Gig Soap

Chad Bourquin (00:22)
Steve, so man, you've got a lot of things, music, ⁓ you've got a lot of life experiences too that I think are very cool. ⁓ Some of were not so cool, obviously, that you've dealt with. And you've come through a lot of this stuff on the other end. So we'll see how much time we have and how much we get into all this. But let's start real quick about what...

I don't know, we'll talk about how far we wanna go back here. I definitely wanna talk about how you got into the studio business when you were up in Iowa, right? Okay, how did that happen?

Steven Bankey (00:55)
Yeah, yep,

Well, yeah, so as far as like starting an actual business that did happen in Iowa and dates, I'm horrible dates, but I would guess maybe around 20, I'd say 2013 or 2014 is when I actually opened my doors for the first time and started accepting clients. But big, big part of that is my wife, my wife Kelsey, who's been with me throughout this whole journey has been a big.

fan and also ⁓ not necessarily a mentor as far as like the recording stuff but as far as like

a person life lessons and that kind of stuff has been a mentor and she's she's a big believer that if you have a dream there's no reason you can't chase it and so she she has pushed me along and and so that's helped out she with her encouragement I opened my doors in 2013 and 2014 one of those years it's been that long ago now but ⁓ but I actually started recording before that so I've I've been tinkering with recording 20 years Chad I mean I'm not trying to date myself here but yeah long time started with

four track tape machines all the way up to my first iMac and then into the digital world from there.

Chad Bourquin (02:06)
Yeah, I mean that's true testament to marrying the right person, you know, cause that, you know, they, they're either going to be supportive and you're going to build a dream together or it could, it's, or it could be completely the opposite. They could tear you down and you are fortunate that you found one that builds you up. That's awesome.

Steven Bankey (02:10)
Yeah.

Right.

sure very very fortunate yeah I wish

yeah I want to give her all the credit that she deserves so yeah yeah yeah

Chad Bourquin (02:29)
Yeah, yeah, and Kelsey is awesome. She's a good person.

Definitely outpunning the coverage.

Steven Bankey (02:37)
Yeah, above my station

Chad Bourquin (02:39)
So

you were also in Iowa, were a or you still are an air traffic controller, right? So you've been doing that a long time.

Steven Bankey (02:49)
Yeah. ⁓

Yeah, yeah, I went into the Navy in December of 2000 with the goal of learning how to do that career and got out in 2005 and got my first first contract job. I worked out in Connecticut and then from Connecticut moved to Des Moines, Iowa for my first federal job and then from Des Moines, Iowa to Sioux City and Sioux City to Kansas City. yeah, I am using a condenser microphone. So, yeah.

Chad Bourquin (03:13)
Nice.

Okay.

The so you had the studio air traffic controller and then at some point you made the decision that you wanted to sing and perform. How'd that happen?

Steven Bankey (03:24)
Yeah.

Well, honestly, so I was trying to figure out how to get people to come back in to record. And Kelsey and I were talking about this one night up in Sioux City. And so we decided we're going to go out and just meet musicians. That's the way you're going to do it. You're just going to go out and network and get to know people. So ⁓ I reached out on Facebook. There was this band up in Sioux City. I'm a fan of Red Dirt Music. I think that's pretty well known. But I like...

Country Rock, Red Dirt, there was a band called the Red Dirty Turkeys. Found them on Facebook and messaged them and asked them where they were gonna be and they said, we're gonna be at this place. So I showed up there, them a beer, started talking and next thing you know, I convinced them to come back to record. And so recorded a single with them and then made a good lifelong friend named Mitch out of that. so then also started going to open mic nights.

to meet people, know, so singer-songwriter type, know, but maybe full bands weren't coming in as frequent as I wanted, so maybe I'll just start trying to figure out if I can get acoustic singer-songwriters to come in, that kind of thing. So, I went out to open mic nights, and next thing you know, somebody's like, Benkei, why don't you get up there? And so I did, and they heard me sing, and the next thing you know, they're like, Benkei, we're gonna form a band around you, so, I'm like, okay, sure.

