it was pretty diverse to where a lot of people were listening to different types of music. So. And I was. I tried to be the guy that hung out with everybody. I don't want to sit at one lunch table. I want to. I want to be at multiple. So I get to pick your brain. Whenever I'd be at lunch, I'd go to this group and they have a whole different. They listen to a whole different type of music. The next day, this group is listening to another. Another thing. And I just had open ears. I just love music and I love sounds and I love melodies. And so I'm really open to about everything music wise. And, yeah, when I started music, it flooded out and I was not gonna, like, not be myself and stick to this one thing because it's not how I grew up. I grew up with so much different influence. And that's a shout out to my hometown and my friends and people where I. Where I grew up with, because in my parents too, because they listen to everything. So it's been awesome. And I wouldn't have any other way because I feel like I'm never against any type of. I want to hear everything. And even if it's like, I don't know what they're saying sometimes or like, if I. If I. I just love it all. I just think music is beautiful in medicine, so I'm all about it. [00:21:57] Speaker B: Yeah, I've gone pretty much my whole life saying that music is the universal language because it expresses emotions better than any other form of communication, at least that I'm aware of. And it is so powerful that way. When it comes to that. It sounds like you weren't shy. You didn't have an issue with that. It sounds like you were going around. So that must really help with the stage presence to able to interact like that. When you have everybody in your hometown, you said everybody is your influence here. Were people from your hometown surprised that music ended up being your trajectory after everything was said and Done. [00:22:30] Speaker A: Yes, they were. It was not going to be the thing. It. I was just always sports and. But I loved music. I would listen to. I'd listen to music before games or, you know, so, like, that was it. But it wasn't like, he's going to do music. And I didn't think that either. But no, it was always kind of like, this guy's just going to be athletic, something, coach, something. So now it's pretty funny to like go back and they're like, dude, what are you doing? It's like they're loving it. They're just like, what, What? What's going on? [00:22:56] Speaker B: So how many of your coach sheds tears afterwards? It's like, no. [00:23:01] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. [00:23:01] Speaker B: Supposed to be my success story. I was supposed to say I coached him. [00:23:05] Speaker A: Exactly. [00:23:06] Speaker B: They can still say that, though. They can still say that. You know, it all came to something. [00:23:11] Speaker A: That's right. That's right. It's beautiful. [00:23:13] Speaker B: Oh, my God. It's. It's really funny because my dad, My dad was a big sports guy. My grandfather, he was an athletic director and coached just about everything. My dad was a big sports guy. And one of his teammates, Guy Chatfield, they grew up together, big sports guys. I met Guy's son Scott in college, so. And then we became good friends and we're both musicians, so my. Our dads have joked around together. Be like, here we are with our big sports backgrounds. [00:23:42] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:42] Speaker B: And now we're going to support our sons and bright, colorful costumes, performing on stage. [00:23:47] Speaker A: That's good stuff. And I relate. I get it. Yeah, it's. It's. That's hilarious. That's good stuff. [00:23:51] Speaker B: So that's great that you were going around talking to everybody and having that accessibility that helps with the stage presence. But one of the hard things about connecting to an audience is having that fear, having some of that pride and, you know, again, linking it back to mental health America. There really is a loneliness epidemic out there. Here you are creating communities on both social media and out there in the crowds. How do you feel that your ability to talk to people and engage with people is your superpower during a time of a loneliness epidemic? [00:24:23] Speaker A: I think, I think it truly is. I think God gave me that ability. I've always been able to talk to people. It doesn't matter where you came from or what you believe in or anything. It just. It's never been a problem for me. So I feel like that's. And it's a blessing because I know that's not the case for everybody. Like some people, I Have really talented people that, you know, they don't love that. They don't love that side of it where you have to talk. And I totally get it. Luckily I, I