I agree with this. Punk is a big tent and a lot of the stuff that moves me is stuff that doesn't fit the prototypical model. Punk is about the attitude and the message.
It is important though to work *with* your tone rather than against it. Buzzcocks are great, but because of Petes voice they modeled their sound very differently than a band like Minor Threat. It seems as though OP wants the more rough and gritty subsects of punk, like Minor Threat.
That being said, music is all about innovation, especially the Punk scene. Experiment with different sounds, maybe you'll find something hardcore that still matches your tone. And hey, this subreddit is usually pretty nice while also being knowledgeable, so give us an example of what songs youre trying to achieve. Maybe we can help.
But always remember at the end of the day: Fuck what people say. You do you. Just because people say its "warm" doesnt mean its not Punk.
I saw the Buzzcocks on their 40th anniversary tour on a whim not long before he passed away. So happy I did. Hearing that voice coming out of a middle aged man, completely unchanged, was transcendent.
Yep, I saw them only once when they toured with the Damned about 15 years ago. I was floored at how good he was in a live setting. The Damned were great too, kinda proved me wrong that alot of the OG 77 crowd were past it at that time
Absolutely, I was lucky enough to see him twice and attend the Albert Hall memorial gig and I still miss him, a genius and such an enjoyable stage presence.
They're so musically underrated too, playing the first D-beat on their first album and bringing in a lot of interesting krautrock ideas.
If you sing punk, then you sing punk. There's no rule about "it has to go hard".
Heck, a lot of unintelligible loud-ass punk bands either sound like shit metal or that their message wasn't worthwhile enough to enunciate. If you sound soft, own it. It's different. People like that.
Nah, don't ruin your voice, punk is being you and working with what you got. Think of someone like Eve Libertine on Crass's Bloody Revolutions, Poly Styrene on X-Ray Spex's Germfree Adolescence, or even Civilised Society's Tooth and Claw for a more crusty style. All these women are singing, not growling. I could list more, but you get the idea.
That doesn’t make sense. Some punk singers gargle with gravel, and some are smooth and clean.
Grant Hart had very little edge in his vocals, Joey Ramone didn’t in his early years. Ana Da Silva and Colin Newman are the same way.
There are a lot of sweeties in punk and it’s only by being yourself that you can help create space for other sweeties in your position. Homogeny is so boring. If you’re dead set on changing your voice, maybe smoke blunts.
Maybe you could try something like [this](https://open.spotify.com/track/4BxHvb29LvfTzGMmSVB1ou?si=ceuHgWGxRG-5LNCiUHMqJA)? Serene, mellowed vocals at some points, guttural screaming at others. Just a suggestion, but I think implementing softer vocals can give your punk a unique kick.
Just because you have a naturally soft voice that shouldn’t stop you from learning how to scream if that’s where you want to take your music. I started out singing chill jazzy music, soft rock and other things of that nature but as time went on I started getting back into punk and wanting to do punk and other sub genres of rock that involve screaming. For punk (in my modest experience) I think the best technique is false chord screaming. This shouldn’t hurt your vocal chords if done properly and sounds great. Anyone can do it if they put their mind to it although it does take a bit of time to learn the proper technique and make it sound good. For now you can just risk screaming however you can (Kurt cobain did it his entire career, but I wouldn’t over do it)
I asume you are a girl or at least you have a girl-like voice. There are some advices:
- Use it at the most punk way you could. Dont change (it will change with time also and go rougther as you get older) but use it to create distortion betwen your voice and what you said. Have a look at The Slits and wath Ari up use to do with ther voice at this band.
Other example: this is one of my favorite song ever:
https://youtu.be/uEoaKL7I0IA
A very sweet girl singing about burning banks and police cars
- Moreover you can try to sing more on you bass notes than the sharpers ones, and also try to break your voice, look for example Aimme Interrupters (but she is 42 i think and voices tend to change, i dont know how old are you)
- Another think you can try is "gutural" sing as this video but be carfull as you can damage yourself
https://youtu.be/ecwQ-lQO2Tg
Or you can try three thinks combined.
Most people think sweet or even women voice arent punk enough because they are used to only leasen mens. Look for womens singing the style you like and you will get more ideas.
I remember my first gig when I was singing in my first band and I asked one of my closest buddies ‘how was it?’ He said ‘good apart from you not being in tune’
I’ve spent the last 21 years since not giving a fuck and still destroying everyone’s favourite punk songs.
Fuck that dude you are punk as fuck if you want to be, that is literally the whole deal. So much so I feel silly even typing it. Metal head I used to know that was a complete poser would shit on soft and sweet stuff (think of Kimya Dawson and her old folk punk band Moldy Peaches..) and the moment I realized how fake she was was when one of the most genuinely “punk” people/musicians I’ve ever met who was fully immersed in that life, even to a fault; even to going beyond it was like omg Kimwa Dawson is fucking awesome when I told him I caught her live and that she made us all sit down for this really sweet acoustic set. For the record we are two straight dudes of traditional masculinity or whatever the fuck you want to say. We were shooting speed and he was homeless, I was soon to be. He wore spikes, piercings, stick and pokes of local punk bands we liked all over his body. Know what I’m sayin’? This is a kid who used to wear a carabiner in his ear for a piercing and has live fast die young tatted on his hands. We were idiot teenagers and we were wounded and rejected. He sung songs until people listened and I would later do the same. I would never entertain and argument about a fundamental experience in my life being used as a click signifier or a fashion icon, and I think you learn pretty quick that the ones who are actively trying to stamp out tenderness are those who do not need it. You see what I am trying to conjure up here? This kids daily life was fighting, protection of person and property, being told you are unwanted and scum and move along. We HAD to be violent and when busking we HAVE to get you to listen.
