Country Music.
That’s the first thing you need to know about Will Banister. Hailing from the state of New Mexico, about 20 minutes from the Texas border, Banister grew up with the sounds of Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, George Strait, and Brooks and Dunn blaring through the speakers of his dad’s pickup. This influence made a huge impact in shaping the sounds of Banister’s songs. The lyrics, along with the fiddle and steel in his music, leaves you reminiscing about the days of country radio in the 90s, while still sounding current and relevant.
Though the name Will Banister might be new for many of our followers, Banister has continued to pick up steam and renown over the last few years hitting the road and playing shows with Russell Dickerson, Diamond Rio, Matt Stell, and others all over the southwest, and even headlining shows of his own. Perhaps just as influential on the rise in his career was the opportunity he had in 2021 to perform the opening song title in Clint Eastwood’s latest movie, Cry Macho, in addition to performing a private show for Eastwood and his closest friends.
While Banister has been writing and singing music for the better part of his life, he has remained an independent artist to this day. Without a team behind him, Banister had to build a following and appeal to the listeners on his own. He did so by way of social media, where I, like many, stumbled upon some just-as-good-as-the-original covers of country classics. There’s an undeniable authenticity to the sounds and emotions Banister puts into every song and every video I’ve seen. He is true to his craft and captivates his audience with his recognizable voice and heartfelt performances. Though his covers are certainly worthy of praise, his originals also deserve their time to shine. That time is now!
“Right Where We Belong” is the first single release from Banister since the fall of ’21 and the first of many we can expect in ’23. From the opening strike of the bow on the fiddle, it’s clear that twang is going to carry you through the track. Banister fully embraced his southwestern raising and love for his childhood influences in the tale of two potential lovers who land in the right place at the right time and wind up getting lost in a song.
The song was penned by Banister, Roger Springer and Jeff Hyde following an inspiring afternoon daydream.
Banister shared: “I was driving down the road one day headed to a job in Lubbock, Texas, and this melody just popped in my head. I immediately pulled out my phone and hummed it into my voice memos, did my job for the day, and ended up writing the first verse on my drive home. The following week I drove up to my cowriter’s place where he just happened to be writing with Hyde and we ended up changing the title and finishing the song. After living with the song for a couple weeks, we decided we didn’t have it just right. We all connected via FaceTime, rewrote the chorus, and knew we finally got it right.”
Banister will be hitting the road again in ’23 playing this single and even giving concert-goers an early listen of some of the tracks coming later in the year. You can catch him performing at the San Antonio Rodeo and Stock Show on February 11th.
For now, be sure to follow Banister on all social media platforms and give ‘Right Where We Belong’ a listen a day before it drops.