In an April 21 interview with °1824, Tank and the Bangas reflected on growth, collaboration and creative evolution as they prepare to release their next project. The New Orleans-based band, led by vocalist Tarriona “Tank” Ball, is set to release The Last Balloon, the final installment in their “balloon trilogy,” on May 15. The project follows Green Balloon and Red Balloon and arrives after years of steady evolution, including a breakout Tiny Desk performance and multiple Grammy wins. “For me, it was always going to be three,” Ball said. “I didn’t want to be in my 60s still naming balloons.” The decision to end the trilogy now reflects both artistic closure and a sense of renewal. “It’s time for the next chapter,” Norman Spence II said, noting the band is “starting over in a very unique way.” That sense of transition extends to the album’s collaborators. Artists including Lucky Daye, Ledisi and Dawn Richard appear on the record, many with roots in New Orleans. Rather than a tightly orchestrated plan, the features came together organically. “It just happened in a perfect way,” Spence said. “A lot of those connections were already there.” The album’s lead single, “Move,” captures a core theme of the project, joy. Known for their high-energy live shows,
Tank and the Bangas wanted the record to reflect the same spirit. “We always want people to dance and have a good time with us,” Ball said. “That was intentional.” Spence emphasized that the music also carries a message of encouragement. “We’re telling people, don’t worry about who’s clapping for you,” he said. That balance of joy and reflection mirrors the band’s growth over nearly a decade. Since their early days performing at New Orleans open mic nights, their sound and songwriting have matured alongside their personal experiences. Ball described a shift in her writing process, from working alone to embracing collaboration. “My writing came from poetry, so it felt personal,” she said. “But I’ve learned to be more open. Men get to the point quicker. I’ve had to appreciate that as a writer.” Looking back on older songs, both artists pointed to a noticeable emotional evolution. Themes of confusion and early adulthood have given way to gratitude, love and clarity. “It’s different to write in pain and confusion than it is to write in love,” Ball said. “You get a completely different person.” Despite the changes, the band’s creative approach remains largely unstructured. “We don’t plan it,” Ball said. “When we get together, it’s magic. One moment it’s not there, and the next moment it is.”
That spontaneity carries into their live performances, where connection with the audience remains the ultimate goal. Ball recalled a formative concert experience that inspired her to pursue music, a feeling she now hopes to pass on. “I want people to feel the way I felt,” she said. “Like they can go chase their dreams.” Spence echoed that sentiment, adding that even listeners unfamiliar with the band should leave feeling something meaningful. “If they walk away inspired, if they smiled, if they cried, if they felt anything, we did our job,” he said. As The Last Balloon signals the end of one era, Tank and the Bangas are less focused on defining what comes next and more committed to continuing the creative process that brought them here. “It’s always evolving,” Spence said. “We just go create.”
- Ava Kellner Pence