have that and I think that's the. The really important part, kind of my journey, what, why I'm here is to kind of get. Get the message out and not be shy about it. Whatever. Whatever it is. So, yeah, I feel like it's been really good on stage and social. Social media wise, it's been a blessing to have that gift and I just want to utilize it while I'm here. [00:25:03] Speaker B: Yeah, take advantage of that gift again, my dude. Keep going with it. Absolutely. So let's talk about one of your more recent songs now let's talk about Lasso again. That was like the song that I found out about you. Is it safe to say that this is probably your biggest hit to date at this point? [00:25:19] Speaker A: Yes. Yeah. Yeah, It's. It's. It's the most. The most streamed song I've. I've ever had. So. Yeah. [00:25:24] Speaker B: Impressive. So walk us through it. So here you got emotional ballads like Boys Don't Cry, Take this Pain. And then you got this great fun summer anthem where people are line dancing to and creating different videos of it online. That was a huge help. Yeah, walk us through that. It's like here you got this deep emotional side and now we got this fun party side. Tell us about Lasso. [00:25:47] Speaker A: Well, that's the story of my life too. It really is. I really am a fun, happy guy. But I also have the moments where I am sad and I think it's important to speak up because like I said, I didn't used to do that. That. So with that being said, Lasso is the fun side. It is definitely the party side. And another thing where I was given like the melody whenever I woke up, I was going to the restroom and I hummed it into a voice memo. I didn't have the words. I just, I just. I. I hummed a melody and then I know at the end, like I said, I don't know what though. I had that. I went to the studio that day. Whenever I had it. I showed them the voice memo and we wrote the song in like 45 minutes. And it was called Lasso. I had the word lasso. I just didn't know what the song was about and I thought they would probably shoot down the. Because it was dumb. You couldn't even hear what I was saying. It was just humming. But yeah, ended up writing in 45 minutes and it was kind of the same vibe. It just flooded out and it was just so fun. And yeah, put that. That one caught traction early on social media and that helped a lot. And then you're right, the line dance was, was organic. Like it was just nuts to see that just go. That helped a lot. [00:26:49] Speaker B: Now did you start the line dancing trend or was it your fans who started that? [00:26:53] Speaker A: The fans. Fans started it and it was so cool. And a girl named Kaylin had it just take off. It just went off and she crushed it and then other people started doing it and then it started getting played in clubs and then like you said, Shazam. And it just, it helped a lot. The line dancing space is a great space and a big space too. It's. It's pretty die hard. Like these people love it. And so that was. Been really cool. Yeah. And it was such a quick write and a quick production, a quick turnaround where it's like, like this feels right. Like if everything was kind of just flowing, we were in flow state. So yeah, it was a blessing. And I would highly encourage musicians and artists to listen to. Whenever you wake up, whatever you're feeling, whether you need to write it down, you're a write it out guy or, or, or a hum it out or whatever, there's usually something there. For me, I don't know if that's the case for other people, but I think it's good to get it out even if it'll never be used. I think it's just a good, a good space to be in and it's helped me quite a few times of just having, having something there, whether melody or written out wise, like, like a song title idea that's just given to you right as you wake up. And so it's been really cool for me. [00:27:57] Speaker B: That's amazing. That's great that it was able to hit you like that. Yeah, dude. Let me just tell you my notepad. Oh, of course, my notepad and my voice memos are full on this thing big time. So with that, you know, the fan engagement was able to get things going. Are you a good dancer? Are you doing the line dances? [00:28:17] Speaker A: They. I'm really not a line dancer. I can dance a little bit, but I try it. They've played it at my local bar in Tulsa. They didn't know I was going to be there either. It was kind of like a random appearance and people were doing it and. Yeah, so I ran out there. There's a video somewhere. I ran out there and she started teaching me how to do it and it Was not great, but I'll have a fun, I'll have a good time. So I've tried it, but I'll leave. The line dancers usually do a lot better job than I do. [00:28:40] Speaker B: Understandable. And as you said, very