Jacob Banks
Jacob Banks is a Nigerian-born British singer-songwriter whose baritone brings soul, R&B and alternative music together, from Village to the 2026 album Limerence.
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Latest
Jacob’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus their backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Music
Music
Music
Music
Music
MusicOverview
- From
- Born in Nigeria; moved to Birmingham as a teenager.
- Born
- 24 July 1991
- Makes
- Songs that draw on soul, R&B, rock and hip-hop.
- Before music
- Graduated with a degree in civil engineering.
- Early breakthrough
- MOBO UnSung regional winner in 2012; an unsigned appearance on Radio 1’s Live Lounge followed.
- Debut album
- Village, released 2 November 2018.
Mini bio
How it started.
Born in Nigeria and raised partly in Birmingham, Jacob came to songwriting while studying civil engineering. In interviews, Jacob remembers buying a guitar because it looked good in the apartment, then learning to play through YouTube tutorials. Writing songs and sharing them online followed.
Finding an audience.
An early competition win brought a chance to record with Plan B. The 2012 MOBO UnSung regional competition and an unsigned Radio 1 Live Lounge performance helped more listeners find Jacob. The Monologue introduced the early songs in 2013, before The Boy Who Cried Freedom and the debut album Village.
Songs with pictures.
Film has long been part of Jacob’s creative world. Jacob told RIFF that watching films often helps with writing music, and the catalogue includes “In the Name of Love” from The Equalizer 2 and a featured performance on “Runnin” from Creed II.
The recent chapters.
Lies About the War arrived through Nobody Records in 2022. The Yonder releases explored different sides of Jacob’s sound across 2024 and 2025. In April 2026, Limerence followed, with the official site describing songs about devotion, attachment and the difficulty of letting go.
Creditschronological, newest first
Solo releases
- 2026LimerenceRecording artist
- 2025YonderRecording artist
- 2022Lies About the WarRecording artist
- 2021For My FriendsRecording artist
- 2018VillageRecording artist; debut album
- 2017The Boy Who Cried FreedomRecording artist
Collaborations
- 2026Love Like This (Flip)With NESTA
- 2025Heartlands / ThornsWith Kofi Stone
- 2025MilesWith Gatton
Film music
- 2018Runnin, from Creed IIFeatured artist alongside A$AP Rocky
- 2018In the Name of Love, from The Equalizer 2Recording artist
Awards
Quotes
I think music should be seen.Jacob Banks, RIFF Magazine
On wanting to understand film and score it: https://riffmagazine.com/features/jacob-banks-has-got-your-back/
Trivia
- The guitar that started it all was bought as decoration before Jacob learned to play it through YouTube.
- Disney movies helped Jacob fall in love with music.
- Before the music career, Jacob imagined a future in civil engineering or basketball.
Find Jacob
Follow Jacob for new songs, live sessions and shows.
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