interview with T-Zank
What´s the name of your band? T-Zank
How was the band formed? I started rapping for fun when I was starting college, freestyling with friends and such...Always enjoyed hip hop growing up, so it just occurred to me during these freestyle sessions that I could create some unique stuff and really make an impact in the industry.
Can you tell about your band? I am a positive lyrical hip hop artist with a variety of flows and instrumental selection. Everything I make has a defined purpose that is often driven by social consciousness. The ultimate goal of my music is to inspire mass amounts of people to achieve their utmost passions and see through to everything that life has to offer for them.
Where are all band members from?/Who does what in the band? I am from Indiana and write everything myself. My main partner, CEO of Successful Musik (our company) is Dave Sentongo. He also specializes in making beats and is my on stage DJ. 2TurntTone is my on stage hype man.
What was the ambitions of the band when you started? I wanted to create music that would be distinct from all other forms of hip hop and push a positive message that everyone could relate to and be inspired by.
Could you explain your music to someone that haven't heard you? Its uplifting, typically fast (Tech N9ne, MGK Midwest style) and driven by a socially conscious purpose.
Where was your first gig? My first gig was at an underground house party in Fort Wayne, IN
Where was the latest gig? My latest gig actually in Fort Wayne as well at a venue called Skeletunes, but I perform all over the country.
Who writes your songs?/Who writes the music who writes lyrics? I write all of the songs & lyrics. I work with a number of producers, but Dave Sentongo produces a main portion of my instrumentals...I have been playing guitar my whole life and play piano as well, so I make some of my own backing music as well.
What's good/bad with the band?/What genre do you feel you are? I am in the hip hop lane, but to be specific I would describe my genre as underground, lyrical and chopper.
Why did you pick that particular style?/What are your songs about? My songs have a wide variety of topics. my personal experiences/struggle and how they have shaped who I am, living for your passions at all costs, economic and social problems with the society I live in...I am also into deeper spirituality and investigating the purpose of why we are on this Earth and how we are all connected as humans, so I like to touch on topics like this as well. My latest album "Evolve" is about ascending your struggles and using them to fuel your growth as a human being. My upcoming release, Authority of the Soul (Drops on Feb 26 for free download, amazon/t-zank.com) is about defining who you are at all costs and going with the flow to allow your life to fall into the shape of the universe naturally.
Do you write your own material or mainly covers? Everything I do is my own material.
Have you made any albums?/If yes what are they? I have released Fresh Air, Section Z, & Evolve. Fresh Air and Evolve are available on ITunes and Section Z is available for free download, just search it on google to find it.
Do you have any clips on YouTube? I have numerous music videos on YouTube as well as performance footage, interviews etc.
How old are you?/What got you started in music? I am 23 years old. I have been playing guitar for most of my life so that has driven my connection to the music world since I was young.
At what age did you start playing? 11 years old.
How old were you guys when you first stood on stage? My first show was my junior year of high school when I was 16. At the time I was in a pyschedellic rock band called "Event Horizon" with my friends and I sang vocals and also played rhythm/lead guitar.
What year was the band started? I became T-Zank in 2011.
Best/worst gig you've played? The best gig was Kokomo, IN at Centerstage...1500 fans that love my music! it was hype...The worst was in Plymouth Indiana, not a single person showed up haha.
What places will you be playing in in the imidate future? We are planning our summer tour starting in June that will travel across the entire U.S.
Where have you played from then till now? I've played everywhere, but mainly the Midwest , East Coast and South.
Witch band is the best you´ve seen? I have always been a huge fan of Rage Against The Machine, there music is very conscious and socially rebellious...plus they have a crazy stage show!
Is it always the same songs live? I mix it up but also have my turnt hits like "Rise Above" and "Realism" that always make my set list.
What has been the best/most promising gig so far? Kokomo, IN
Have you had any bigger tours from start to now? We did our first official tour last year and hit 20 cities from the Midwest to the East Coast and South.
How big crowds do you usually play for? Typically for crowds of 50-100, but it varies.
What are the plans for the rest of the year? About to drop this new album on Feb 26, then it will be time to plan our Summer Tour and I hope to make some moves into Canada and Europe toward the end of the year. Ill be making new music throughout! I love trying to new sounds and expandning my horizons, so I am constantly creating new music vibes.