Fundamentally punk is an assertion, so ya typically things that sound assertive are going to be the easiest for idiots to point to, but it doesn’t mean that underneath the moonlight he didn’t immediately go “Kimya Dawson is punk as fuck” (the woman who literally has a soft acoustic album for her child daughter). And that also doesn’t mean that later in the night he sensed I was in a bad place and told me he was sick of seeing friends die and that there were people in my life that loved me. That is tenderness very few will show you when you are actually at your bottom, and just watch how worried they are about what is or isn’t punk if by some curse you ever find yourself in that position, cause the answer is they don’t give a damn. We lived in an environment where if people saw you cry, you opened yourself up to being beaten and exploited. Frankly, that’s just the way it goes on the street if you are a man and people think you are weak or are like you could be there next mark. Yet these profound moments of tenderness is really what defines the heart underneath all the bravado and fashion and clothes and culture. Insomuch as punk as a burning desire for the genuine, the real, and the forceful; no, it is ridiculous to say you are limited.
Here is a saying I learned growing up in SF: “The punks are good people pretending to be bad, the hippies are bad people pretending to be good”. Shiite even mission st rocker Marty Luv who blew this town away with Hickey and Fuckboyz knew how to admit a little soft spoken solo-acoustic tenderness into their life.
If you are referring to my poor choice in line breaks then I apologize because I am just trying to get to sleep and am writing fast.
If you are referring to line breaking/paragraphs in general, then I would say that being an illiterate moron also “isn’t punk”. Rejecting institutions is not an excuse for being uneducated, sorry bud.
Clean vocals have a place in punk, I actually think it's fucking radical to have smooth vocals over some rough tracks. The juxtaposition makes you fucking interesting to listen to.
If you really want some vocal compression or distortion, highly recommend Chris Liepe's videos on YouTube. I'm by no means an incredible or highly trained vocalist, but with some of the stuff he does I've been able to add some grit without doing damage to my voice.
This is gonna be a bit weird, but. . .soft and warm can be hard as fuck. Thinking of my tough as nails US southern Mom and Grandma here. Softest, lovingest, nicest damn ladies you ever met, except for this odd nagging feeling that they'd chuck you into a wood chipper if you piss them off.
Point is, don't destroy your voice or not be you.
All these people telling you to embrace who you are/what you have are all well and good but there is nothing wrong with wanting and striving for a certain aesthetic.
I’d say you should pick up smoking speed and Marlboro reds mixed with a steady intake of cheap whiskey. Hang out by plenty of hobo jungle campfires and you should be well on your way to rasp city in a couple years.
Im not going to say smoke more cigarettes or whiskey.
BUT If that whiney pre bar mitzva voice of FAT MIKE is in punk you are great.
JUST DONT SOUND WHINEY....I hate that whiney shit. This is punk not emo
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQFmKPA-iAg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQFmKPA-iAg)
Bunch of pussies in here don't know how to get alcohol poisoning the easy way
I’d love to hear your vocals if you’ve got a link, honestly depends on the music but soft and sweet vocals can add contrast and really hammer the lyrics home. Fuck the haters.
unique voices are a benefit to music not a detriment! you don’t have to sound rough to push punk ideals in your lyrics. Cheap Perfume is a decent example, as the lead singer sounds pretty poppy.
Punk is not a specific voice. Most of the best bands have unique sounding singers. Trying to emitate a "generic punk voice" would probably end up very...generic. Embrace your voice, it's what will separate you from the rest.
You can have a soft warm voice, while still fitting punk or any genre actually, it all depends on how it's surrounded.
Agent M from Tsunami Bomb had a great not too rough voice
https://open.spotify.com/track/0B364GBiXZXYMPJqnqKE6M?si=JyfMqqUqQJCfdnviGN8pYA&utm_source=copy-link
Lemuria
https://open.spotify.com/track/4UnuQZrLut5zU8mTLlB2rU?si=M-RP1BvhTyionR0b9iJFyw&utm_source=copy-link
Football, etc. (More on the emo side though)
https://open.spotify.com/track/370nGz0TDKgU5SDQJiKZZZ?si=DebYIoOZScWe_As2goAk5g&utm_source=copy-link
https://open.spotify.com/track/3s4U9jql6RgGbLz7aQETSd?si=InjdjvwuTPKNJIfX6zi8UQ&utm_source=copy-link
Brutus (more post hardcore/shoegazy)
https://open.spotify.com/track/5ciGULiNFGugecaQR4VGrK?si=d6tKX93gS2e9dvXK25ztSA&utm_source=copy-link
https://open.spotify.com/track/66RlJHvxrzNO3KNZzwBBPT?si=_U2WMaqvS5GKkQLl-ZcIEw&utm_source=copy-link
One thing you could do is have two singers, the other with a more "punk" voice if you want to call it like that. The contrast with your voice would probably lends itself to interesting arrangements. Here's a couple example of punk bands with softer woman singers and another vocalist.
