The supergroup consists of Midlake’s Eric Pulido, McKenzie Smith, Joey McClellan, and Jesse Chandler, plus Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell, Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle, and Travis’ Fran Healy. The band are currently working on a debut album entitled Volume I, as The Dallas Observer reports, with the aim to release the album in late 2016.

The formation of Banquet is down to the Midlake boys, with Eric Paulido leading the efforts. Talking to The Dallas Observer Paulido said he fired off emails to various musicians asking if they were interested in joining, saying “I was surprised people said yes.” He added that “It’s a humbling and cool experience to share something like this with some of your musical idols who are also nice people.”

The Observer interview article also had Paulido liken the group to “a poor man’s Traveling Wilbury’s”, the late 80s supergroup comprised of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. The Wilbury’s brought out two albums between 1988-1990 called Vol. 1 and Vol. 3, with Vol. 2 being bootlegged by George Harrison’s estate in 2007 in his George by George boxset. No suprise then that the title of Banquet’s Vol. I is an effort to reflect the Wilbury’s.

Paulido also talked of a Vol. 2, with the idea to get some of his other favourite musicians involved; his wishlist included Rufus Wainwright, Norah Jones, and John Grant.