Where do you usually play? Midwest now, but touring everywhere
How do you get psyched up for a gig? I just feed off of the energy of the show and the people I travel with, Dj Dave and 2TurntTone. We just relax and have a good time till its time to rock, then we go extremely hard for our fans and put on one hell of a show!
What are your goals with your music? I want to push it on a global level and change the way that people think on a universal scale. It may sound crazy, but I literally strive to one day be known as one of the greatest hip hop artists of all time. I feel that I can and won't stop until I am!
When did you decide to go all in for the music? I decided to go all in after I received extremely positive reactions from the people I was living with during college...When I saw my music being received like that and people were telling me that I could really do it, it triggered my drive and belief in myself beyond anything that I had experienced till that point.
Is it easier to get your inspiration from older bands or from bands more modern? I get inspiration all over the board, from classic rock all the way to new age hip hop being created today.
What are your sources of inspiration? I have always been driven by the creative abilities of Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison that forever changed the landscape of their genres...Rage Against The Machine has always been inspiring to me to make conscious music that the working class can relate too, plus I have always been inspired by their crazy on stage presence.
What's the first step when making a new song? Gotta have a solid instrumental with a lot of emotion to start off on the right foot!
How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums? I always buy the music if it is for sale...Being an artist, I know how much time, money and effort goes into making a professional project so I always hope my fans will actually buy the albums...At the same time, I release free projects that people can download simply for exposure purposes...If its released for a price, I think you should buy it!
What would be your dreams for the band? To be a worldwide icon that people everywhere look up to and get inspired by.
What do you hold most dear? My family, friends and experiences in this life...These things inspire me to continue making strides in the music industry more than anything else....I also hold my medical struggle growing up very close to me because it was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through and it made me extremely strong having overcome serious issues like Chrons Disease.
What would be your greatest fears for the future?
I'm not afraid, just excited to continue...I believe in this with all of my heart and feel that I am undeniable !
When you are on stage, what do you fear most then? All fear and anxiety is out the window when I walk out on the stage. It always feels like that is where I am the most comfortable and where I am meant to be over everything else.
What do you work with outside of the band and the music? I currently work as an electrical engineer in Findlay, OH and also a sound engineer in our Successful Musik studios, but plan to dedicate my time fully to being a performing and recording artist when the tour starts in June.
What would you do if there was no music? I don't even know...Music has always been so key in developing who I am and what I represent...It would be a completely different world for me and the world in general without music.
How important are your fans? My fans are everything to me. Being an inspirational hip hop artist, I find it extremely important to try to connect with every fan that reaches out to me about my music...I dedicate a large amount of time to making sure my fans are taken care of and know how much i appreciate them...Without my fans, I am nothing.
Name 2 of your own songs you like at the moment? I am really into the new albums from J. Cole and Joey Bada$$...they are refreshing and unique in a hip hop industry that is watered down by simplicity and similar-sounding mixes.
What do you feel is the best live band you've seen? The best live band that I have seen is Rage Against The Machine. Insanely turnt.
Do you have any webpages?
My official website is www.t-zank.com
my company website: www.successfulmusik.com
Any pearls of wisdom for all other bands out there? Keep grinding for the sound that you love and never change who you are for anything or anyone!
Describe your show, visually and musically My shows include me and 2TurntTone going as hard as we possibly can, running around the stage and engaging with the fans at every moment. I leave the stage exhausted and covered from head to toe in sweat. At my shows, you'll feel the passion of who I am and what I represent on a whole nother level...I live this music and you will be forced to get involved! Get ready to turn up...
How do you view the musicindurty of today? Specifically with hip hop, I feel that it is way to commercialized and talent and uniqueness have been placed on the back burner. Thats another purpose of mine, to bring the focus back to artists with incredible skill and individuality instead.
Tell us about upcomming gigs and why we should be at them? Authority of the Soul Tour starts June 4th in the Midwest. You should be there because my shows are so turnt that they change lives...When you feel the passion of what we do, you will realize how undeniable it is and how much we love what we do. I guarantee you that you haven't witnessed a hip hop act like me ever before!
How would you describe your sound in one sentence Positive, socially conscious hip hop with a fast Midwest vibe.