A Quick-fire Conversation With Nottingham’s Own WAYNE BANKS
No time to overthink it, that's the rule.
Nottingham singer-songwriter Wayne Banks releases second single hot on the heels of debut track, with a full album on the way this November - 2026 is looking to be a busy one! So before things get too serious, we put him through a round of quickfire questions to see what comes out when there's no time to think.
Wayne Banks has spent more than two decades on other people's stages before finally stepping onto his own. A bass player, musical director and session musician, Wayne Banks has built the kind of résumé most solo artists spend a career chasing, and he's only just getting started on that front himself.
"I chose the bass guitar, mainly because my uncle played bass." That's how Wayne Banks describes the start of a journey that's since taken him from a school band in Nottingham to stages with Robin Gibb, Saxon and The Classic Rock Show, and now to his own debut solo material.
There's a version of Wayne Banks built for festival crowds, heard on his debut single 'World We Share', and there's a quieter, more searching version heard on follow-up 'Cold River'. Both sit on his forthcoming debut album, 'Ex Libris Wayne Banks', out in November, and both point to a songwriter more interested in earning an emotion than chasing a hook. We spoke to Wayne about how he builds a song, where his instincts come from, and what happens when someone else's idea unlocks something he couldn't have found alone.
1. Bass or vocals, which came first for you?
Vocals cos I’d sing tunes to myself for years before I began playing at 14.
2. One word to describe 'World We Share'.
Rebellious
3. One word to describe 'Cold River'.
Empathy
4. Favourite lyric you've written so far?
The lyrics to ‘Forbidden Love’ on my album. Which I also think will probably be the most unpopular song on my album! 😂
5. Nottingham in three words.
Down to earth
6. Robin Gibb, Saxon, or The Classic Rock Show, which tour story do you tell the most?
Robin Gibb. There’s a great one about Me, Heidi Klum and The Dalai Lama!!
7. Studio session or live gig, which do you prefer?
Love em both
8. James Cole sends you a guitar riff. What's your gut reaction, every time?
To instantly think up a melody and get a song out of it
9. Oasis, The Jam or The Who, pick one for a road trip playlist.
The Jam if I had to pick one
10. What can we expect from 'Ex Libris Wayne Banks' in one sentence?
As it says in the title, it’s the library of Wayne Banks - So expect the unexpected.
11. Solo artist Wayne Banks, in three words.
Watch this space
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