Banned & Outlawed share new single, "People Talk" (Interview)

Banned & Outlawed Deliver a Blistering New Country Music Anthem with “People Talk”

When Jon and Daniel Hnatishin pick up their instruments, it’s not just country music they’re playing — it’s a way of life. Straight out of Hazelridge, Manitoba, Banned & Outlawed embody the spirit of small towns, hard work, and louder-than-life honesty. Their new single “People Talk,” produced by Chris Burke Gaffney, is a rowdy, razor-sharp anthem that captures the frustration and humor of being the subject of small-town rumors — and it’s out everywhere now.

In a world that loves to whisper, Banned & Outlawed fire back with guitars blazing. “This song really hits home for us,” says Jon, the band’s lead singer and guitarist. “We grew up hearing all kinds of nonsense about ourselves and our friends. It’s something everyone can relate to — you can be doing everything right, and people will still make up stories.” Daniel, the group’s drummer and backup vocalist, adds, “We just wanted to have fun with it. It’s the kind of song you can laugh to, sing along to, and maybe scream into a beer after a long week.”

Backed by the pounding drums and soaring guitar lines that have become their signature, “People Talk” shines a light on the everyday resilience of folks who refuse to let gossip define them. With lines like “If they don’t know, they just make it up / They love the drama, can’t get enough,” it’s a full-throttle reminder that living well is the best revenge.

Born and raised on the prairies of Manitoba, Jon and Daniel have been carving out a reputation for themselves one show at a time. Inspired by the grit of classic country and the fire of modern rock, their music leans into both tradition and rebellion — with no apologies and plenty of heart. Their sound is built on real-life stories, dirt-road dreams, and the bond between two brothers who were born to make noise.

Their “Livin’ My Life in a Small Town” Tour hits the road this spring and summer, with stops across Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. Highlights include performances at Stonewall’s Canada Day celebration, Oak Lake Manitoba Beach, and the historic Thresherman’s Reunion Beer Gardens in Austin, Manitoba. This is a band that thrives on the road, where sweat, songs, and community collide under the open sky.

The band has already sparked excitement across social media with “People Talk,” drawing praise for its unfiltered storytelling and anthemic energy. “We just want people to hear it and feel like we’re right there with them, living it too,” Jon says. “Because we are.”

With nearly every track they release, Banned & Outlawed continue to stake their claim as one of the most promising new acts in country music. Their independent spirit, bolstered by the kind of hard-earned wisdom you can’t fake, has caught the attention of fans hungry for authenticity in a world full of noise.

As they sing in “People Talk,” “I wish they’d all just stop / But people talk…” — and with songs this good, people are going to be talking about Banned & Outlawed for a long time to come.

Hi Jon and Daniel! Good to see you again! Care to introduce yourself to the readers for those not familiar with your music?

Hello, this is Jon and Daniel Hnatishin, and we are brothers and owners of the Country music duo/group called Banned & Outlawed. We have been scratching at a career in this business for a number of years now. Releasing and writing a number of singles/hits like “Good ole Boy” or “Beer for Everything” and “Write a Song” in the past. We like to compare our taste of country to the artists of Eric Church or Jason Aldean or to the Canadian Country like Corb Lund or Colter Wall, as well as Gordon Lightfoot. You will find this same taste/style of country throughout our original music and throughout the future of our career.

“People Talk” really walks the line between frustration and fun—how did you find the right tone when turning small-town gossip into a full-blown anthem?

The way we tried to find the right tone for this song is we included some real to our life experiences in it, as well as life experiences we’ve seen either in our friends or what we hear other people go through into it as well. Which gives it some “small town gossip,” like you mentioned, with some fun included as well.

The lyrics feel super personal—was there a specific rumor or moment that lit the spark for this song, or is it more of a collection of stories over time?

This song has more of a collection of stories over time. One specific line, “I used my hard earned cash when I bought my Chevy Truck”, was a more recent event that I have personally gone through. This truck I bought off our uncle, who bought it off our grandpa in the past, which our grandpa bought brand new. This truck is still in pristine shape for the year. So this line came to mind as I was sure there was rumours going around that it was given to me, but I used my hard-earned cash working my day job as an electrician to buy the Chevy truck. So I thought I’d include that line in the song.

You both grew up in Hazelridge—how has that hometown shaped your approach to music, work, and life on the road?

With Jon and I growing up in Hazelridge, Manitoba, it shaped our music. Not only did we grow up here, but our dad and his family grew up here as well after our grandpa immigrated from Poland back in the day. This gives us some real deep roots residing in Hazelridge and the history and stories that come from our family. With our dad’s side of the family being some pretty major farmers in the area back in the day, or from our great uncle running moonshine in this area, this gives us many things to write and talk about, and shape our music to the most “real” way it can be. Our hometown of Hazelridge is about one mile long with no street lights, but it has a taxidermist, an indoor skating rink, and an elementary school where we both attended. It doesn’t have much here, so there are a lot of blue-collar workers or small business owners in the area, and everyone is always busy and always working. So we get a lot of our hard work ethic and determination from growing up in the area. We like to bring our small-town point of view and down-home personality on the road with us when we’re meeting new people at gigs or talking to our fans up on stage. We are the same people on and off the stage.

Being brothers, how do you think that relationship impacts the way you create music together—especially when tensions rise or opinions clash?

With Jon and I being brothers, we are pretty locked in when it comes to creating music. With our mom growing up in a family band with our uncles and grandpa on her side of the family, as well with our mom teaching us music in elementary school Jon and I keep tensions to a minimum otherwise nothing would get recorded or finished, especially when it comes to something hands on like creating music. We both mostly find inspiration in the same ways, when it comes to lyrics or production, etc, we both have different strengths for different things. When it comes to our opinions clashing, which doesn’t happen too often, but we will talk them through, and we come to a consensus pretty fast. It will always be for what’s in the best interest of Banned & Outlawed and the direction we are taking.

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