The Last Balloon, the highly anticipated album from GRAMMY-award winners Tank and the Bangas is out today via Verve Forecast—listen HERE.
The album comes on the heels of singles, “Nighttime,” “No Invite,” and “Move,” which received praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, OkayPlayer, BET, Essence and more, further highlighting the band’s ever-growing musical palette. “We’re working with new people and cultivating new sounds, and it feels like we’re more open than we’ve ever been,” says Tarriona “Tank” Ball on the new album, which features collaborations with the likes of Lucky Daye, Austin Brown, Ledisi and more.
The Last Balloon follows acclaimed albums Green Balloon (2019) and Red Balloon (2022), and marks both the closing chapter of the trilogy. “I called the album The Last Balloon because I didn’t want anyone asking us, ‘When’s Purple Balloon coming?’” adds Tank. “It’s the end of the balloons; we’re moving into a new space now.”
Executive-produced by frequent collaborator Austin Brown and recorded primarily at The Complex Studios in Los Angeles, the band worked alongside a range of artists including the multi-faceted musician Iman Omari, pianist/producer Tane Runo and soul singer Jelly Joseph. The Last Balloon finds the band exploring news sounds while contemplating themes of frustration, resilience and self-realization. Moments of vulnerability are met with bursts of joyful energy, as the record balances emotional catharsis and communal uplift.
The band’s live shows served as a blueprint for the creation of the album, with their dynamic performances guiding the songs. “What we’ve learned over the years is that even though people can’t always categorize our sound, they’re always able to describe how the music makes them feel,” explains Tank. “So, we’re gonna keep on changing and evolving, but we’re always gonna give you that same feeling of joy.”
In 2024, Tank and the Bangas released their three-part spoken word project, The Heart, The Mind, The Soul, which won the band a GRAMMY Award for “Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.” Each chapter of the album found Tank working with a different producer: The Soul with Robert Glasper as well as Austin Brown and Brian London, The Heart with James Poyser and The Mind with Iman Omari. Listen to the complete project HERE.
New Orleans-based Tank and the Bangas rose to prominence in 2017 following their unanimous NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest victory. Bringing their blend of poetry, R&B, gospel, and pop to a worldwide stage, Tank and the Bangas have been praised as one of the “best live bands in America” by NPR Music. In 2019, the band released their major label debut, Green Balloon, on Verve Forecast to widespread critical praise earning the band a Best New Artist nomination at that years GRAMMY Awards. Their latest third studio album Red Balloon received a nomination for “Best Progressive R&B Album” at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards.
Throughout their career the group has performed on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Austin City Limits,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “The Today Show.” They have consistently sold-out venues both stateside and abroad, with festival appearances at Coachella, Glastonbury, Bonnaroo and the Newport Jazz Festival.
Tank and the Bangas are Tarriona “Tank” Ball (lead), Norman Spence II (Multi- Instrumentalist) with new accompanying members, Deven Trusclair (Drummer), Kenaniah Turner (Bass), Rob Kellner (Keys), and Etienne Stoufflet (Saxophone).
TANK AND THE BANGAS — THE LAST BALLOON
1. Rest (feat. Shirazee)
2. Ain’t That Deep
3. Don’t Count Yourself Out (feat. Dawn Richard)
4. No Invite
5. Move (feat. Lucky Daye)
6. Go Your Own Way (feat. HaSizzle)
7. Is It Over?
8. Interlude
9. Whole World (feat. Ledisi)
10. Jealous (feat. Jelly Joseph)
11. Honeycomb (feat. Akeem Ali)
12. Oh Boy
13. Nighttime (feat. David Shaw & Austin Brown)
TOUR DATES—TANK AND THE BANGAS
May 15 /// New York City, NY /// Rough Trade Below
May 17 /// Cleveland, OH /// Courage and Poetry:
An Afternoon with Tank Ball
May 23 /// Columbus, OH /// Ohio Black Expo 2026
June 2 /// Charlotte, NC /// Visulite Theatre †
June 3 /// Asheville, NC /// The Grey Eagle †
June 5 /// Burlington, VT /// Waterfront Park
June 6 /// Brooklyn, NY /// Brooklyn Bowl †
June 7 /// Boston, MA /// The Sinclair †
June 10 /// Detroit, MI /// El Club †
June 12 /// Kalamazoo, MI /// Bell’s Eccentric
Cafe – Back Room †
June 13 /// Indianapolis, IN /// Rock the Ruins*
June 15 /// East Grand Rapids, MI /// Frederik
Meijer Gardens Amphitheater
June 16 /// Cleveland, OH /// Cain Park – Evans Amphitheater*
June 17 /// Pittsburgh, PA /// Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall †
June 19 /// Washington, D.C. /// Lincoln Theatre
June 20 /// Carrboro, NC /// Cat’s Cradle Outdoors
July 2 /// Los Angeles, CA /// Skirball Cultural Center
July 4 /// Portland, OR /// Tom McCall Waterfront Park
September 25-27 /// Sandtown, South Africa /// Joy of Jazz 2026
October 15 /// Atlanta, GA /// Terminal West †
October 16 /// Atlanta, GA /// Terminal West †
October 17 /// Nashville, TN /// Brooklyn Bowl †
October 20 /// Madison, WI /// Majestic Theatre †
October 21 /// Iowa City, IA /// Club Hancher †
October 23 /// Minneapolis, MN /// Fine Line †
October 24 /// Chicago, IL /// Thalia Hall †
October 25 /// St. Louis, MO /// Off Broadway †
November 5 /// Kansas City, MO /// The Truman †
November 7 /// Denver, CO /// Gothic Theatre †
November 8 /// Salt Lake City, UT /// The Commonwealth †
November 10 /// Seattle, WA /// The Crocodile †
November 13 /// San Francisco, CA /// August Hall †
November 17 /// Phoenix, AZ /// Crescent Ballroom †
November 19 /// Austin, TX /// Antone’s †
November 20 /// Austin, TX /// Antone’s †
November 21 /// Houston, TX /// Heights Theater †
*w/ Trombone Shorty
†w/Ariel J
