Joe Biden‘s nominee for Secretary of State has his own band, it’s been revealed.
Antony Blinken, who was deputy secretary of state under President Barack Obama, is the lead singer of a band called Ablinken, with songs called ‘Lip Service’ and ‘Patience’ available on Spotify.
An initial listen shows Blinken leaning into laid-back rock sensibilities, although Blinken personally describes it a little differently.
For those who like wonk rock check out and follow ABlinken on Spotify. Some original songs from many years back but just recorded. https://t.co/lVO7GhkuXC
— Antony Blinken (@ABlinken) June 23, 2018
Sharing the tracks on Twitter in 2018, he wrote: “For those who like wonk rock check out and follow ABlinken on Spotify. Some original songs from many years back but just recorded.”
Delivering their own verdict on the tracks, one Twitter user wrote: “Biden’s secretary of state nominee has a band that he founded that’s based off Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers.
“Honestly it’s pretty good. The song Lip Service is like a weird mix of Alan Parsons and Blue Oyster Cult.”
As the below video reveals, Blinken also previously performed with Steely Dan’s Jeff ‘Skunk Baxter’ at an official government reception in 2016.
As France24 notes, Blinken spent his formative years in Paris where he played jazz and discovered rock music, quoting Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” in his high school yearbook.
The publication also notes that Blinken has previously performed in a Beatles cover band and used down time during the coronavirus pandemic to compose his own songs.
The messages from friends and colleagues that I’ve received over the past 15 hours have been humbling.
Honored to announce, officially, that I have been nominated to serve as Secretary of State. If confirmed, this is a mission I will take on with my full heart.
— Antony Blinken (@ABlinken) November 23, 2020
Accepting the nomination from Biden on Monday, he wrote on Twitter: “The messages from friends and colleagues that I’ve received over the past 15 hours have been humbling.
“Honored to announce, officially, that I have been nominated to serve as Secretary of State. If confirmed, this is a mission I will take on with my full heart.”
The nomination came hours before the Trump administration officially authorised the transition for Joe Biden to become US president.
The General Services Administration have declared Biden the apparent winner of the November 3 election, and Trump has agreed to begin the official transition period.
