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Rock & Rock n Roll Music artist from East Elmhurst, NY. New songs free to stream, with purchase options starting at $0.75. Add to your playlist now.

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BANTER

Banter rocked the clubs and airwaves of the Northeast United States from 1996-2004 with a catalog of songs infusing everything from folk and punk and Arabian drones into a unique brand of rock that defies classification (OK, fine, call them alt rock if you must). Their lyrics range from musical paintings of places that have affected their lives (and ours), as found in songs like "The Fort," "Springtime in February" and "Three Weeks," to themes of angst and paranoia as tackled in "Lowered" and "Farewell." Their CDs, which include the highly acclaimed EP and their full-length album , brought the group international attention with reviews in places as remote as Bryansk, Russia and chart success in France. BANTER has performed throughout the Northeast United States from New York to New Hampshire and has championed the New England media from magazines to TV.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
BANTER came out of the late-nineties Boston club scene on a mission to "keep rock real," spending their early career bringing their their rock infusions to such hub Boston clubs as the Middle East, TT the Bear's, the Linwood and other venues that the band has since outlasted. Their early sound, captured on the e.p., showcased the band's energetic performances and their skill at creating songs propelled by catchy hooks and well-timed dynamic surges, fusing rock with musical traditions ranging from folk to punk. The EP got the band the good press (most notably in Boston fanzine as well as magazine) and the radio coverage they needed to establish themselves as a band to keep an eye on in the Boston scene, and prompted them to return to the studio to record the single "Springtime in February." "Springtime," a song written about singer Dan Sheehan's old neighborhood in Cambridge, MA, received "song of the month" honors from which dubbed it "the unoffical theme song of Central Square, de facto capital of the Boston music scene" and landed the band their first television airing of their music on The Mike Adams Sports Hour. Soon BANTER would be expanding their live presence, gigging in Providence and New York City, where the clubs CBGB's and Brownie's gave them a second home. In 2002, after various EPs, singles and compilation cuts, BANTER finally released their long-awaited full-length debut album, . Before its release, however, the album was already an internet hit with "The Fort," a song about a childhood stomping grounds, charting at #4 on Vitaminic.fr's "Rock Inde" (indie rock) chart, and "Where Have You Gone?" the historical tale of a kidnapped Native American boy becoming one of the few rock songs to ever make mp3.com's Native American top 50. The album showcased a variety of new influences in BANTER's rock infusions, from Boston-style power pop to Arabian drones. Shortly after its release, the band relocated full-time to New York where founder Dan Sheehan remains, now at the helm of his new project, The Dan Sheehan Conspiracy. As put it, "BANTER is a breath of fresh air in an age of formula-dominated rock."
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
We played live mostly in Boston, Providence, New York City, Long Island, and New Jersey. Dan's new band, The Dan Sheehan Conspiracy, is now playing live dates. Please check out their schedule at .
Your musical influences
Led Zeppelin, Beatles, the Who, Screaming Trees, Meat Puppets, Kinks, Smashing Pumpkins, Eyes Adrift, Pearl Jam
What equipment do you use?
we use good old electric guitars, bass, and drums.
Anything else?
we love to hear from fans, groupies, endorsers, other bands, and all you lovely people out there!