Out in front

The voice of the band

Posted: 19 March 2019

We love instruments, it’s in our DNA. But when it comes to music there’s only so far you can go with spectacular instrumental tracks. It’s in the hands of the singer to elevate your songs to the next level. So, we’ve taken a look at some key characteristics that every lead singer needs to have up their sleeve, and how you could use them to your benefit.

Read time: 3 mins

You can have the best musicians in the world but it takes something extra special to lead the show. The most memorable singers go from whipping the audience into a frenzy one minute, then expressing their vulnerability the next before launching a rallying cry that could lead an army of fans into battle. But what in particular is it that makes a great frontman or woman?

Connection

In the most basic sense, every lead singer must effectively communicate the songs being played to the audience. However, this isn’t as simple as getting up on stage and singing the lyrics. As a front person the real mission is properly interpreting the music and channelling it in a way that captures and holds people's attention. There is no right or wrong way to do this and what works for one style of music, or even one singer, will not work for another. Everyone has standout qualities that just need bringing to the fore. Don't fake someone else's.

Confidence

Being the focal point for a band is not easy, especially in the early days when not every gig ends in screaming fans and encores galore. Confidence as a singer doesn’t mean jumping around grabbing attention but is instead a thick skin to criticism and an invulnerability to embarrassment. If it’s your style to hog the limelight then go for it, but often this hides insecurities about the music or performance. Take the rough with the smooth, don’t let the hard times get you down and don’t let the good times go to your head.

Contribute

The lead singer is responsible for a lot more than just putting on a performance. They need to be involved in writing songs, booking gigs and keeping everything behind the scenes ticking over. On top of this, the singer for a band always ends up as de facto spokesperson, so making an impression for an hour a night on stage is not the be all and end all.