die hard community, even up here in New York. It's crazy. You know, line dancing is so huge around here and it's this wonderful thing that can bring people together. And here you are, you're learning certain steps so you can do it together and you do it on cohesion. You truly feel like you're a part of something. And now you got a song that makes people feel like they're a part of something. That's big. That's a great connection. You lassoed them into your life, but they also lassoed you into theirs. [00:29:11] Speaker A: No, man. It's so cool to have a line dancing song. And the cool part about line dancing songs is they don't usually go away. They're usually. If people, if more people get out on the floor, more people will get out on the floor. It's kind of a domino effect. So I hope, I hope people keep doing it because it's really cool to see all the videos. People line dancing all around the country and, and over in Australia, it's just really cool to see. So, yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna keep trying to learn the dance and hopefully I can get it down one day. [00:29:41] Speaker B: There you go. I think you got plenty of time. [00:29:43] Speaker A: You're good on that. [00:29:45] Speaker B: So with Lasso, if I got my timelines correct, you put it out last year, but it still feels just as fresh this year. It seems like it's still got a lot of traction and a lot of people are just discovering it now. So what's it like to be able to ride that wave of, oh, I released this a year ago, but we're still going. This train is not done. [00:30:07] Speaker A: Yeah, it's really, it's really cool, to be honest. And I feel like it has summer all over it, a summer feel to it. So I'm hoping every summer, you know, it just, you know, it finds that traction again to where. But yeah, it has been steadily growing and it's been really cool to see. And I love posting video and people being like, when does this come out? And I'm like, it's been out for a year, but you don't. You have it, you can have it just hitting new people, connecting. It's, it's, it's a cool part about music industry and social media. [00:30:36] Speaker B: Yeah, no, very cool. And of Course, we're excited to hear that at the Sound of Nashville concert. That's going to be a lot of fun. Oh, yeah. So with that, you have a lot of things in the meantime before we get to that, as you said, you're going to be touring with three other artists prior to getting out there, you're going to be doing a couple of festivals. You're going to be having a lot of fun. What's next for Jake Banfield? What can fans look forward to through the course of 2026? [00:31:00] Speaker A: Yeah, well, lots of music I like. I am not shy about dropping music. I. I love that part of the process. I have a lot of songs. I write a lot of songs. I work on a lot of songs for that reason, so I can have music to drop, and so expect a lot of music. I have some very exciting features that are coming up that I can't announce, but they'll. They will be out soon, and I'm super stoked for that because I love collaborations and I love two worlds colliding and, you know, each fan base getting to grow together and enjoy. I think that's so cool. So a lot of features, lot of. Lot of. But expect versatility. I mean, some of the music is different, you know, some of it's in this lane and in this lane, so be open minded. So I would say which. Which my fan base think, Think. Thank goodness they are. They. They know that's how I am. I like to. I like to dip my toes in different waters. So, yeah, I would expect that. A lot of shows. I've seen Mayfest in a week and a half in Nashville, and so that'll be a lot of fun. And then, yeah, just some. Some other shows coming up, some headline stuff. And yeah, it's. It's gonna be a blast. I expect a lot of music, different flavors, different genres and a lot of shows. That's what I would say. [00:32:04] Speaker B: All right, this is going to be a busy year for you. And, hey, we just got out of Memorial Day weekend. Summer has unofficially started. It's time to get Lasso out there and get these other songs out there. That is so excited for it. So when it comes to the collaborations, I'm not trying to get you in trouble. I'm not talking about all that. But when it comes to the collaborations, I got two questions. I would love to hear about your dream collaborations. Like somebody who's alive, kicking and performing right now. [00:32:32] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:32:32] Speaker B: Who would you love to get in the studio and. Or, like, share the stage with? [00:32:38] Speaker A: It's a Great question. I think the first three people that came to mind were Post Malone, Justin Bieber, and probably. Oh, it's tough. I think Tracy