Leave Expectations At The Door: BANKS ARCADE Talk Aussie Tour And New Album

Melbourne-via-New Zealand heavy hitters Banks Arcade are a band completely devoid of boundaries, systematically smashing the modern metalcore blueprint to pieces and rebuilding it in their own chaotic image. Merging towering post-hardcore riffs with hip-hop swagger, electronic glitch-work, and raw, bleeding-heart lyricism, this four-piece has rapidly evolved into one of the most exciting and unpredictable forces in the global alternative scene. They don’t just play heavy music; they live it, breathe it, and constantly reinvent it. Now, off the back of a relentless global tear, the boys are gearing up for a massive homecoming, hitting Australian roads this October for a powerhouse national tour alongside American rap-metal juggernauts From Ashes To New.
This isn’t just another run of shows; it’s a collision of worlds. Teaming up with From Ashes To New makes for a fiercely high-octane double-bill that bridges the gap between classic nu-metal energy and the cutting-edge future of heavy music. For Banks Arcade, stepping onto these stages across Australia’s major cities is a statement of intent. They’ve spent the last couple of years cutting their teeth internationally and commanding festival stages, but there is a distinct, borderline-dangerous energy that ignites whenever they play in front of a homegrown Aussie crowd. It’s loud, it’s sweaty, and it’s completely unapologetic.
Adding massive fuel to the fire is the looming arrival of their highly anticipated new studio album, Second Place Superstar. Written and refined amidst a whirlwind of international touring, the new record represents a creative quantum leap for the band. It’s darker, heavier, and features the kind of massive, genre-bending hooks that demand to be screamed back at a stage from a packed, suffocating mosh pit. This tour will give diehard fans their very first taste of this new era live, transforming venues into volatile testing grounds for tracks destined to become future anthems.
Ahead of what promises to be one of the most explosive heavy music tours of the year, we sat down with Banks Arcade's magnetic frontman, Joshua O’Donnell. We dug deep into the raw creative headspace behind the new album, the sheer chaos of sharing a stage with From Ashes To New, and why Banks Arcade are refusing to play by anyone else's rules as they prepare to tear up the Australian highway.


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