Jake Banfield Releases Debut Album ‘Open Bars’
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jake Banfield released his debut album Open Bars. The full-length record brilliantly blurs the boundaries of country, hip-hop, and pop, with 12 tracks of bangers and ballads, including Banfield’s viral hit “Lasso.”
Banfield’s genre-bending album has something for everyone – it will make you dance, sing, cry, and probably call your ex, which Banfield sees as something to be grateful for. “Heartbreak keeps the night alive,”he says of the titular track. “Open Bars” is the ultimate breakup anthem. Banfield continues,“without girls breaking hearts, those bars wouldn’t be open late, pouring the drinks strong. Everyone’s there for a different reason… some trying to forget, some just feeling lost, but we’re all in it together, and this song is a celebration of that.” Watch the official visualizer here.
Another radio-ready anthem is “What She Wants,” a song that features woozy, melodic beats with Banfield’s raps adding to its urgency. While his viral smash “Lasso,” a country-rooted anthem featuring hip-hop hi-hats and pop production, has amassed over 25M streams worldwide, Banfield’s range and songs’ subject matter make it clear he won’t be a one-hit wonder. Ballads such as the emotional “Thought of You” and the piano-driven angst of “Still Feels The Same,” which features heart-rending harmonies with RaeLynn, display the depth and relatability of Banfield’s lyricism.
A natural storyteller, the up-and-coming artist has a gripping and vulnerable (yet resilient) vocal delivery and impressive songwriting chops, which almost went undiscovered. Hailing from a long line of educators and athletes – with several relatives enshrined in the Oklahoma Coaching Hall of Fame – Banfield initially pursued a basketball career until he suffered a game-ending injury. While rehabilitating away from the court, Jake picked up a guitar at a pawn shop and turned to music as his new escape. With a newfound passion and talent as a songwriter, Jake spent some time in LA writing for artists like Madison Beer, and eventually moved from Oklahoma to Nashville to focus on his own artistry.
With a slew of tour dates set to close out 2025, Banfield’s rise from strumming a guitar to pass the time to a shapeshifting artist is nearly complete. Yet, as excited as he is that his debut has been unleashed on the world, he can’t help but take stock of how far he’s come in such a short period.
“My music career came from the injury, which was like the saddest time in my life,”he says.“And then it ended up being a blessing in disguise and entirely changed my life. That said, it’s gonna be fun to see people singing the songs live, comments and videos made. That’s what I’m most excited for.”
CREDIT: RACHEL DEEB