Paul Banks, best known as the distinctive baritone vocalist of Interpol, initially pursued a solo career under the alias Julian Plenti before joining the band in the late '90s. Despite his solo work being momentarily sidelined by Interpol's growing success, Banks revisited his Julian Plenti material in 2008, enlisting collaborators like Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino and Ratatat's Mike Stroud to record new versions of his songs.
In 2012, Banks returned to his solo endeavors, releasing the Julian Plenti Lives EP and the Banks album later that year. He then ventured into a collaborative project with RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, resulting in the formation of Banks & Steelz. Their debut album, Anything But Words, dropped in August 2016 and featured appearances from notable artists like Ghostface Killah, Kool Keith, and Florence Welch.
