Each year, the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF) brings together an eclectic lineup of musical talent to complement riders and their on-mountain feats of athleticism. This time around, Night Tales will receive the honour of closing the show.
Composed of Aaron Bannie and Kamaliza Salamba, Night Tales is an Australian/British duo based in Los Angeles with roots in the pop and R&B worlds. They’ve united to bring a new spin on both, in partnership with the Billboard-highlighted Empire Dance label group.
“We wanted to combine our styles and translate the sound to tell late-night stories, and Night Tales was born,” say the artists. “We approach our music style as bringing a singer-songwriter ethos to electronic music. We feel this approach helps us write more meaningful stories.”
Indeed, Bannie and Salamba write all their own stuff from pillar to post. They’re versatile enough to rock any stage in a self-sufficient manner: singing, DJing and keeping audiences engaged. Over time, they’ve learned to focus more on songwriting and less on relatively small production details that, in their experience, don’t necessarily add value to the finished product.
The duo’s profile has certainly elevated in 2024, being nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the recent Electronic Dance Music Awards (EDMAs) during Miami Music Week. Their touring schedule has taken them to Mexico’s Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), Spain’s Abroadfest, London’s Colors Festival and the renowned T7 nightclub in Paris.
Night Tales is also the first electronic act to partner with anti-hangover beverage Safety Shot and have long-standing collaborations with Art Basel, F1 Miami and the X Games. More recently, they’ve teamed up with A-listers like Snoop Dogg and brands like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Bridging the gap
What drives Bannie and Salamba forward in their creative process?
“All our music and storytelling is from relationships, traumas, and other real life experiences, whether that be personal or from friends,” they explain. “We explore those experiences and bring them to life via our music. We hope that our music will find the right audience and help them heal.”
Night Tales is trying to span a divide between the urban and electronic genres, as well as carve out space for Black people in a traditionally white-dominated realm. Members of the public once tried to pigeonhole them as hip hop rappers, but they aim to change the narrative around what “being Black” means in today’s society—something far more nuanced than one’s tastes in music and clothing.
Rather, Bannie and Salamba insist hip hop and R&B can and should be appreciated by listeners of all ethnic backgrounds. Along similar lines, they’re doing their part to make electronica more accessible and welcoming to people of colour or those who grew up hearing urban rap and hip hop.
Outside of perhaps Drake and Beyoncé, you’ll be hard-pressed to find many acts who do what Night Tales does. Now, they’re bringing their dynamic blend of storytelling, melodic rhythms, infectiously compelling vocals and live instrumental work to the Sea to Sky: an area familiar in its own right with cross-cultural pollination.
“Never been to Whistler so we are very excited to perform there,” say Bannie and Salamba. “We have had some snow performances and experiences before with X Games Aspen, so now we know what to wear and pack. We love performing in these environments, as the energy is next level.”
Those interested in continuing to follow Night Tales—or who already know and love their stuff—can look forward to their five-stop “Chromatic Tour” across the United States this July and August, where they’ll ride shotgun with electronic music producer Jerro
Until then, locals can expect Bannie and Salamba to take the Skullcandy Stage on Sunday, April 14 at 5:30 p.m. Learn more about the WSSF Music Series and all the other events on tap at wssf.com.
