Singing Guide: The O'Kanes

Singing Guide: The O'Kanes

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

The O'Kanes are a country music duo composed of Jamie O'Hara and Kieran Kane. They formed the band in 1986 and released three albums between 1986 and 1990. Throughout their brief career, they received critical acclaim and were known for their distinctive blend of country music with rock and roll, blues, and folk influences.

Learning to sing like The O'Kanes requires a solid understanding of their unique vocal techniques and the ability to incorporate their songs' nuances. One of the essential skills to develop is the ability to blend harmonies, which is a defining feature of The O'Kanes' sound. The duo favored a stripped-back style of songwriting centered around acoustic guitar and harmony vocals.

  • To sing like The O'Kanes, you should also study their discography and learn to play some of their acoustic guitar-driven songs. Here are some of their best songs to master:
    • "Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You": This up-tempo love song features tight harmonies, playful guitar work, and expertly crafted lyrics.
    • "Oh Darlin'": This slower ballad showcases The O'Kanes' vocal range and sensitivity. The song's simplicity makes it an ideal choice to learn and practice harmonies.
    • "Just Lovin' You": This song's acoustic guitar riff and counterbalance harmonies demonstrate the seamless interplay of The O'Kanes' style.

The following Singing Carrots resources will aid in mastering these vocal techniques for singing like The O'Kanes:

  • Voice registers and vocal break: Understanding your vocal register can help you develop the necessary skills to blend harmonies and produce a consistent and beautiful sound.
  • Breathing basics: Good breath control is crucial to singing effectively and developing the ability to harmonize.
  • Singing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking: This blog post from Singing Carrots offers tips on how to sing with emotion while still maintaining proper technique.
  • Pitch Training: Pitch training is essential when singing in a duet or harmony. Singing Carrots' Pitch Training program offers interactive vocal warm-ups, a pitch visualizer, and exercises for range and agility.
  • Song search: Singing Carrots' song search feature can help you find songs matching your vocal range, difficulty, and genre preferences that are similar to The O'Kanes' style.

By studying The O'Kanes' unique vocal techniques, utilizing Singing Carrots' relevant resources, and practicing their songs, you can learn how to sing harmonies like a pro!

Learn more about this artist vocal range, voice type and repertoire.