We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrew “Twin” Banner. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrew “Twin” below.
Andrew “Twin”, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
At age 10 my father had a drum set in the basement of his print shop. I would go visit him at work, I would always go down in the basement and would just play around with the drums. My father ended up bringing the drum set home for me. At age 13 I was self-taught, and my father would take me around to jam sessions. My mother enrolled me into drum lessons so I could learn music theory. My father always kept me around his friends who were musicians. My father’s best friend who is a legendary reggae artist “Leroy Brown” brought me around to jam sessions so I could rehearse with his band. I was introduced to Reggae/Dancehall Pioneer producers “Sly & Robbie”. During high school I wasn’t sure of what career path I would pursue. One night I was up late watching Jay-Z’s “Fade to Black” documentary. I was inspired by Jay-Z ‘s engineer “Young Guru.” More so inspired at the time of seeing a young engineer operating a big console and then running the entire studio session by himself. I was inspired and had the desire to pursue a career in music production. After graduating high school, I attended music college to study audio engineering.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Twin, I’m a producer/songwriter from Toronto Canada. I got into the music industry at age 17 and got my first placement with Universal Motown in 2010. When I was in music college I was working with music producer Jimmy Tucan of Equiknoxx Music. At the time Tucan had produced one of the biggest songs in dancehall. Shortly after I opened up my first commercial recording studio in Toronto. Jimmy Tucan’s projects started to filter through my studio which gave me the opportunity to work with A-list artist such as Tory Lanez, Vybez Kartel, Sizzla, Missy Elliot and more.
In 2023, I launched “Blvck Saints” with my twin brother DJ “86Trilla” and A&R “LastxCall.” This venture is what I’m most proud of. Us being an independent music label and talent agency. What we represent is being bold, honourable, and altruistic. I’m excited about our talent and I look forward on sharing our roster to the world.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
As a producer I’m always striving to make music that is timeless. Having the ability to create a song from scratch and then to hear it live at a concert or club. Nothing beats that feeling of seeing others enjoy something you created. That’s really what it’s about in these times. Also, as a fashion designer, creating pieces from scratch and then seeing the consumer wearing your brand is another feeling of joy. Overall, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative to me is turning your visions into a timeless product.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
As a creative person, I’m constantly chasing momentum. Being inspired is what drives my creativity and sometimes that is hard to obtain. My creativity solely generates from real life experiences. Collaborating with producers and songwriters fuels my creative juices. Also, spontaneous things such as travelling and studying producers that have an impact on me. My current mission right now is just to take my label to a higher level. Business wise we will be partnering with a major distribution label in 2024. The hard work that everyone has been doing is about to pay off. My family plays a big part in my journey. The constant desire to always evolve and to leave a mark in this industry is very important to me. For my kids to carry the legacy is something I look forward to seeing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blvcksaints.com
- Instagram: @producedbytwin
- Twitter: @producedbytwin
Image Credits
LI-ON GREVIER