Introducing: Bananagun

Melbourne's Bananagun returns with their newest single, With the Night, from their upcoming album Why is the Colour of the Sky?, due November 8 via Full Time Hobby. This track marks a bold step into uncharted territory, led by haunting piano chords and frontman Nick van Bakel’s reflections on spirituality and isolation. Inspired by personal struggles and disillusionment with modern systems, van Bakel explains, “I wrote it when I lost faith in our system... it was a dark night of the soul that forces you to search inward for the treasure the external world denies.”

In Why is the Colour of the Sky?, Bananagun sheds their signature sunshine-pop vibes for a richer, more experimental sound infused with jazz and freak-beat elements. Recorded at Button Pusher Studio with minimal takes to preserve its raw, organic energy, the album captures the chemistry of live music and human connection. Bananagun is stepping into a new chapter, one that's mysterious, introspective, and courageously authentic.

1.  Nick, you’ve shared that “With the Night” reflects your personal journey toward spirituality, especially during challenging times like the pandemic. Can you elaborate on how these experiences influenced the songwriting and the themes in this track?

Since teenage years I knew the way the world operates wasn't for me. into my 20s I knew for sure I had to explore and especially learn to meditate because I have a hyperactive mind and I struggled always with focus so via that mission I'd read some Taoist, Buddhist, Hindu things and learnt a little. I meditated for years with no idea what I was doing. During the pandemic my mum died which strengthened my desire to and I think it's only really then when your absolutely on your knees and begging that you get somewhere without a teacher. Because I don't like teachers I took the long way. I meditated a lot on healing my heart and then had a vision of a beautiful green parrot in my chest flapping its wings. After that I believed in god and when I meditated I felt waves of goosebumps going up back over my head releasing trapped energy. I'd experienced changes and struggled to be taken seriously with peers speaking about my views and that is totally fine, it's that isolation and individual dark night of the soul and following resolution the songs expressing.

2. With your upcoming album departing from the sunshine-pop and afrobeat of your debut, how would you describe the evolution of your sound in Why is the Colour of the Sky? and what inspired the incorporation of jazz and freak-beat elements?

part of the inspiration for that is less musical and more emotional and mental. I was really disturbed by everything that happened during those years, from mandatory vaccines of an experimental drug, to the whole advent of "cancelation" the totally inappropriate cruelty online and blind fear in music communities that base their whole branding of rock n roll and "revolution" just mindlessly obeying when their moment came to take a stance. That made me feel quite un sunshine pop. Regardless I love all these musical styles.

Musically speaking the change in sound was about leaving room for the other guys in the band to feel out their own place and contributions in the band and also just a practical thing because the last album had heaps of extra sax and flutes and us 5 fit in one car, everyone should be paid for their time and it's difficult with 4 extra musicians 

3. You recorded the album at Button Pusher studio with a focus on capturing a more organic sound. Can you share more about this recording process, particularly how you fostered the right environment to capture the 'magic' you mentioned?

Well Magic's the goal right? You want everyone to have a good time and enjoy the session and enjoy being friends and playing together in a band so you've gotta surrender a bass part or tambourine flourish you'd like to hear in an ideal world in favour of what could happen when people are just feeling it and make their own choices when they feel something in the moment and the band are all so cool and funny and musical and have so much raw creativity and humility so just chill and let them be magician.

4.  In discussing the song, you mentioned the stigma surrounding spirituality and religion today. How do you hope listeners will resonate with this exploration of spirituality in “With the Night,” and what do you think it means to find meaning outside organized religion?

Yeah, the stigma is valid! The sexual abuse and the cruel judgement of these institutions and ensuing multi-generational trauma resulting is very real and continues. Personally I think the perpetrators of these heinous acts are most likely demons whether you wanna take that metaphorically or literally and my opinion is that Jesus was a prophet who stood up against tyranny, David conquered Goliath, it's all probably fairytales but at some point some very enlightened people wrote this story out in a way that would transcend the ages and I've barely even scratched the surface but I believe that inwardly it's the story of everyone, it's the archetypal phases and challenges every soul will face and written in story form rather than scientifically because humans are creative and relate to stories about journeys. I just hope people feel it or like, up to them! I think for example somebody with a dream beyond their resources and environment deserves to have something bigger than themselves to believe in.

5.You mentioned manipulating social conditions to nail the vibe during recording. In what ways did the social climate around you influence the music and message of this album, and how do you see this reflected in the album's overall tone?

I dunno about manipulation, just creating a good vibe for the band, giving everyone space. Whatever that means, having a meal together beforehand, buying some drinks for everyone? I just reckon it's whack if you rock up at the door on the dot and start recording immediately like a robot and then clock off and give each other a mechanical fist pump and say in a monotone voice "ok dude I will see you tomorrow I am going to sleep in my bed good bye". The social climate around the album was lovely because we have a band of beautiful people and we don't bother with bother'ers.