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Paul Julian Banks is best knows as lead singer, lyricist and guitarist of Indie-rock band Interpol. Additionally, he is an acoustic solo artist under the alter ego Julian Plenti.  Banks was born May 3rd in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England.  He moved around as a child from England to Michigan and finally landing in Spain to attend the American School Foundation.  He later attended New York University to study English and Comparative Literature.

Plenti began his solo career in 1996.  During a study-abroad trip in Paris Interpol member Daniel Kessler approached Banks.  Banks initially declined, but accepted the offer a few days later after listening to the music that Interpol was writing. As Interpol took off, Plenti was still in the works of recording in 2008.  He began experimenting with the recording software Logic Pro adding string and brass instruments.  Plenti released his first album Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper in August of 2009. The album featured Interpol drummer San Fogarino, Ratatat’s Mike Stroud, Stiff Jesus’ Striker Manley and the Occasion’s Charles Burst.

In June 2012 he released his 5-song EP Julian Plenti Lives…EP.  He has announced a full-length album to be released this fall.

In contrast to Interpol's smooth and melancholic sound Paul Banks has been a fan of hip hop music since he was in seventh grade.  He has worked as a hip-hop DJ, under the pseudonym DJ Fancypants.