We had the good fortune of connecting with Handsome Boy Banks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Handsome Boy, how do you think about risk?
Risk taking has always been an important aspect of my life and career. Moving to California was a huge risk for me. Now ten years later I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. I waited almost two decades before I started making music and releasing it. As soon as I took the risk and started putting it out there, I found success. The new single I have out is another huge risk for me. I have released all hip hop tracks up to this point and PASADENA is not just a hip hop track. It’s r&b. It’s pop. It’s a collection of different things I like and I’m taking a risk in singing. The album I’m releasing this year is an homage to every style of music that has inspired me over the years. Ranging from country to 80’s horror movie soundtracks it’s a risk that I feel strongly about . Risks are necessary for growth.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think the fact that I’m combining so many genres is going to really set me apart. I don’t sound like anyone else, but I know how to sing with emotion. You don’t always have to sing well to sing good. I prefer to sing real. I’ve gotten to where I am today as an artist because of the people around me. People having faith in me and giving me the confidence to explore other areas of my music. More real music. Unique to me but hopefully relatable to more. It hasn’t been easy. Singing about losing yourself and wishing you could go back because you feel like you haven’t done enough. But I found as soon as I opened up about my self doubts and worries the more people cared about what I was making. I was scared to sing and now I’m not and while that sounds simple, simple doesn’t equate to easy. Opening myself up seems like it opened others up to me. I’ve learned that you never know how things are going to go. You can only control your effort and output and hopefully something will stick. I’ve learned that you should learn every aspect of things you want to do. I have been able to learn to film, learn to produce, learn to sing, learn to rap, learn to write, learn to trust others, learn to edit and more. I guess my story is of someone that never thought they would get to where they want to be and I’m realizing I’m there.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite spots in the city when the city is fully opened. The Fonda Theatre I have seen some of the best shows of my life at the Fonda. I can’t wait to enjoy more. The Comedy Store this is a legendary place historic to LA. Cole’s french dip in DTLA their happy hour menu is the best and I personally like Cole’s over Phillipes. The Vista especially for a MARVEL premiere where the house is crowded and all the jokes pop along with the reactions to every thing else. Die Hard on Christmas Eve at the New Beverly Cinema. One of my favorite holiday traditions I hope comes back soon. Los Feliz Par 3 a low key good time if you have the middle of the day free and you want to walk and talk.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to give a shout out to Huca Bera, over at Space 2813. He has helped me so much in finding my sound and the amount of material we come up with is insane.

Website: https://www.handsomeboybanks.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handsomeboybanks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lowkey_good

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handsomeboybanks/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmrUcw6l1soejqGHBWAtReA

Other: SPOTIFY spotify:artist:6nAfnN8hIiuyIYsQfQZIGf APPLE MUSIC https://music.apple.com/us/artist/handsome-boy-banks/1403103492 TIDAL https://tidal.com/browse/artist/10005548

Image Credits
@kenzgotit https://www.instagram.com/kenzgotit/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.