Tank and the Bangas

Fronted by Tarriona Ball (aka Tank), a singer and poet who can wail like Patti LaBelle, scold like Millie Jackson, and soliloquize like Jill Scott, Tank and the Bangas are a New Orleans-based band capable of shifting from classic soul and funk to hip-hop, reggae, and rock. Established with their highly energized live show and a handful of independent releases beginning with Think Tank (2013), they won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest in 2017, leading to a contract with Verve. Their first two major-label albums, Green Balloon (2019) and Red Balloon (2022), earned them Grammy nominations, and their highly collaborative third, The Heart, The Mind, The Soul (2024), won the 2025 Grammy for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. The Last Balloon (2026) completed their balloon trilogy with featured appearances from fellow NOLA natives Dawn Richard and Lucky Daye.