Banks & Steelz Release LP's Title Track 'Anything But Words'

Banks & Steelz -a musical collaboration between Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and Interpol's Paul Banks - have released the title track from their forthcoming album, "Anything But Words." STREAM: "Anything But Words" - https://soundcloud.com/banksandsteelz/anything-but-words

Produced by Banks & Steelz and Ari Levine, the new song finds Paul Banks wailing alongside his guitar, "I believe that someone can be brave on this green Earth/ But maybe I'm wrong/ Aim for the sun/ Out in the freezing rain I will stay on the streets all day/ Until my cup runneth over". On the inspiration behind the lyrics to the verses, RZA revealed to Pitchfork:

The foundation of the lyrics was inspired by the energy of Malibu, and combined with the idea of myself, and the idea of man himself. I was inspired to write the second verse as if a man is reflecting upon his life...

But I think the line that really resonated is when I said that we give man the wisdom to be a carpenter, a gardener, a mother, a daughter, a father, a priest, king, or warrior. The point being made is that beyond the gender of it, man is a mother, man is a father, man is a warrior, man is a scholar...The ability of a person to choose any path he wants to labor is in him.

Anything But Words will be released on August 26th and features other appearances by Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine, Kool Keith, and Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Masta Killa. They will kick off release week with a series of tour and festival dates through October. Tracklisting and dates below.

The two began working on music together in 2013 where the idea to collaborate with the Interpol front-man sparked after RZA's manager asked him who he wanted to do an album with. "When I met Paul, I recognized the New York energy he has as a music artist," RZA told Rolling Stone. "We got to know each other playing chess and vibing out in the studio. Our talents connected in a unique way and we started writing songs. The outcome was something distinctively different from my previous work, yet with another layer of cool."

Anything But Words tracklisting:

Giant
Ana Electronic
Sword In The Stone (Feat. Kool Keith)
Speedway Sonora
Wild Season (Feat. Florence Welch)
Anything but Words
Conceal
Love and War (Feat. Ghostface Killah)
Can't Hardly Feel
One by One
Gonna Make It
Point of View (Feat. Method Man and Masta Killa)

Don't Miss a Music News Story Sign up for all the news on the Fall season, discounts & more...