MUSIC PORTRAITS: Devendra Banhart

Born 30 May 1981, Houston, Texas, USA. Psych-folk artist Banhart was born to a Venezuelan mother and American father, and was given his Hindu first name by his parents’ guru. After completing his formal education at the San Francisco Art Institute, Banhart moved from California to New York where he began writing his own songs. He recorded several hours of this material on cheap cassette recorders, and originally these extremely lo-fi tapes were meant for his private use only. However, he eventually mailed out some of them as demos, through which means he came to the attention of Michael Gira and his Young God Records label. Gira compiled Banhart’s lo-fi material on two separate releases in 2002/2003, Oh Me Oh My ... (full title Oh Me Oh My ... The Way The Day Goes By, The Sun Is Setting Dogs Are Dreaming Love Songs Of The Christmas Spirit) and The Black Babies (UK) mini-album. 

Although many of them clocked in at below a minute in length, the songs provided an intriguing snapshot into the strange and at times nonsensical world-view of their creator. Critics made the inevitable comparisons to the errant genius of Syd Barrett, although Banhart’s vocals also bear more than a passing resemblance to those of cult UK folk rock singer Nick Drake.

In 2003 Banhart put together the compilation The Golden Apples Of The Sun for LA-based imprint Bastet. This CD helped provide a proper outlet for a number of the so-called new folk and psych-folk acts that had sprung up at the same time as Banhart, and also helped establish the singer as a figurehead of sorts for this new movement. A recording contract with the UK label XL Recordings followed, with the prolific Banhart completing two albums for release in 2004. The first of these, Rejoicing In The Hands, gained widespread acclaim when it was issued the same summer. The equally accomplished Nino Rojo followed later in the year. In 2005 Banhart launched the Gnomonsong record label and completed yet another album, Cripple Crow. His most recent release is "Ma" (2019)

Banhart also plays with the bands Vetiver, Stoner Boner, and the Black Babies.