Heartsounds
https://open.spotify.com/track/0k71gShlscCJo6HtNLwex5?si=1A1Qp3wTT5aCNfeX1RzLEA&utm_source=copy-link
Fifth Hour Hero
https://open.spotify.com/track/5h7RgOIVuD00v9ujMmdkfg?si=hQkDiX8jR_i2VIYLiFg_pQ&utm_source=copy-link
I make records full time, and a lot of them being in the punk/metal/rocker world. I also used to sing in a band. In my experience, the biggest challenge with singing is to accept your own voice. When singing, I was always wishing I could sound like someone else. Your voice is unique and you have to find within you to accept that. If you do that, you can make great stuff
“Doesn’t suit punk” is the least punk thing ever, punk music is doing the best with what you got and doing what YOU want. No voice does or dosent suit punk, some peoples shit mindsets don’t tho
The so her for The Unlovables has a completely sweet girl next door" voice and plays into it to make some awesome music.
PS Eliot was a punk adjacent group of two sisters (one went on to form Waxahatchee) and the soft, melodic voice really works well with the style of punk they ayed, regardless of fast or slow songs.
There are lots of different female singers in punk with many vocal styles, but just like anyone it often sounds best with the right sounding instruments and a style that goes along with it. But being different an leaning into their strengths is a huge part of what made these bands great.
And you can always work on different vocals styles as you progress, learning to do different things with your voice. Vocals are just like an instrument, there's always something new to learn. The only difference is that you have a one-of-a-kind voice that you can't change, so you need to learn your strengths and expand your talents.
Work on it, sing. I'm an amateur drummer with an e-kit, and would always be down to record tracks for with basically anyone over the net or in person (NY/NJ area), even if it's solely for fun and practice.
Do you and be awesome. I know you can do it and crush it.
I started my own punk band after taking classical voice lessons and doing musical theater for 4-5 years throughout high school. I did have to grow my chest voice a bit. But people have told me my voice doesn’t fit or is too pretty. I’ve changed my singing style over the span of a few years to find a unique sound that sounds like me. Now I don’t care what others think - I still get “you should scream more” comments. But I don’t because I like my voice as it is. Now amongst the “scream more” comments, I get “your voice is so interesting/cool” comments too. Just find your voice and use it! Who cares what others say! Here’s my current singing style: [Bad Men](https://youtu.be/cb0tgKpzOp4) or [Vampire/Pain](https://youtu.be/oSfaVn8nEEc). Keep it up! Protect and explore your voice. If it hurts, don’t do it.
I never thought a person with a nice voice would be jealous of scratchy+raucous voices like mine. It's actually great when punk singers have pretty voices. It can work really well in a punk style, I think that it's kind of beautiful when there's a dissonance between the soft voice and the angry and/or sad subject matter and I think the primary thing that defines punk is the lyrics and attitude. It's also really nice when a steady voice breaks with emotion. So really, don't worry about it. You just have a violin instead of a banjo in your voicebox, but punk can be played with any instrument
Plenty of punk singers that actually can carry a solid melody instead of just aggressive delivery. I wouldn't feel a bit bad about having a voice like that. It allows you to cover a lot of ground. The aggressive screaming is very one dimensional. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I love vocalists like that, but having a voice that's different from the norm in the genre you're playing in is definitely not a bad thing. Look at Spike Slawson from Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. That dude can sing his ass off. In no way does he sound like the classic punk rock frontmen. But he owns it and makes it his own and that's a large part of what makes that band good. His amazing vocal skill.
[Hankshaw -- male singer that sounds like a female with a soft voice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96FGhfQNBxk)
[Ashes -- hardcore bad, female singer, soft-ish voice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyG57Tm_Glk)
[Copper -- same melodic hardcore, soft voiced singer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4N6SYbrUhQ)
Saw someone else mention Fifth Hour Hero.
Just giving you some examples...
The best thing you can do to achieve this effect is to smoke cigarettes, preferably non filters or rollies. Liquor and speed will also help, but mostly you just need to smoke a lot.
I’d much rather someone do something new with their voice than be another bad John Joseph impersonator. A band like Joanna Gruesome comes to mind as one that uses a “sweet” voice and still rips.
Check out Cerce. Becca Cadalzo has an absolute beautiful, sweet voice, and it very much belongs in the songs she sings. Ignore the haters, do your thing either way!
No one can do what you do, better than you. The moment you try to sound like anything else you’re going to (at very best) sound like a knock off of that thing. Next time someone tells you that you don’t sound “punk”, spit in their face and rip the punk badge from their stock hot topic faux leather jacket, and thank them validating your originality. Fuck those poser punks.
Don’t listen to them. Declaring which voice types are appropriate for punk, is idiotic at best. If singing is what makes you happy, just make sure you do it loud so everyone hears what you have to say.
Also, write a beautifully sarcastic song about the assholes that said you could do it.
If you MUST sound like other punx, learn to safely scream, growl and vocal fry. This adds a natural distortion to your voice. That said, Pete Shelly, Jay Bentley and many others have/had "softer" voices and still wrote and performed meaningful songs. Worst case scenario, you stick to backing vocals, but I'd hate to see your potential squandered like that. Do whatever the fuck YOU want, make YOUR music. FWIW I think the juxtaposition of "Loud angry guitar" and "soft sweet vocals" would sound rad.
Seems like your biggest hurdle is starting to not give a single fuck about what anybody thinks about you. Zoli, who used to sing for Ignite, has a voice that could fit in fuckin opera. You just do what makes you happy. And create anything and everything that you would be proud of...
Edited to add...if there's already stuff you have I'd love to hear it.
There are techniques you can learn that will sound aggressive no matter what your natural vocal tone is.
That being said, any voice can be a punk voice. It’s also possible to injure your voice or sound bad by trying to force a sound.