Chad Bourquin (04:56)
Nice.

Steven Bankey (04:57)
So it kind of just fell into it, trying, honestly trying to get people to come back to record. That's how, yeah.

Chad Bourquin (05:02)
Mm-hmm.

Well, what was it that drove you to the passion of mixing to begin with,

Steven Bankey (05:11)
think I'm, well I'm a father's son and my father's a technician. His dad was an engineer. So I have that side of me. I have that inquisitive, know, want to figure out how things work. That kind of side to me and I love the technical side of things. And then in that same family, my aunt is a successful wildlife artist. So, and she's as far the other way as you could ever be. Like, I mean, we'd have...

20 minute conversations and chipmunk voice. Like just, she's goofy, right? Like she's goofy, but she's a fantastic artist. So I have that in me as well. So I think it's like that struggle between creative and, actually not a struggle, marriage, that marriage of creative and technical that I find fascinating in the studio. And then there's the satisfaction of creating something from nothing, kind of like.

Anything I do like woodworking and all the furniture in my house I built. I loved it. Like you start with a flat board and an idea and next thing you know you have an entertainment center. So it's like I love that. So I think that's what drove me to the studio. Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (06:06)
Mm-hmm.

Does, so the singing in the band, does that feel a different void or is that the kind of the same thing?

Steven Bankey (06:23)
Absolutely.

Yeah, no singing in the band brings in the whole live element, which is the Wild Wild West, you know, like to me like the studios is a lab. I look at that. It's like a laboratory. Right. We stop. We we overanalyze. We to death. You know what I mean? We do all that kind of stuff because we're not under the pressure live. It's like this happening on the fly. You you do it. And and and so and then it also brings in the.

human element. mean, there's some of that in the studio too, but like the personal performance part of things where you have that connection with people and you see the direct connect of how your music can affect them. like the, I like that too. So that's, that's pretty fun about the live live performances.

Chad Bourquin (07:07)
Yeah,

one of the things that I've noticed, I know we've talked about this in the past, it's just a huge, cool character quality you have, is you're an encourager to the extreme. And you let that out on stage all the time. That first time that I filled in to play with you, we would get to this solo section and...

Steven Bankey (07:23)
yeah.

you

Chad Bourquin (07:37)
And then you're great to play with for guitar players as the solo sections go forever. So I mean, I remember like starting to play and then all of a I hear you scream like from the other side of the stage, like, you know, and then I think I'm about to wrap it up. And here you go again. You're like, And it's like, it's like I just run a marathon, but no, I think you can go further, you know?

Steven Bankey (07:41)
yeah. yeah.

I

Yup.

100%. I love it.

Chad Bourquin (08:04)
And I think that's such a valuable leadership thing that you have there for whoever you're working with, because it just makes, I remember the feeling it gave me when you did that. You know, it was incredible. And for those that don't know, ⁓ my oldest son Micah has played with Steve forever. And so just knowing that, you know, he's also receiving that from you all the time is such a cool thing for me.

Steven Bankey (08:15)
Awesome. That's cool. Yeah, thank you.

Yeah.

Yeah. That's awesome.

Yeah. No, I'm truly a fan, Jed. Like truly a fan. not just, mean, of your playing obviously and things like that, but of anybody that steps on that stage, I'm truly a fan and I want to hear them, you know, I want them to speak.

through their instrument and stuff. so I can, I don't know if it's just intuition or whatever, but I can tell when something's been rehearsed and like, and then it's like, okay. And then they're ready to be done with that. Like I got my spot that I rehearsed done with. Nope, we're going past that. So now we get to really hear what you have to say. You know what I mean? And I'm truly a fan on stage. I love it. So yeah.

Chad Bourquin (09:01)
Yeah.

