Learning to Sing like STRFKR: Finding Your Groove

STRFKR is a band with a sound that typifies the indie-pop genre, known for their psychedelic melodies and smooth rhythms. Their lead singer, Joshua Hodges, has taken the indie community by storm with his unique vocal delivery and an unmistakable energy that can rarely be replicated.

If you're looking to take your vocals to the next level, you may be interested in learning how to sing like Joshua and STRFKR. Here are some tips that you can use to unlock your inner indie-pop sensation.

Test Your Vocal Range

The first thing that you'll want to do before you start to sing like STRFKR is to test your vocal range. Singing Carrots offers a vocal range test that allows you to sing a few notes and determine your vocal range. This will help you to understand where you can focus and develop your voice to match that of Joshua's. Once you know your range, you can start to practice and experiment with notes that suit your style.

Develop a Solid Belly Support

Once you have a handle on your range, you want to develop a solid breath support that will carry those notes. Healthily breathing is the foundation of healthy singing, and Joshua uses his breath support to maintain long notes throughout his music. Use the Breath Support resources provided by Singing Carrots to strengthen your diaphragm and breath control. To help with this step, try out the Farinelli Breathing exercise.

Create Your Style

STRFKR's sound is heavily inspired by indie-pop and alternative rock, among other musical genres. To replicate this sound, you'll need to take inspiration from various styles and create your unique combination of styles to find your groove. Articles like Pop/Jazz vs. Classical singing can help provide you with the tools you need to create your unique style.

Focus on Clear Articulation

One of Joshua's signature styles is his clear articulation even during syllables that are easy to get lost in during a song. To create that clear sound, you'll want to concentrate on articulating those words and phrases. Try resources such as Articulation to understand how to best enunciate your words at different points.

Find Your Groove

Joshua has worked hard to create that signature indie-pop vocal sound, and to replicate it, you have to work on finding your groove. Start by practicing with Singing Carrot's pitch training to get your voice in the right place. Then turn to some of the Singing Carrot's videos mentioned above, like "Voice Break" or "Onset-offsets," to find that perfect sound.

Learn STRFKR Songs

Finally, to learn to sing like Joshua Hodges, you'll want to learn some of their tracks. Some popular songs where Hodges' voice is front and center are "While I'm Alive," "Rawnald Gregory Erickson, and "Golden Light." Create your songbook using Singing Carrots' song search and match up the songs you want to learn with your vocal range.

Learning to sing like STRFKR is not an overnight process, but with some practice and the right resources, you can start finding your voice and get on the path to singing like Joshua Hodges. Try out some of the exercises provided by Singing Carrots and find what works best for you to take your voice to the next level.