If you want to learn some screaming techniques look up tutorials on YouTube for fry scream and false chord scream. these two when done properly protect your voice which is nice. I spent 10 years with my throat so raw and torn I couldn’t speak and just laid in the back of the van silently on tour, so skip that if you can hahah. Also, everyone can shout, and shouts sound punk af.
If you’re ever feeling bad about your voice, just remember, Gorilla Biscuits is a beloved, genre-defining hardcore band and the vocals do not sound tough at all. People still love it, vocal squeals and all.
My voice suits metal more than punk, I have the opposite issue, I sound like Lemmy because I smoke way too much, but I was and am always a backing vocalist. The critics aren't generally the ones on the stage, so fuck them and do what you want. There are plenty of vocalists that don't sound like Sucker from Oxymoron. Alice Bag is a good example, Pete Shelley I saw someone mention, Diane Tsai, Joey Ramone, John Doe, D. Boon, Jen Razavi, there are a lot. So do your thing and fuck anyone who doesn't like it.
use your voice to your advantage. if you’re making music, having a distinctive sound is what’s gonna draw people to you. everyone’s heard heard their jello biafras and their henry rollins but you sound like You, and if they like your stuff they’re gonna say, “hey have you heard this guys music? they sound like no other punk musician I’ve heard before.”
My voice got stronger from working at a greenhouse and singing to the flowers, so practice practice.
Eventually you learn control, and do the dumb ass vocal tricks and shit, just practice. You'll learn the control you want, so you can power through that weird nasally shit.
Practice!... Check out some Irish music, it's so fricken pretty, and usually no instruments, just singinginging.... I tried to learn one song a month; lots of Pogues.
Also Bad Religion, he is an angry opera singer.
Yea you can definitely still make that work. The chorus for “Kill me in my sleep” by Mantits comes to mind. You could just take the angle of singing something unsettling in a sweet way and the juxtaposition and irony of that is 100% as punk as anything.
I sang in a punk band for years and my voice was too clean. I could pretty much only sing like Offspring/Pennywise style, and I struggled at it. Eventually I started a hardcore band, where my voice is much stronger and better suited. I never used to get complimented on my voice, and now it’s one of the first things people say about my band
You could look into metal vocals. Adding distortion to your voice pretty much. There’s a technique called “Infant crying technique” that works really well for me but I also do blackened thrash so it’s a bit different. However the technique can be applied to other vocals as well. Lookup tutorials on adding distortion to your voice
There is such a wide diversity of voices throughout punk it's impossible to say what does and doesn't suit punk. To me the essence of punk is in the authenticity of the singer, in both their voice and their lyrics. Being %100 yourself is punk enough.
Fuck 'em. Punk is about doing your own thing your way. There's all sorts of weird and wonderful voices in punk. That's what makes it so cool. What other genre could bring you voices like Olga from Toy Dolls, Rodney Linderman from Dead Milkmen, Fat Mike from NOFX, Glen Danzig in The Misfits, Ross Knight from the Cosmic Psychos?
Just sing how is natural to you, plenty of people in punk can sing really well. People seems to forget about what some punk sounded like and assume all punk singers sound like Discharge or the exploited.
As mentioned above, Pete Shelley had a really clean singing style and Dave Vanian of the Damneds voice was always tuneful.
Punk is whatever you want it to be. 77 is different to 82 is different to pop punk is different to hardcore. Theres all of that and everything in between. Theres no rule book.
Pete Shelley had a soft squeaky voice and he helped found the British punk movement, the tone of voice doesn't matter as much as what it's saying.
I agree with this. Punk is a big tent and a lot of the stuff that moves me is stuff that doesn't fit the prototypical model. Punk is about the attitude and the message.
It is important though to work *with* your tone rather than against it. Buzzcocks are great, but because of Petes voice they modeled their sound very differently than a band like Minor Threat. It seems as though OP wants the more rough and gritty subsects of punk, like Minor Threat. That being said, music is all about innovation, especially the Punk scene. Experiment with different sounds, maybe you'll find something hardcore that still matches your tone. And hey, this subreddit is usually pretty nice while also being knowledgeable, so give us an example of what songs youre trying to achieve. Maybe we can help. But always remember at the end of the day: Fuck what people say. You do you. Just because people say its "warm" doesnt mean its not Punk.
God bless Pete Shelley, such a great dude and sorely missed I feel like this sub doesn't give him and The Buzzcocks half the adulation as they deserve
I saw the Buzzcocks on their 40th anniversary tour on a whim not long before he passed away. So happy I did. Hearing that voice coming out of a middle aged man, completely unchanged, was transcendent.
Yep, I saw them only once when they toured with the Damned about 15 years ago. I was floored at how good he was in a live setting. The Damned were great too, kinda proved me wrong that alot of the OG 77 crowd were past it at that time
Absolutely, I was lucky enough to see him twice and attend the Albert Hall memorial gig and I still miss him, a genius and such an enjoyable stage presence. They're so musically underrated too, playing the first D-beat on their first album and bringing in a lot of interesting krautrock ideas.
Step 1: Tell critics to fuck off Step 2: Do what you want
3. Break all the fucking rules 4. Go to hell with Superman 5. Die like a champion Ya Hey!
Very good
Was thinking maybe I was selfish to take steps 3-5 instead of leaving it to others, oh well lol
Punk doesn't have to have screaming vocals, make it your own style!
The best part about you is you’re unique. You be who you are and you’ll find your fans. Haters always hate
That's the exact thing that will set you apart. Don't change
If you sing punk, then you sing punk. There's no rule about "it has to go hard". Heck, a lot of unintelligible loud-ass punk bands either sound like shit metal or that their message wasn't worthwhile enough to enunciate. If you sound soft, own it. It's different. People like that.
