Turnstile’s Brendan Yates on Why the Band is Like a Family

In this episode of Identified with Nabil Ayers, Brendan Yates of Turnstile explores family, community, identity, creativity, and the relationships that shaped both his life and his music. From growing up outside Baltimore to forming Turnstile with close friends, Brendan reflects on the people, places, and experiences that helped define his creative journey.

Brendan discusses discovering music through his older sister, learning from his grandfather’s piano, receiving his first drum kit, and spending years rehearsing in his parents’ basement—a space that eventually became the recording location for Turnstile’s earliest releases. He also shares stories of his father’s unwavering support, driving young bands to shows across the East Coast and helping make a musical life possible.

Guest: Brendan Yates of Turnstile
Host: Nabil Ayers
Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji
Produced by Palm Tree Island

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00:00 Intro
01:00 Exploring his family history
04:20 The older sister who introduced him to music
06:40 His grandfather’s piano and first instruments
08:00 Getting his first drum kit
10:00 The parents who made it all possible
12:20 Recording Turnstile’s first music in the basement
13:00 Touring before Turnstile
14:20 Why bands become families
18:20 Community, grief and growing together
20:50 What family means to Brendan

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Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging.

Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search.

Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going.

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