Do you bring that same thing into the studio when you're working as an engineer? Like you can tell somebody, okay, they've done the rehearsed part. Let's see what.

Steven Bankey (09:18)
Absolutely.

Yeah. I mean, and I tell people that all the time when I'm working with them, too, is like I put my head down, they see me put my head down. when they when I when I move, I I feel it, like it's not just a hear like you hear it, obviously, but like when you feel it, that's when you know you did it. That's when it's right. Because we're like this little test sample of like when you release it out into the world, right? We're we're the first ones to get to hear this. So if it's making us feel good, there's chances that it's going to make somebody else feel good, too. You know, so.

That's kind of what we would do. I mean, I can't take credit for this, but I believe in it wholeheartedly. We're salesmen and our product is emotion. We sell emotion. That's exactly what we sell. ⁓ Yeah, that's it. It really is. That's exactly what we do. We turn emotions into audible frequencies.

Chad Bourquin (09:47)
And isn't that what it's all about? I mean, really.

Mmm. Preach it.

Hmm,

that needs to be a quote.

Steven Bankey (10:12)
It's not my quote though. Yeah, I don't know who it is. I have to find out who it is. Yeah, there you go You're gonna get me in trouble be like hey that guy stole my quote. Yeah

Chad Bourquin (10:15)
It is now. I haven't heard anybody else say it, so. Well, it's

only gonna be your quote for the first three times I say it, then it's like I said, it's my quote. That's the rule, right? That's three times, Yonit.

Steven Bankey (10:27)
Right. Yeah. Yeah. So. ⁓

Chad Bourquin (10:37)
Yeah, man, it's just been so fantastic to watch everything develop, not only with you, but with your group and now your studio in Kansas City, you So you moved from Iowa to Kansas City. That was due to the getting into position. Yeah.

Steven Bankey (10:43)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yes, a couple things.

yeah, family, moved down here for family. I'm originally from North Central Missouri. So this, as far as my job goes, is as close as I could get to home. I wanted to be close to home for some family issues and different things like that. then, ⁓ yeah, and it was a step up in a career too, as far as like a bigger airport and that kind of thing. So yeah, yeah.

Chad Bourquin (11:18)
Yeah, I mean, again, like just bragging on Steve, I mean, if you're landing at the MCI airport, he might be the one landing you. So I'm always going to be extremely nice to you because.

Steven Bankey (11:23)
Yeah.

Yeah

Chad Bourquin (11:36)
I kind of want to land each time.

Steven Bankey (11:37)
Right? Yeah. I did it. I did it above and descend the chiefs around one time. That was funny. And then that made the news, but that was hilarious. Yeah. Yeah, I was like, but it was for safety. So, yeah. Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (11:44)
Yeah.

So a lot of things, as always in life, a lot of things happen that we grow from, a of things we learn from. And you have just recently been through quite a deal with your health that I've just witnessed growth even since you've gone through this. you care sharing a little bit about this and talk a little bit about it? Yeah.

Steven Bankey (12:02)
Yeah.

Sure.

Yeah. So, I mean, 2025, let's just start there. That whole year has just been rough, rough, rough, for my family. ⁓ My father, 2014, was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. called swan-micellar carcinoma of his left tongue. And then it wrapped around his artery. So they did surgery on it, or no, they couldn't do surgery on it. They did radiation on it and...

Ten years later, came back, early 2025, dad lost his swallow. This time it was around his vagal nerve and in February he passed away from complications due to cancer and cancer treatments. During that time, it was rough for our family, but I had some stuff going on with my tonsil on my left side and I was very nervous about it. So I finally convinced someone to take a look at it. And when they pulled my tonsil out of there, they found a 3.6-centimeter tumor in my left tonsil.

same type. ⁓ right now they did surgery ⁓ called TORS up at Mayo and ⁓ they took it out and they took 30 lymph nodes on the left side of my neck and pretty scary stuff as far as being a singer that kind of stuff too like pretty scary stuff pretty scary stuff just for my own personal like ⁓ health and well-being. Right now though ⁓

Chad Bourquin (13:30)
do.