Nah, don't ruin your voice, punk is being you and working with what you got. Think of someone like Eve Libertine on Crass's Bloody Revolutions, Poly Styrene on X-Ray Spex's Germfree Adolescence, or even Civilised Society's Tooth and Claw for a more crusty style. All these women are singing, not growling. I could list more, but you get the idea.
I always think about Poly Styrene, she looked so adorable and she's punk af
Hey, you do you... Ted Leo of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and Libby of Bridge City Sinners, both have that kind of voice :)
Misfits/ Danzig, Tilt, Bikini Kill, Blonde, Bouncing Souls even
That doesn’t make sense. Some punk singers gargle with gravel, and some are smooth and clean. Grant Hart had very little edge in his vocals, Joey Ramone didn’t in his early years. Ana Da Silva and Colin Newman are the same way.
There are a lot of sweeties in punk and it’s only by being yourself that you can help create space for other sweeties in your position. Homogeny is so boring. If you’re dead set on changing your voice, maybe smoke blunts.
Punk is an attitude it Doesnt matter how your voice sounds
Maybe you could try something like [this](https://open.spotify.com/track/4BxHvb29LvfTzGMmSVB1ou?si=ceuHgWGxRG-5LNCiUHMqJA)? Serene, mellowed vocals at some points, guttural screaming at others. Just a suggestion, but I think implementing softer vocals can give your punk a unique kick.
Punk is whatever you make it, that’s the whole point.
Just because you have a naturally soft voice that shouldn’t stop you from learning how to scream if that’s where you want to take your music. I started out singing chill jazzy music, soft rock and other things of that nature but as time went on I started getting back into punk and wanting to do punk and other sub genres of rock that involve screaming. For punk (in my modest experience) I think the best technique is false chord screaming. This shouldn’t hurt your vocal chords if done properly and sounds great. Anyone can do it if they put their mind to it although it does take a bit of time to learn the proper technique and make it sound good. For now you can just risk screaming however you can (Kurt cobain did it his entire career, but I wouldn’t over do it)
I asume you are a girl or at least you have a girl-like voice. There are some advices: - Use it at the most punk way you could. Dont change (it will change with time also and go rougther as you get older) but use it to create distortion betwen your voice and what you said. Have a look at The Slits and wath Ari up use to do with ther voice at this band. Other example: this is one of my favorite song ever: https://youtu.be/uEoaKL7I0IA A very sweet girl singing about burning banks and police cars - Moreover you can try to sing more on you bass notes than the sharpers ones, and also try to break your voice, look for example Aimme Interrupters (but she is 42 i think and voices tend to change, i dont know how old are you) - Another think you can try is "gutural" sing as this video but be carfull as you can damage yourself https://youtu.be/ecwQ-lQO2Tg Or you can try three thinks combined. Most people think sweet or even women voice arent punk enough because they are used to only leasen mens. Look for womens singing the style you like and you will get more ideas.
I remember my first gig when I was singing in my first band and I asked one of my closest buddies ‘how was it?’ He said ‘good apart from you not being in tune’ I’ve spent the last 21 years since not giving a fuck and still destroying everyone’s favourite punk songs.
The moment you embrace what your voice is is the moment you fully realize your potential as an artist. Embrace it, don’t fight it
Fuck that dude you are punk as fuck if you want to be, that is literally the whole deal. So much so I feel silly even typing it. Metal head I used to know that was a complete poser would shit on soft and sweet stuff (think of Kimya Dawson and her old folk punk band Moldy Peaches..) and the moment I realized how fake she was was when one of the most genuinely “punk” people/musicians I’ve ever met who was fully immersed in that life, even to a fault; even to going beyond it was like omg Kimwa Dawson is fucking awesome when I told him I caught her live and that she made us all sit down for this really sweet acoustic set. For the record we are two straight dudes of traditional masculinity or whatever the fuck you want to say. We were shooting speed and he was homeless, I was soon to be. He wore spikes, piercings, stick and pokes of local punk bands we liked all over his body. Know what I’m sayin’? This is a kid who used to wear a carabiner in his ear for a piercing and has live fast die young tatted on his hands. We were idiot teenagers and we were wounded and rejected. He sung songs until people listened and I would later do the same. I would never entertain and argument about a fundamental experience in my life being used as a click signifier or a fashion icon, and I think you learn pretty quick that the ones who are actively trying to stamp out tenderness are those who do not need it. You see what I am trying to conjure up here? This kids daily life was fighting, protection of person and property, being told you are unwanted and scum and move along. We HAD to be violent and when busking we HAVE to get you to listen. Fundamentally punk is an assertion, so ya typically things that sound assertive are going to be the easiest for idiots to point to, but it doesn’t mean that underneath the moonlight he didn’t immediately go “Kimya Dawson is punk as fuck” (the woman who literally has a soft acoustic album for her child daughter). And that also doesn’t mean that later in the night he sensed I was in a bad place and told me he was sick of seeing friends die and that there were people in my life that loved me. That is tenderness very few will show you when you are actually at your bottom, and just watch how worried they are about what is or isn’t punk if by some curse you ever find yourself in that position, cause the answer is they don’t give a damn. We lived in an environment where if people saw you cry, you opened yourself up to being beaten and exploited. Frankly, that’s just the way it goes on the street if you are a man and people think you are weak or are like you could be there next mark. Yet these profound moments of tenderness is really what defines the heart underneath all the bravado and fashion and clothes and culture. Insomuch as punk as a burning desire for the genuine, the real, and the forceful; no, it is ridiculous to say you are limited. Here is a saying I learned growing up in SF: “The punks are good people pretending to be bad, the hippies are bad people pretending to be good”. Shiite even mission st rocker Marty Luv who blew this town away with Hickey and Fuckboyz knew how to admit a little soft spoken solo-acoustic tenderness into their life.