Chapman would be really cool. [00:32:58] Speaker B: Oh, okay. [00:33:00] Speaker A: Yeah, very good. I think that'd be really, really cool. I, I, I just love everything about the music. So I, I would be so, so down and honored. Oh, it'd be incredible. But maybe we're putting it in the world manifestation, but let's manifest it right now. [00:33:13] Speaker B: Let's tag that, let's clip it, tag it, see what happens. Tracy Chapman, fantastic. Well, everything, like with Luke Holmes and Tracy Chapman, like, what was that two years ago when they put out fast Card? But again, so, so good. So, hey, May, that would be great. I mean, out of doubt. Oh, I love it. Post Malone, another native New Yorker turned Texan. Oh, God, so good. And then Bieber, the Biebs. Hard to go wrong. [00:33:38] Speaker A: Hard to go wrong. All three have done like a country collab before, so I don't think it's out of the water. Obviously they are very. Oh, no, but they're, I know they're open to it, so. Putting it into the world, putting it, putting it out there. I'd be so down. That'd be a blast. [00:33:53] Speaker B: Post Malone's country album, that full country album that he put out is a masterpiece. I really like that album. But when you really listen to a lot of his music prior, you know, you listen to a song like Circles, you strip that thing down. That's a country song, man. [00:34:07] Speaker A: 100. 100. That's a great point. It truly is. And it's, it's. He's got so many different flavors. I think that's why my ear tends to it, because he's got some of the country stuff in the hip hop and more folk and more alternative. I'm just like, this is what I want. This is what my brain is everywhere and it's doing it. I get to choose. So I, I'm just a huge Postie fan. And yeah, be a blast to do that one day. Put it out into the world. All right. [00:34:28] Speaker B: You hear that Post Malone? You hear that, Beaver? You hear that Tracy Chapman work with this guy. We want to see it happen. And also when it does happen, can you invite us along because we kind of help make it happen. Please. I would love to be a fly on the wall for something like that. [00:34:41] Speaker A: That would be amazing. I'm in. [00:34:44] Speaker B: So the follow up to that question, do you have a dream follow up collab of somebody who has passed on, somebody who unfortunately, realistically, you'd never get the chance with. But. But somebody who would be like, oh, my God, if I lived in the same moment as them, if we were at our heights at that point, who might it be? [00:35:04] Speaker A: Wow. It's a fantastic question. Michael Jackson came to mind. Michael Jackson came to mind. And who else? There's a lot. [00:35:18] Speaker B: Give us a couple if you need. [00:35:21] Speaker A: I think I would go. I think I would go. Michael Jackson. [00:35:23] Speaker B: Michael Jackson's huge. Yeah. [00:35:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:25] Speaker B: Everybody talks about, like, his singing and dancing and everything, but, like, dude knew what he was doing in a studio. [00:35:31] Speaker A: Yeah. The other name that came to mind was Tupac. I know. Had some, like, had some broken down songs where I think we could get a masterpiece. If I could get a really good hook, I think he could. He could destroy some verses. So those are probably. Those are two that came to mind. [00:35:45] Speaker B: Two of the greats. Two of the greats right there. Yeah. Massive. [00:35:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:49] Speaker B: Oh, I could only imagine something like that. But I'm excited to hear what kind of collabs that you have coming up in the future. You seem stoked about them. [00:35:56] Speaker A: I am, I am. I'm excited just because, like I said, it's different flavors, it's different, it's different. You know, it's different. And I just love that it sticks out to me. So I just hope when it gets out to the world, the fans are like, this is dope. It's. It's. It's random kind of, but it's also like, whoa, this kind of works. So that's my hope. But I. I know this is a big part of whenever I release music. If I enjoy listening to it before it's out and I can ride around in the car or in the boat or with my family and enjoy it, I'm okay. That gives me some. Some closure and some peace to like, I hope y' all do. But I know I like it, so that's how I feel about these. And I'm really excited. [00:36:32] Speaker B: That will be something else. So we're getting towards the end of this episode. Jake, thank you again so, so much for your time with all this. I wanna. I honestly, I would love to just stick around and pick your brain forever on this. I feel like you and I would be able to gel and jam lot. Sounds like we got a lot of similar music tastes here. But I