VOCALS
Scott Henderson is the founding member of The EarthTONES (five top-20 hits and two Juno nominations) and the current lead singer
and chief songwriter for the funk/soul group Souls in Rhythm. Scott also co-runs The SHOW in Calgary and is an in-demand vocal and
performance coach, producer, and songwriter. For more information, visit www.soulsinrhythm.com and www.theshowco.ca.
By Scott Henderson
Do You “Indie Voice?”
Part 2 - Finding Your Own Sound
I
n part one, we explored the ubiquitous
phenomenon that is “indie voice” singing.
This time, I want to explore how you should
navigate finding your own vocal sound.
As a vocal and performance coach, producer,
and performer myself, I have a few guiding prin-
ciples that I believe are beneficial in addressing
this question:
1. First (or should I say, “foist?”), do what is
healthy, or at the very least, employ vocal prac-
tices that sustain the required fitness for your
workload and longevity as a musician. Maneu-
vers that raise the tongue or add tension run
the risk of adding strain to the voice. Singing
with constant breathiness is hard on the voice
as well. Excessive use of vocal fry can fatigue
the voice. If you’re employing some of these
elements, you will have to balance their use with
warm-ups, healthy singing technique, and re-
covery time. Overusing any of these elements
runs the risk of forming habits. Consult with a
competent vocal coach or research online re-
sources that advise and coach healthy singing.
2. Strive to effectively communicate each song’s
message and emotional tone. It’s all about the
song and your audience’s reception of it. You are
the vehicle for this, so anything that takes away
from the sincerity, authority of the meaning, or
the ability of the audience to hear the lyrics is a
detriment to your potential impact. Does your
vocal stylization distract from, or add to the
power of a song? Singing is not just sounding a
certain way; it is actually more about being an in-
credible storyteller. Are you focused on the song
and lyrics, or mostly on sounding a certain way?
There may be a perception that singing with such
sonic manipulations displays a level of passion or
legitimizes one as an artist. I can understand one’s
desire to sound relevant and current in order to
be taken seriously, and that this can play a part in
having authority with your message, but it’s only
part of what makes you legit with your audience.
There’s a difference between sounding relevant
and being authentic. Fitting into the sound of
the day does not necessarily make you authentic.
Honesty will win every time.
32 CANADIAN MUSICIAN
3. Be the best version of yourself that you can
be. Your voice is your identity, your fingerprint.
No one looks exactly like you, nor sounds ex-
actly like you. This is your strength. Aim to reso-
nate your natural tone so that it is heard – and
felt – by others. Embrace your sonic character
instead of duplicating someone else’s.
Ask yourself if (and how much) your sing-
ing voice differs from the way you speak. Why?
Did you choose this, or merely imitate what you
are hearing from other singers? In addition to
the many teens and adults that sing with these
characteristics, I’m now encountering vocalists
under the age of 10 that only know how to sing
in a way that mimics the indie voice style. With
no technical grounding, they’ve formed particu-
larly unhealthy vocal habits that can be difficult
to undo. Fortunately, children’s malleability aids
in being able to still steer them towards getting
the best out of their own sound by giving them
some foundational technical know-how.
At one time, these indie voice manipula-
tions were unique, but they most certainly
aren’t now. Adhering to the style of a particular
genre or trend is well and good, and all music
and forms of performance are in some way
influenced by what has come before, but don’t
blindly adopt someone else’s way of singing
without consideration, exploration, or an at-
tempt at mastering your own sound. If you
want to be unique, you can be.
Can you imagine if an iconic singer started
out today? Leonard Cohen, Beyonce, Stevie
Wonder…. Would they sing differently, and if
so, would they sound better? Would Aretha
affect her voice to fit in with today’s sound?
Would you still enjoy Queen’s “Another One
Bites the Duh-east?” Imagine if most actors in
most movies adopted Christopher Walken’s
manner of speech.
I’ll argue that diversity, and artists who
are unabashedly themselves, will continue
to be valued by society. Being yourself is a
strength, and I don’t believe that this gravi-
tation towards a sameness of sound today is
primarily coerced by the industry, but rather is
self-imposed by singers who may not be dis-
covering their own unique sonic capabilities.
4. Aim for quality sound production. While de-
sired colours of tone, amount of resonance, and
levels of diction are all subjective, it’s important
to have the tools to dispense your sound in an
optimum way. Learn to use your voice to its full
potential. Not only will you discover your unique
capabilities, you’ll gain greater reaction. A guitar
player could choose to only ever use one effect
pedal through every song, but I’m not sure how
that career would go for them.
Vocal manipulation is a skill, but if it’s the only
way you can sing, then it’s not necessarily a tool;
it’s your sole sound.
5. Don’t chase trends; it’s a bad decision artisti-
cally and commercially. This business has always
been about finding your way, cutting through
the noise, and not blindly following trends. Zero
in on your sonic identity, hone your skills, and be
versatile enough to maneuver when opportunity
presents itself. Music is ever-evolving, and being
able to only sing in one way that isn’t even true
to you could leave you behind if musical styles
move on. Be ahead of the curve, or at least, be
yourself, and let your audience find you instead
of trying to fit into an audience. Unless your goal
is to be in a tribute act, don’t impersonate; be
the trend, create your own path, and others will
follow.
Although it feels like I’ve been chanting, “The
emperor has no clothes!” over the years when
it comes to indie voice, I’m not seeking to ruin
anything for you – or disparage your favourite
artist. I want to encourage singers to not blindly
adopt a sound (no matter what that sound is),
only to find themselves unable to sing any other
way, or miss out on discovering their own unique
capabilities and full potential. I do feel that sing-
ing with a thick indie voice style (when that’s not
how you speak) is as sonically ridiculous a choice
as singing with an ethnic accent you don’t have.
I’ve shared this all with music colleagues and
non-musical friends alike who have (remarkably)
all either agreed, or have expressed that I’ve ar-
ticulated something that was bothering them
that they couldn’t. I’d be curious to know your
thoughts…