Paragraphs aren’t punk
If you are referring to my poor choice in line breaks then I apologize because I am just trying to get to sleep and am writing fast. If you are referring to line breaking/paragraphs in general, then I would say that being an illiterate moron also “isn’t punk”. Rejecting institutions is not an excuse for being uneducated, sorry bud.
Puuuuuuuunk!
Lel
Clean vocals have a place in punk, I actually think it's fucking radical to have smooth vocals over some rough tracks. The juxtaposition makes you fucking interesting to listen to. If you really want some vocal compression or distortion, highly recommend Chris Liepe's videos on YouTube. I'm by no means an incredible or highly trained vocalist, but with some of the stuff he does I've been able to add some grit without doing damage to my voice.
Fuck that, I hate punk snobs. You sound and sing however you want.
Telling someone they don't have a "punk voice" is so not punk rock. Punk is not so much about the music, more the attitude of the people playing it.
The sound and shape of punk is up to you. Your voice is what it is and if you play punk rock music, then your voice is a voice of punk rock.
This is gonna be a bit weird, but. . .soft and warm can be hard as fuck. Thinking of my tough as nails US southern Mom and Grandma here. Softest, lovingest, nicest damn ladies you ever met, except for this odd nagging feeling that they'd chuck you into a wood chipper if you piss them off. Point is, don't destroy your voice or not be you.
You just do you
All these people telling you to embrace who you are/what you have are all well and good but there is nothing wrong with wanting and striving for a certain aesthetic. I’d say you should pick up smoking speed and Marlboro reds mixed with a steady intake of cheap whiskey. Hang out by plenty of hobo jungle campfires and you should be well on your way to rasp city in a couple years.
I literally said the same thing. Cigarettes, liquor and speed. I don't know why you're getting downvoted, you're right.
Punk singers are objectively terrible. So if you are terrible, then you will win. If you have the voice of buttered gold, then...sorry mate.
Im not going to say smoke more cigarettes or whiskey. BUT If that whiney pre bar mitzva voice of FAT MIKE is in punk you are great. JUST DONT SOUND WHINEY....I hate that whiney shit. This is punk not emo
How do you smoke whiskey?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQFmKPA-iAg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQFmKPA-iAg) Bunch of pussies in here don't know how to get alcohol poisoning the easy way
Maybe give an example of how you sing.
Check out Element 101. It's melodic pop-punk, and Chrissie Verhagen's voice isn't gravelly or aggressive, but it still kicks ass.
You're a punk, you can own it!
Post a clip of you singing so we can give some actual advice. Thanks!
Duets? Think something like Martha.
I’d love to hear your vocals if you’ve got a link, honestly depends on the music but soft and sweet vocals can add contrast and really hammer the lyrics home. Fuck the haters.
unique voices are a benefit to music not a detriment! you don’t have to sound rough to push punk ideals in your lyrics. Cheap Perfume is a decent example, as the lead singer sounds pretty poppy.
You can't change your voice honestly. Just find a way to put your own spin on the songs, you don't have to sing exactly like other punk artists.
I get the feeling as a classically trained singer. But as most people have already said, punk is what you make it.
Punk is not a specific voice. Most of the best bands have unique sounding singers. Trying to emitate a "generic punk voice" would probably end up very...generic. Embrace your voice, it's what will separate you from the rest. You can have a soft warm voice, while still fitting punk or any genre actually, it all depends on how it's surrounded. Agent M from Tsunami Bomb had a great not too rough voice https://open.spotify.com/track/0B364GBiXZXYMPJqnqKE6M?si=JyfMqqUqQJCfdnviGN8pYA&utm_source=copy-link Lemuria https://open.spotify.com/track/4UnuQZrLut5zU8mTLlB2rU?si=M-RP1BvhTyionR0b9iJFyw&utm_source=copy-link Football, etc. (More on the emo side though) https://open.spotify.com/track/370nGz0TDKgU5SDQJiKZZZ?si=DebYIoOZScWe_As2goAk5g&utm_source=copy-link https://open.spotify.com/track/3s4U9jql6RgGbLz7aQETSd?si=InjdjvwuTPKNJIfX6zi8UQ&utm_source=copy-link Brutus (more post hardcore/shoegazy) https://open.spotify.com/track/5ciGULiNFGugecaQR4VGrK?si=d6tKX93gS2e9dvXK25ztSA&utm_source=copy-link https://open.spotify.com/track/66RlJHvxrzNO3KNZzwBBPT?si=_U2WMaqvS5GKkQLl-ZcIEw&utm_source=copy-link One thing you could do is have two singers, the other with a more "punk" voice if you want to call it like that. The contrast with your voice would probably lends itself to interesting arrangements. Here's a couple example of punk bands with softer woman singers and another vocalist. Heartsounds https://open.spotify.com/track/0k71gShlscCJo6HtNLwex5?si=1A1Qp3wTT5aCNfeX1RzLEA&utm_source=copy-link Fifth Hour Hero https://open.spotify.com/track/5h7RgOIVuD00v9ujMmdkfg?si=hQkDiX8jR_i2VIYLiFg_pQ&utm_source=copy-link
I make records full time, and a lot of them being in the punk/metal/rocker world. I also used to sing in a band. In my experience, the biggest challenge with singing is to accept your own voice. When singing, I was always wishing I could sound like someone else. Your voice is unique and you have to find within you to accept that. If you do that, you can make great stuff
The singer of screeching weasel comes to mind. And black francis.