Steven Bankey (13:38)
They say they got the cancer. We didn't have to do radiation or chemo. We're just watching it. for the first couple of years, we'll go up every four months. After that, two years, we'll go every six months. And then after five years, the chances of it recurring go back down to basically what you and I would both be at the same level there. yeah. So, but ⁓ emotionally,

Chad Bourquin (13:58)
Yeah. ⁓

Steven Bankey (14:02)
Emotionally, it's it's taken its toll on me. I'd like to say you're and say that hasn't but like it would anybody but I'm kind of trying to and I mean there's days like it's it's not it's definitely a roller coaster But as long as I the way I'm looking at it as long as the trajectory is up then it's good like you'd have good days and bad days as far as emotionally and stuff like that, but Yeah, as long as the trajectory is up then you then you're on the right path So it's pretty be pretty easy to lay down and feel sorry for yourself

but I'm refusing to do that. don't want to really let it define me either. Yes, ⁓ I do, however, want to make people aware this type of cancer is very scary. And ⁓ the problem with this type of cancer is that it mimics so many other types of illnesses that are basic, like things like allergies or strip throat or sore throats and colds and stuff like that, that most of time that I'm very fortunate that it was diagnosed when it was ⁓ most of time that this

type of cancer gets diagnosed, it's way late. So, yeah.

Chad Bourquin (15:05)
Yeah.

So what are you? mean, let's talk a little bit. mean, I know this kind of was was a trial for just your faith as well. ⁓ What was that experience like?

Steven Bankey (15:17)
100%.

It was rough. mean, Chad, there's a lot of time spent just down, down and out. But to be honest with you, the people, the people around me are the ones that have have pulled me out of it. Like I've gathered strength from them and their words and their I mean, so many people, so many people have reached out just checking on me daily. So many people are praying for me. So many people like

Are kidding? Like I said, I told you, and I know we're talking about upper limits and whatnot, but it's hard not to feel like not worthy of that. You know what mean? So humbled. So, so humbled by all of that. why? Because like why do you kind of wonder like, why would anybody care about me? You know what mean? Like why would anybody care like about that kind of thing? But they do and they're genuine and you can tell. So it's kind of amazing to think about.

that maybe I've made an impact in their life enough that they care to do that, you know? So, to reach out to me too.

Chad Bourquin (16:26)
Well, I don't think it's

maybe, I think it is you have made enough of an impact that they care. ⁓ So you mentioned upper limit. We haven't talked about that here. Explain what you mean by that.

Steven Bankey (16:31)
Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. That's

you, man. That's that's your like when I say this, like I'm talking about you like like you've helped me out, not only career wise, ⁓ but also emotional and spiritual and in all kinds of different ways, Chad, like so many times I lean on you. I lean on you and you've been right there every single time. thank you for that. But

Including this upper limit thing. I wasn't even known about that until you told me about that and you sent me that book so and I'm on my second listen through ⁓ of that book and I Believe it. I'm a believer of it. So Yeah

Chad Bourquin (17:20)
So if I didn't know anything about upper limits, what would you tell me it was?

Steven Bankey (17:24)
If you didn't know anything about upper limits, it's basically getting out of your own way. That's if I could shorten it up into one thing, it's to get out of your own way. Like I'm I'm a victim of that hypercritical of my own successes, hypercritical of everything. And ⁓ I've been in my own way so many times and just and then allowing yourself to to accept the fact of your successes and different things like that. And I'm not talking about in some kind of bragging way.

