The Banana Creatures are a dynamic alt-rock band from the Pacific Northwest, blending heavy emotional undercurrents with maximalist post punk theatrics.
Formed in 2021 by singer-songwriter Patrick Grace, the band emerged from the Portland-Vancouver DIY scene with a live show that was tight and sharp, teetering in a sweet spot of controlled chaos.
In 2024, the band released To Crash a Car, produced by Colin Weaver (Empty Lane Studio, Bremerton, WA), whose creative partnership with Grace quickly became central to the band's evolving voice. The two developed an intense round-the-clock workflow that sparked a creative surge, leading to a string of pre-production sessions that led to Weaver joining the band, and became the foundation for their most ambitious record yet: Hell's in Velvet.
The current lineup-Grace (vocals/guitar), Weaver (guitar/producer), Justino Baza (drums), and longtime bassist Austin Elsey-tracked Hell's in Velvet at Seattle's legendary Avast Recording Co. They crafted a record that is sonically bursting at the seams, frenetically snapping between cinematic and contemplative slow burns, and vicious droning rockers. The instrumentation is all over the map; electric guitars with hard mood swings that constantly pull in and out of physical space, synthesizers and drum machines ranging from beautifully lush to searing and massive, and expertly orchestrated drumming that is as detailed as it is monstrous.
Conceptually ... Velvet is woven with macabre imagery of sin and deviance, and made up lyrically with one part dark sarcasm and two parts scathing honesty. The whole record feels intensely tied to the moment, with its massive stylistic range keeping the record surprising and explorative.
With Hell's in Velvet, The Banana Creatures are actively seeking label support to bring their most fully realized work to a wider audience.