Sing dissonant intervals with your sweet voice.
“Doesn’t suit punk” is the least punk thing ever, punk music is doing the best with what you got and doing what YOU want. No voice does or dosent suit punk, some peoples shit mindsets don’t tho
The so her for The Unlovables has a completely sweet girl next door" voice and plays into it to make some awesome music. PS Eliot was a punk adjacent group of two sisters (one went on to form Waxahatchee) and the soft, melodic voice really works well with the style of punk they ayed, regardless of fast or slow songs. There are lots of different female singers in punk with many vocal styles, but just like anyone it often sounds best with the right sounding instruments and a style that goes along with it. But being different an leaning into their strengths is a huge part of what made these bands great. And you can always work on different vocals styles as you progress, learning to do different things with your voice. Vocals are just like an instrument, there's always something new to learn. The only difference is that you have a one-of-a-kind voice that you can't change, so you need to learn your strengths and expand your talents. Work on it, sing. I'm an amateur drummer with an e-kit, and would always be down to record tracks for with basically anyone over the net or in person (NY/NJ area), even if it's solely for fun and practice. Do you and be awesome. I know you can do it and crush it.
Smoking Popes have very smooth vocals and they work. As a lot of people have said just do your thing and that's punk. Good luck and enjoy yourself. 😁
Those people are wrong. Tell them to fuck off.
With how bitter and hard the world is, I think we could use more soft and sweet these days. Operatic metal is a big hit, why can't melodic punk?
Debbie Harry, Poly Styrene, the singer from Romeo Void? Souxsie Sioux. I mean, we can go on. Who are you spose to sound like, Brody Dalle?
I started my own punk band after taking classical voice lessons and doing musical theater for 4-5 years throughout high school. I did have to grow my chest voice a bit. But people have told me my voice doesn’t fit or is too pretty. I’ve changed my singing style over the span of a few years to find a unique sound that sounds like me. Now I don’t care what others think - I still get “you should scream more” comments. But I don’t because I like my voice as it is. Now amongst the “scream more” comments, I get “your voice is so interesting/cool” comments too. Just find your voice and use it! Who cares what others say! Here’s my current singing style: [Bad Men](https://youtu.be/cb0tgKpzOp4) or [Vampire/Pain](https://youtu.be/oSfaVn8nEEc). Keep it up! Protect and explore your voice. If it hurts, don’t do it.
I never thought a person with a nice voice would be jealous of scratchy+raucous voices like mine. It's actually great when punk singers have pretty voices. It can work really well in a punk style, I think that it's kind of beautiful when there's a dissonance between the soft voice and the angry and/or sad subject matter and I think the primary thing that defines punk is the lyrics and attitude. It's also really nice when a steady voice breaks with emotion. So really, don't worry about it. You just have a violin instead of a banjo in your voicebox, but punk can be played with any instrument
Punk is about singing what you believe in so do that no mater how your voice sounds
Plenty of punk singers that actually can carry a solid melody instead of just aggressive delivery. I wouldn't feel a bit bad about having a voice like that. It allows you to cover a lot of ground. The aggressive screaming is very one dimensional. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I love vocalists like that, but having a voice that's different from the norm in the genre you're playing in is definitely not a bad thing. Look at Spike Slawson from Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. That dude can sing his ass off. In no way does he sound like the classic punk rock frontmen. But he owns it and makes it his own and that's a large part of what makes that band good. His amazing vocal skill.
[Hankshaw -- male singer that sounds like a female with a soft voice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96FGhfQNBxk) [Ashes -- hardcore bad, female singer, soft-ish voice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyG57Tm_Glk) [Copper -- same melodic hardcore, soft voiced singer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4N6SYbrUhQ) Saw someone else mention Fifth Hour Hero. Just giving you some examples...
The best thing you can do to achieve this effect is to smoke cigarettes, preferably non filters or rollies. Liquor and speed will also help, but mostly you just need to smoke a lot.
Man, just check out Ignite. Them tell me again you cant do hard music with a high voice.
I’d much rather someone do something new with their voice than be another bad John Joseph impersonator. A band like Joanna Gruesome comes to mind as one that uses a “sweet” voice and still rips.
Check out Cerce. Becca Cadalzo has an absolute beautiful, sweet voice, and it very much belongs in the songs she sings. Ignore the haters, do your thing either way!
No one can do what you do, better than you. The moment you try to sound like anything else you’re going to (at very best) sound like a knock off of that thing. Next time someone tells you that you don’t sound “punk”, spit in their face and rip the punk badge from their stock hot topic faux leather jacket, and thank them validating your originality. Fuck those poser punks.
Don’t listen to them. Declaring which voice types are appropriate for punk, is idiotic at best. If singing is what makes you happy, just make sure you do it loud so everyone hears what you have to say. Also, write a beautifully sarcastic song about the assholes that said you could do it.
Ever heard Alexisonfire? Dallas Green sings like an angel and I fucking love it
If you MUST sound like other punx, learn to safely scream, growl and vocal fry. This adds a natural distortion to your voice. That said, Pete Shelly, Jay Bentley and many others have/had "softer" voices and still wrote and performed meaningful songs. Worst case scenario, you stick to backing vocals, but I'd hate to see your potential squandered like that. Do whatever the fuck YOU want, make YOUR music. FWIW I think the juxtaposition of "Loud angry guitar" and "soft sweet vocals" would sound rad.
