Unsigned Spotlight: Ginkgo Balboa
Ginkgo Balboa is an indie pop band based in Los Angeles. Formed by Ben Masbaum and Mike Bednarsky in 2019, this dance-ready outfit marries Masbaum’s ornate engineering, and varied musicianship, with Bednarsky’s distinctive voice and poetic word-weaving.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Mike Bednarsky: My name is Mike and I’m the lead singer-songwriter of Ginkgo Balboa. I’m also a co-founder of the band, along with Ben Masbaum, who plays guitar, keyboard, and also sings back-up vocals. Ben and myself are the Ginkgo Balboa brand, but we have a live band that joins us for concerts: Nick Caprino (drums), Tony Caprino (bass), and Kristopher Keesling (lead guitar).
What’s the origin of your band name?
Mike: When we officially decided to form a band together, but before we had a name chosen, Ben and myself spitballed name ideas for a month or so. This was back in June 2019. Ginkgo Balboa was on that list. Ginkgo biloba, as a tree-derived supplement, is supposed to be a health powerhouse and memory aid, so with us, we want to be a reminder to people to listen to what we consider to be quality music!
Also, Balboa is an homage to the presence of that word in SoCal. Balboa Boulevard/Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley, Balboa Island near Newport Beach, and Balboa Park in San Diego. The relevance of the word runs deep throughout the region.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Mike: Yes, for me, it’s the 2010s synthpop duo Holy Ghost! I loved their instrument/sound choices, prevalence of hooks, and lyrics emphasizing dating/living situations, and adulthood/careers. Their three albums were released throughout my twenties, so I’ll forever associate those records with what I was going through personally in my own life at the time.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Mike: I do most of the songwriting. Usually the way it works is Ben first composes music, and once I sign off on the instrumental, it becomes a launchpad for me to develop vocal melodies, and lyrics that coincide with my vocal melodies. Most of our songs are about dating and pleasure, whether through the lens of love or lust. While we’ve tackled more introspective topics on some of our songs, I prefer that we continue making songs about relationships, sex, etc.
That overarching topic is my personal drug of choice, sure. But those themes also tap into a nearly-universal need for people. Companionship, desire, romance; they’re greatly important to most people in some capacity. I’d rather you make love to our music than brood to it. Or at least brood about the longing for someone; heartbreak that will be resolved! Something triumphant like that.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Mike: We try to keep a pulse on what’s trendy, both on indie and mainstream levels. We’re loving PinkPantheress. Her stuff is like chiptune meets bedroom pop. It perfectly goes with the Y2K fashion revival that’s happening right now. Her music reminds me of a video game I loved as a kid, “Bomberman Hero,” from 1998.
Jun Chikuma composed the soundtrack, and its unique sound incorporates many genres and, I think, transcends generations. Also on my radar right now are Coco & Clair Clair, Eyedress, Lashes, JORDANN, Miles Bandit, infinite bisous, You’ll Never Get to Heaven, and Dream, Ivory.
You just released your new single “Palm Trees.” What was the inspiration behind that song?
Mike: I absolutely adore Brazilian jazz and bossa nova. Since moving to Los Angeles, I go on a binge of Cal Tjader, Astrud Gilberto, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and Walter Wanderley every summer. I wanted to pay respect to those sounds, but with a Ginkgo Balboa twist. With that said, the title “Palm Trees” may seem on the nose. (Laughs).
I originally wanted to name the song, “Airbnb,” but I’m happy with everything about it now. Also, for all you jazz lovers out there, shout out to K-JAZZ 88.1 FM, the Long Beach radio station that plays quality varying styles of jazz, every single day! They’re a California institution.
“Palm Trees” is featured on your upcoming EP Balloon Duty. What does this new project represent to you? What can your fans look forward to?
Mike: Balloon Duty is basically a sequel to our first EP, Ginkgo Balboa. More infectious hooks, with the occasional offbeat use of instrumentation, not to mention confident, soulful lyrics. We’re on “balloon duty”; it’s our job to provide an original playlist to your next good time!
You just played a show at Universal Bar & Grill in Los Angeles. What did you do to prepare for that show? What was your favorite moment?
Mike: While I would have loved to play all of Balloon Duty, we mostly stuck to playing our fan favorites, such as “IDK Your Dog” and “jackie macmullan.” That’s mainly because this show was a homecoming concert. We played at UBG almost exactly a year ago and they welcomed us back with open arms!
This time, I had a cheetah print outfit on, which was so fun to wear, and yellow sunglasses to match. I loved throwing those sunglasses into the crowd during “Department Store Chic.” The encore, “Beach with My Lover,” was fun and frenetic in the best way. That’s a highlight, too.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Mike: I’m proud of our catalog as a whole! Every song takes me back to what/who inspired the song lyrics, the overall experience of making the song, and the link between the two. The writing, the recording, and even hearing the instrumental for the first time, are all guideposts. I also love the artwork of those songs. Everything is so vivid and poignant, in my mind. Memories. These are our babies, so to speak.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Mike: Holy Ghost! would be insanely cool, obviously, given how much I admire them and consider them integral to my development as a songwriter and music artist. 1990s British shoegaze band Catherine Wheel comes to mind, because they mean so much to me.
Current bands Men I Trust and TOPS would be fun also, because I deeply respect them and their bodies of work. There are other bands I admire from all sorts of eras, but I don’t necessarily fantasize about being in their orbit.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Mike: We thank you and all your readers for giving us the time of day! If you like our songs, please don’t forget to add them to your playlists. It’s an honor to be part of an annual or seasonal soundtrack. That’s how I treat most of the music I listen to, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Songs articulate feelings and atmospheres, helping to create magical moments suspended in time. Memories. There’s that word again. Memories.