I'm just saying that we're like feeling worthy of the successes that you're doing, you know, like what you're working for. Yeah. As opposed to just beating yourself up to feel better, you know, to feel and it's not even better. It's just like to put yourself back in that. I've been there. I've been there. I've done that so many times. Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (18:13)
Yeah, well, I mean, tell you, it's cool from my perspective to just to see you diving into this, you know, you know, and, and, and we don't have to, you know, we don't forget in this, but I know you're also, you've been diving into just taking charge of your own health as well. or we can't get into that. mean, you're, you're, you're not just listening to what somebody's saying that you're saying, you're saying, I'm going to figure this out. I'm going to look at all the facts, you know,

Steven Bankey (18:20)
Yeah.

Ha ha ha!

Yeah, yep.

Yeah, 100%. Yup.

Chad Bourquin (18:42)
I mean, what has that been like?

Steven Bankey (18:44)
I mean, it's been a big change, a big change in my life. And once again, there's Kelsey. Like, I can't talk about this without Kelsey being right there. Because anybody that's ever been on any kind of like thing, it's hard to do it if not everybody that you're close to around every day is on board too, you know? So.

whether that be anything from quitting smoking or whatever, some kind of thing, you know what I mean? If the person in your house is still smoking and you're trying to quit smoking, that, it's just not success. So ⁓ yeah, we've changed our lifestyle completely and yeah, and she's right on board. She's diving in too. So it's been eye-opening and ⁓ I can't believe it's taken this long. Like I don't even know like why, yeah, it took, but here it is. Yeah.

That one little thing, well not little, but that thing caused it obviously to dive into it that way, but I'm glad it did. So, yeah.

Chad Bourquin (19:42)
Yeah, I

mean, unfortunately, you're not alone in that. think a lot of us, need some serious event that causes to make the right change or decision and things. I mean, I can think of number of those in my own life that had that thing that I felt was happening to me at the time not happened. I would not have made whatever change was over here that now I'm super grateful I made.

Steven Bankey (19:49)
Mm-hmm.

Yep, yeah, yeah.

Right.

Right.

Right. Yeah, exactly. it's it's crazy like that you have to have something like that happen to to make that kind of change or to force you to push you over the edge. I wish I made that's a self-motivation thing or, you know, I mean, a self-discipline thing that I need to practice on a week there, I guess. But yeah. So, yeah. Right.

Chad Bourquin (20:13)
you know, and...

Yeah, we all do. I I

mean, we could have made better decisions before, we just didn't. But hopefully, our kids and their kids see this and make those decisions quicker.

Steven Bankey (20:36)
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. ⁓

Yeah,

yeah, like, and you know me, Chad, I'm the type that dives first thing when I get outside, I'm going after something, I go into it. So I could feel this whole time talking about specific foods and why they're good for you and whatnot and all the technical stuff behind it. So but ⁓ yeah, basically eat to beat disease. That's ⁓ that's ⁓ that's what what it's for. You know, like it makes sense to run and it's most basic sense when you think about it, too, because it's like most of our medicines come from foods or plants.

So why can't we just go direct to the source and cut out the middle? Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (21:26)
Yep.

Right. And this is not like this hasn't been a forever long thing you've done. mean, you just what two months ago start diving into all this. Yeah. What have you noticed changed so far? Just.

Steven Bankey (21:29)
Yeah.

Mm-mm.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

just energy, the health, taste buds are huge, like huge things. you know, cause I, before I was the fast food king, snack king, all that kind of stuff, you know, just whatever, like going to quick trip, come back out with a handful of freaking, you know, whatever candies or freaking rollers and all that kind of crap that you can fill your body with. And like your taste buds completely change when you start eating healthier. And, ⁓ and so.

the minute that you go back to try something like that. just, it tastes, there's no other word other than synthetic. It just tastes synthetic. It's fake. doesn't, mean, there's, you can tell that it's not real. It's gross, but yeah. So the biggest change for me has been the taste buds. And you actually start to crave the different things. If you listen to your body, like you start to crave certain things. And so ⁓ that's been a big change.

