Artists: Banks
Title: "Blowing Glass"
Release Date: December 14th, 2015 (Streaming), December 15th, 2015 (Airplay)
December 16, 2015 (Digital)
Length: 4:51
Genre: Dream Pop, Indie, Alternative
Songwriters: Edin Kastrati (Banks), Erik Zullo, Emy Yalinsky
Producers: Sunny Monroe, Edin Kastrati
Label: Freedom
From The Album: TBA

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Blowing Glass is the official promotional debut single by recording artist Edin Kastrati, better known by his stage name "Banks". The 20 year old Albanian born musician has been trying to make way in the music industry for the past six years but to no avail. After starting out in an indie rock band at just fourteen years old called the "BassDrums" with three other of his childhood friends, the young artist decided to make his music career go from a hobby to an actual dream of making it a profession. The "BassDrums" never made it far aside from performing at school talents shows in his middle school, by the time Edin got to highschool he broke away from the previous band and started to focus on his own personal writing and recording. Always being a crafty individual, Banks created his own at home studio that connected to his computer with his own music engineering system where he would produce his own recordings and would sing with his computer mic. Many of his earlier recordings sound uncleaned and rough around the edges but still exudes pure talent considering that the recordings were completely home-made. In 2014, after gathering enough money doing small gigs around town and working odd jobs, Banks used money to book studio sessions at The Brewery Recording Studio in NYC. After booking three separate dates, Banks created a demo entitled Memoirs in hopes of sending the demo out to recording labels. In early 2015, after getting word that Freedom was launching a talent search, Banks quickly took advantage of the opportunity and sent his demo out to FREEDOM headquarters. Months passed without word and Edin thought that he missed yet another shot at fulfilling his dream, but he was wrong. He was contacted by the label to have a string of meetings and before he knew, he was officially signed to FREEDOM. With the official signing being announced in July of 2015:



"Well, I don't know if I really fit the pop star mold you might looking for and I think that's why I might be a great fit for FREEDOM. I can probably do the pop star thing too, but I believe I can offer something different with my style of music and it could give Freedom another outlet of genre to oversee. I've been working on launching a music career for the last 6 years and it's something that I dreamt about even being a little kid in Albania. Since then I've been working hard to start a music career around Europe and The U.S to really no avail. I find it that I've been able to pay the bills with a few modeling gigs but my true love is for music and I'll never give up because this is what I love. I've been rejected before, but I believe that every scar is a healing place. I respect FREEDOM and the staff for even considering me and given the opportunity I will not disappoint. I want to write, record and produce music but I also want to tour the world and and explore different aspects of entertainment, all I need is that chance and I'm hoping Nevaeh Martinez can give that chance to me.[/b]

After being signed, Banks finally had enough resources to better strengthen his craft and the artist began work on his debut music project. After talking to Martinez (Freedoms owner) about setting up recording sessions with record producer Sunny Monroe, someone Banks has always wanted to work with, the label got in contact with Monroe about the production of Banks's debut record. After talking, the two entered the studio together in August of 2015 to create what would become "Blowing Glass". Banks had already finished writing the record with writer and singer Erik Zullo and Emy Zalinsky and then brainstormed with Monroe about the initial sound he was going for and before you know it the baseline was created for the record was created and Banks's backing band and instrumentals put into place and sooner than later they were ready to record the song. "Blowing Glass" is dreamy indie pop, shoe gazing smash that isn't for the clubs or the dance floors but a record that is solely based on the music, lyrical delivery and vocal performance and Banks delivers all three with "Blowing Glass". The guitar hook on the song is both exquisite and memorable, that only compliments Banks's husky vocals that start the record off.

The record seems to get bigger as it continues, with a tapping backing beat that goes along with the glitchy, unhinged guitar before settling into a glorious groove aided with drums that kick in. The record features a mellow, but sizzling chorus that offers distorted guitar riffs. Throughout the record, Banks sings with dark echoing vocals that include synths soaring between the various parts of the track as the record builds yet again to reveal a musical rock crescendo with guitars drums, strings and vocals combining. The record itself tells a story about someone who loses a girl by breaking her heart, but throughout the record the catalyst regrets his decisions and yearns to have her back as he "killed" the girl by breaking her heart hence the reason why Banks sings of being "haunted" by a ghost and the first time he heard her cry, his fears got so large swelled up like "blowing glass" or better known as "glass blowing" a brilliant metaphor that titles the track. Yet and still, throughout the record the catalyst makes it clear that he is no angel, singing lyrics like: But I broke those hearts, because|Lovers fight and I walk drenched on rainy days and in tepid nights making it clear that he's a heartbreaker and knows it, but still regrets his actions.

Blowing Glass will be available for streaming on December 14th, 2015. Airplay on December 15th, 2015 and it officially hits digital outlets on December 16th, 2015 via FREEDOM.

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In a past life I’d known her,
But like sand through my fingers she slipped on through the years.
She deserved better I once told her, yet I was the one sat alone by the stairs.
Love waited all along back home where I belong,
But I broke those hearts, because
Lovers fight and I walk drenched on rainy days and in tepid nights,
The buses glowed like lights in doorways.
Low days are my horizon and now I never dream,
But thoughts of her cradle me and turn that rain to steam.

There’s no hiding it,
I want to drive her wild and set her blood alight.
I can’t deny,
I want to feel her flame burn my skin at night.
There’s no hiding it,
I want to drive her wild and set her blood, alight.
I can’t deny it this time around,
I want to feel her flame burn my skin at night.

Clothed plain, with a lost grace only she adores with her haunted eyes,
But they breathe life into mine once more.
Now I live with a ghost in my hideaway by the shore,
And she sticks to my skin, she always asks for more
But I broke her heart, because
Lovers fight and I walk drenched on rainy days and in tepid nights,
The buses glowed like lights in doorways.
Low days are my horizon and now I never dream,
But thoughts of her cradle me and turn that rain to steam.

There’s no hiding it,
I want to drive her wild and set her blood alight.
I can’t deny,
I want to feel her flame burn my skin at night.
There’s no hiding it,
I want to drive her wild and set her blood, alight.
I can’t deny it this time around.

But that first time I heard you cry,
Your tears rang out a chime.
And my fears swelled so fast,
Like blowing glass.

There’s no hiding it,
I want to drive her wild and set her blood alight.
I can’t deny,
I want to feel her flame burn my skin at night.
There’s no hiding it,
I want to drive her wild and set her blood, alight.
I can’t deny it this time around.


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