gotta bring this up. Today is May 26th. As of when we're recording this. This will be out about a week later. But tell us, with your love of basketball, how's things going for you? When it Comes to NBA playoffs right now. [00:37:03] Speaker A: Well, it comes out. If this comes out on Monday, that would be today's. Yeah, this. We're in the Western Conference finals. We're going to the game tonight. We're in game five. So I'm gonna make a prediction. Hopefully by the time this comes out, the series will be over. I think we win this series in seven and then we're going to play New York. And I have nothing but respect for the New York Knicks. I think they are really, really good. I would take the Thunder to repeat winning again in six games against New York. But it is no disrespect in New York. I think they are fantastic ball club. But first we gotta get by the spurs and the spurs are amazing as well. So hopefully tonight we go to the game, we win and yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go for the clip. I'm gonna get. Thunder will win, beat the spurs in seven and then beat the Knicks in six. And if it's right, I will post it everywhere and if it's not right, we'll never see it. [00:37:55] Speaker B: I would love to see your predictions come true. I think that would be phenomenal. Yes, obviously it's really cool right now that both of our like home teams are going for it right now. Obviously against The spurs, they're 22 right now in the series. So it can go either way. You never know. Like the Knicks, it was like that was, that was a blowout of a series. But when it comes to Thunder and Spurs, we'll see. We'll see. But you know what? For your sake, I got my fingers crossed for you. [00:38:23] Speaker A: Thank you. We need it. We. I'm so nervous. There's just such a good ball club. The spurs are so. I have nothing but respect. But we got to take care of home court tonight. If we take care of home court now, it's a best of three series. We got two games in Oklahoma, hopefully and that's all you can ask for. If you gave me that, that at the beginning of the year you're gonna have a three game series, two of them at home, hopefully against the Spurs, I'd say I'm in. I feel good. So let's take care of business. If we take care of home court, I feel good. If we lose tonight, it could get weird. So hopefully, hopefully we take, we take advantage tonight. [00:38:55] Speaker B: I hope so too. That would be something. Where are you sitting? Where are you going to be at? [00:38:59] Speaker A: I think we're going to very close to the top. It's called Loud City but like it's. That is not a knock. It's like in chaos up there. It's an absolute party, but also the most affordable. Just like the best environment is up at the top. And that's where whenever you hear games, like if you go watch, if you listen to a Thunder game through the tv, the chaos, a lot of it's coming from up there. So I'm going to be in the mix tonight and hopefully not lose my voice. But no, no worries. [00:39:23] Speaker B: I mean, no, no promises. Understandable. See, that's one of the things about basketball that I don't get when watching it on tv. Like, I feel you miss out on the best of the crowd. Like you don't see any of that stuff. No offense to anybody who's right on the court or anything. They're not the fun ones. They're not the ones going cr. Sure, they might have spent like how many thousands of dollars on it, but I don't want to see you. It's like Billy Joel, how he always leaves the first few rows open to then bring in people who are in the nosebleeds because they're going to be the fun ones. Start doing that at basketball games. Hear me? NBA. Get the fun people down there. [00:40:01] Speaker A: I like it. I agree. It's just absolute chaos and fun up there. So it'll be a blast. I'll be posting videos on my social, so. So I'm excited to be a part of it. [00:40:10] Speaker B: Oh, I'm excited to check that out in real time. Have somebody in there seeing what it's all like. Oh, that's cool. That's cool. So growing up, how many like Thunder games did you probably catch growing up? [00:40:21] Speaker A: We went through a lot growing up and it's just been two different eras. You know, we had like the Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden era, which was. Ended up heartbreaking. But now it's worked out to where we got the new. The new bunch with Shay, Jada, Chet. They've already got a title, which is a blessing, but we grew up going through a lot of games and I'm a die hard Thunder fan because they came to the city whenever I was a little kid. Like I've. They've been a part of my life, my whole life because they came in 08. I want to say 07 08. And that's right when you start remembering stuff for my. I was, I was born in 