Chad Bourquin (22:32)
What's on the docket for Stephen Banke and the Flatland Band?

Steven Bankey (22:40)
Just this big career. We just keep keep chugging along. We got a Big summer ahead traveling five states. We're trying to expand out next year with plans to expand into Oklahoma and Texas eventually Yeah, to room got a brand new van with a Buffalo to we got ⁓ and everybody everybody's on board No, ⁓ no burnout. ⁓ No, of that. So everybody's on board. Everybody's ready to go and and ⁓

More records coming down. We're writing right now. We got three or four songs ready to go in the studio. And yeah, that's just more just chugging along, trying to ⁓ expand our reach or whatever you want to call it. Fan base, whatever. We don't really look at as fans. They're more like family. just to let people know who we are and get you on. And ⁓ yeah, that's what we got going on in Flatland Band. Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (23:35)
Yeah.

Well, and everything that it seems like that everything coming out of your studio just keeps getting better and better and better. You can tell you really love it.

Steven Bankey (23:43)
Thanks man. I

do. I love it. I'd be a liar to sit here and say that I can take all the credit. It's the source material. That's what I've told people coming in all the time. It's the source material. It's 100%. 100%. So I think people just coming in keep getting better and better. I'm excited to see where the studio goes in five years. Hopefully get you in here.

Chad Bourquin (23:57)
input.

Steven Bankey (24:12)
Get your brother in here. Yeah. Yeah, that's my whole, that's my whole trick is just have cool gear and then people will come. If you build it, they will come. Yeah. Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (24:13)
Yeah, you've got some pretty cool amps and you know, I'm getting ready to move up pretty close to you.

Right? Yep.

So as we wrap up, I mean, what, when you talk to either a young artist or maybe somebody that's been doing it for a while, but really trying to take a run at this, I mean, what do you think some of the big things they need to focus on?

Steven Bankey (24:39)
Mm-hmm.

⁓ Well, you know, well, you know Bradley Bradley Griffin, right? Yeah Bradley little Bradley. ⁓ So he's ⁓ yeah see that ⁓ No, Bradley's Bradley's been over here a couple times and stuff like that and and it's fun to see that passion in his eyes like that fun to see that passion in his eyes and so I Am a big believer that that is it. That's don't ever let that leave. Don't let the you know what mean? Don't let the

Chad Bourquin (24:53)
So.

Steven Bankey (25:14)
business side of things or that kind of like the trying to To make it kind of thing get in the way of that passion. Don't lose that passion So having fun and keeping it creative and new I think that and people are that that's infectious people are going to be drawn to that, know And then and then this is not me, but this is you being open to new experiences and being ready. That's exactly it That's basically been the motto of the Flatland band. It's like just being there and ready

Chad Bourquin (25:19)
Mm-hmm.

Steven Bankey (25:42)
when the time needs, when we need to be there, know, that kind of thing. And so that's pushed us along. And when those opportunities came up, those two things. it's been fun kind of mentoring Bradley a little bit. And he's just an awesome dude to just to be around. And you can tell, like, he's getting better and better and his feels getting better. ⁓ But it's not going to his head. He's not he's not getting the ego. He's still just hungry to play. He just wants to play. And that's cool. And he's doing it for

Not in a selfish way, but kind of like him. You know what mean? And then everybody else is just like wants to be part of that. That's exactly it, you know? So.

Chad Bourquin (26:14)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Man, so good, buddy. Thank you. I appreciate you being on here and just all the wisdom that just poured out of you. So I'm sure it's gonna be beneficial to some people listening. So thank you again for that.

Steven Bankey (26:28)
Thank you. Thank you.

⁓ thanks.

So I just enjoy it too. We put it in our bio, but I believe it. If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, right? Yeah, so that's exactly it. I just love doing it too. yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (26:50)
Awesome. All right, Steve and Banky, you've been listening to the Gig

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