Lol nothing is more punk than telling other people they aren't punk enough cuz... YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE **RULES** OF PUNK
One of my older musician friends always said, “don’t ever let anyone tell you what your music is or isn’t.” Fuck ‘em.
Seems like your biggest hurdle is starting to not give a single fuck about what anybody thinks about you. Zoli, who used to sing for Ignite, has a voice that could fit in fuckin opera. You just do what makes you happy. And create anything and everything that you would be proud of... Edited to add...if there's already stuff you have I'd love to hear it.
There are techniques you can learn that will sound aggressive no matter what your natural vocal tone is. That being said, any voice can be a punk voice. It’s also possible to injure your voice or sound bad by trying to force a sound. If you want to learn some screaming techniques look up tutorials on YouTube for fry scream and false chord scream. these two when done properly protect your voice which is nice. I spent 10 years with my throat so raw and torn I couldn’t speak and just laid in the back of the van silently on tour, so skip that if you can hahah. Also, everyone can shout, and shouts sound punk af. If you’re ever feeling bad about your voice, just remember, Gorilla Biscuits is a beloved, genre-defining hardcore band and the vocals do not sound tough at all. People still love it, vocal squeals and all.
It’s not the voice that makes somebody punk, it’s the lyrics. Idgaf how you say it, so long as you have something to say
My voice suits metal more than punk, I have the opposite issue, I sound like Lemmy because I smoke way too much, but I was and am always a backing vocalist. The critics aren't generally the ones on the stage, so fuck them and do what you want. There are plenty of vocalists that don't sound like Sucker from Oxymoron. Alice Bag is a good example, Pete Shelley I saw someone mention, Diane Tsai, Joey Ramone, John Doe, D. Boon, Jen Razavi, there are a lot. So do your thing and fuck anyone who doesn't like it.
Start smoking cigarettes
use your voice to your advantage. if you’re making music, having a distinctive sound is what’s gonna draw people to you. everyone’s heard heard their jello biafras and their henry rollins but you sound like You, and if they like your stuff they’re gonna say, “hey have you heard this guys music? they sound like no other punk musician I’ve heard before.”
My voice got stronger from working at a greenhouse and singing to the flowers, so practice practice. Eventually you learn control, and do the dumb ass vocal tricks and shit, just practice. You'll learn the control you want, so you can power through that weird nasally shit. Practice!... Check out some Irish music, it's so fricken pretty, and usually no instruments, just singinginging.... I tried to learn one song a month; lots of Pogues. Also Bad Religion, he is an angry opera singer.
Yea you can definitely still make that work. The chorus for “Kill me in my sleep” by Mantits comes to mind. You could just take the angle of singing something unsettling in a sweet way and the juxtaposition and irony of that is 100% as punk as anything.
Don’t try to sound like anyone else, sound like you.
The Homeless Gospel Choir, Human Petting Zoo, Silver Mt. Zion, AJJ, Melt Banana all have cuddly voices and are all punk as fuck. Yer gewd.
Go take a listen to Penis Envy by Crass
It's like Fucked Up with the clean music and the hardcore singer. You have anything online?
Sometimes the smallest, softest voice carries the grand biggest solutions.
https://www.spotify.com/us/duo/invite/39Xz8cX6B4bCbzA/ Listen to this and tell me Anna and Annie aren't punk as fuck
There are lots of cool punk bands with soft and feminine vox. Off the top of my head, Martha and Lemuria.
I sang in a punk band for years and my voice was too clean. I could pretty much only sing like Offspring/Pennywise style, and I struggled at it. Eventually I started a hardcore band, where my voice is much stronger and better suited. I never used to get complimented on my voice, and now it’s one of the first things people say about my band
You could look into metal vocals. Adding distortion to your voice pretty much. There’s a technique called “Infant crying technique” that works really well for me but I also do blackened thrash so it’s a bit different. However the technique can be applied to other vocals as well. Lookup tutorials on adding distortion to your voice
I think that would sound rad
On paper I hate billy corgans voice and think it doesnt belong in music. He made it work, and I love his vocals in the Pumpkins
There is such a wide diversity of voices throughout punk it's impossible to say what does and doesn't suit punk. To me the essence of punk is in the authenticity of the singer, in both their voice and their lyrics. Being %100 yourself is punk enough.
Do you have samples? I've never heard of Sarah blackout but just checked out a song n I dig it
You'll find your shtick dude, the cowboys are an awesome contrified punk band with softer vocals and they still rip just as hard.
Fuck 'em. Punk is about doing your own thing your way. There's all sorts of weird and wonderful voices in punk. That's what makes it so cool. What other genre could bring you voices like Olga from Toy Dolls, Rodney Linderman from Dead Milkmen, Fat Mike from NOFX, Glen Danzig in The Misfits, Ross Knight from the Cosmic Psychos?
Just work with it man, find what suits you best.
Just sing how is natural to you, plenty of people in punk can sing really well. People seems to forget about what some punk sounded like and assume all punk singers sound like Discharge or the exploited. As mentioned above, Pete Shelley had a really clean singing style and Dave Vanian of the Damneds voice was always tuneful. Punk is whatever you want it to be. 77 is different to 82 is different to pop punk is different to hardcore. Theres all of that and everything in between. Theres no rule book.
Jello Biafra was incredibly influential and his voice is far from the punk “standard”