2000, so around that seven to eight age, I was like, oh, this team's coming to our city. So I'm a die hard fan because they've been a part of it my whole life. So it's, It's. It's been a blessing to have them. And, and yeah, hopefully we can. We can get another ring. That'd be pretty cool. That would be pretty cool. [00:41:03] Speaker B: But, hey, I'm just saying. Knicks. New York Knicks. I gotta be. I. I gotta stay true to my home state here. [00:41:11] Speaker A: When the Knicks are good at basketball, that. That city needs good basketball, dude. [00:41:15] Speaker B: And y', all, the crowd is so good. They're not always. [00:41:18] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. I'm glad they're back in contention and, like, have a chance because they. I'm a fan. I truly am. I like the team a lot. [00:41:24] Speaker B: But I'm assuming, of course, course, the Thunder is your top team. [00:41:27] Speaker A: They're the ones. They are definitely the ones. [00:41:29] Speaker B: But anybody's a close second? No, if you have to think about it, that. Yeah, that answers it right there. [00:41:37] Speaker A: I don't think I have a close second. I am such a Thunder fan. Before they came, it was the Mavericks. So, like. But I don't really like the Dallas Mavericks either. So. No, I'm gonna go straight Oklahoma City on it. [00:41:47] Speaker B: Okay. Represent, represent. Hold it tight. [00:41:49] Speaker A: That's right, dude. [00:41:51] Speaker B: Enjoy the game tonight. Have a blast. [00:41:54] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:41:54] Speaker B: Before we completely wrap this up, do you have any last little nugget that you want to share with our Mental Health America audience? Whether that be something about the concert, something about mental health, something about the artistry and musicianship, maybe something that we haven't talked about. Do you have any last little nugget that you'd like to wrap this interview up with? [00:42:11] Speaker A: Well, I just. I would probably say if you're able to come to the show, it's, It's. It's a really good time. I try to put on a set to where we are having a great time, but as at points, we take our party boots off and we get real and we want to talk about the realness of life and deal with the emotions. And so I feel like that's. That's just a good time for me. It is. And when I play it on tour, it's been really fun to do that, to have both sides, because I think it's really important. Yeah. And then last, I say it on stage all the time. Make sure to check on your people. You could be the brightest smile in the room, but those people need to be checked on too. And so I would say check on your people and speak up if you're going through. It sounds cliche, but I didn't used to do that. So hearing that, if someone would have told me that, I would have. I mean, I would have listened. So, yeah. And then just this. It all sounds cliche, but it's not because it's real. Just be good. Be good to one another is. Is the. Is the saying I like to go by because you don't know what anybody's going through. So just be a good person, be kind, check on your people and speak up if you're going through it. It's not. It's not a weakness, it's a strength. And I probably end on that. That's just really important for me to get that. That's my message right now. So, yeah, that's probably what I'd say. [00:43:17] Speaker B: Jake, you're brilliant. Again, thank you so much for being a part of this. Thank you for being a part of this concert. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview today. I know this is not going to be the last time that we'll be speaking between now in October. So I am so excited to see what comes out of 2026 for you. To all of you out there. All right, this is your mission for you. Make sure that you go check out Lasso. Make sure that you make a video around it to help boost it and make it the song of the summer. While you're there, have a good cry. Listen to take this pain. I'm telling you, it's fantastic. When you're doing all of that, make sure that you're also buying your tickets for the Sound of Nashville concert happened at the Bart of on Opera House on October 6th. That's a Tuesday, by the way. Tickets on Ticketmaster and you can go to the Bartvan Opera House website, bartvon.org if I got that correct, we're going to have it all in the links in the description. We're so excited to have Jake along with Craig, Maggie, Ian and Brooke. It's going to be an incredible time. If you enjoyed this interview and you enjoyed this energy, you are going to enjoy this concert again. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for listening and we're so excited to see you come October. Jake, thanks again. [00:44:24] Speaker A: Thank you so much.