To put it bluntly: Derek is authentic and his music is the real deal. He sings from the heart and is a captivating performer of rock, pop, blues, and country.
MUSIC:
BIO:
Derek O’Kanos is a musician at the heart of the New England music scene. A powerful vocalist and captivating performer; the solo artist, band leader, and label owner is a tough man to nail down in a few sentences. He’s easy going for the most part, but that changes when he starts to sing. It’s then that something takes over him and you see his fire. Derek manages to tap into his memories and inner most feelings to turn a few chords into a transcendental experience for those who wish to listen.
It’s no wonder then that in addition to being celebrated at home, O’Kanos has been featured on international radio, worked with Grammy nominated producers, and performed at various festivals. A dedicated and eclectic performer, he has shared the stage with acts such as: Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, Pat the Bunny, Mad Conductor, Great Blue, Teddy Geiger, and countless others.
Derek started his current band O’K and the Night Crew in 2015 after a long stint of playing solo as well as rapping. Yes, rapping. Once the pandemic put O’KNC on a brief hiatus, O’Kanos turned his focus to his solo work. In 2020, he started Oak Honest Records to release his songs and those of other artists. His first release for the label was a 5-track EP ‘On the Sleeve’ (2021), and his most recent effort was another 5-track EP ‘Spoken Roads’ (2022). In addition to all of this, as off 2022 you can also find him seated at the kit behind punk band Riley Lücifer.
Whether you’re at a music festival in the middle of Maine, a dive-bar in Hartford, CT, or an opera house in Littleton, NH, who knows, Derek O’Kanos may getting ready to go on.
LINKS:
Spotify: Spotify.O’Kanos.Music
Instagram: @okanos.music
Twitter: @okanos_music
Facebook: https://facebook.com/OKanos.Music
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DerekRyanCT
CONTACT:
Booking: OakHonestRecords@gmail.com
Press: OakHonestRecords@gmail.com
PERFORMANCE HISTORY:
Derek has performed extensively at venues and festivals across the Northeast
| CT: Toad’s Place – New Haven Lake Compounce – Bristol Parkville Market – Hartford Black Eyed Sally’s – Hartford Webster Theatre – Hartford Café 9 – New Haven Particle Accelerator Fest – Putnam La Boca – Middletown The Half Door – Hartford Five Churches Brewing – New Britain The Acoustic – Bridgeport The Main Pub – Manchester Stella Blues – New Haven Pröst – Jewett City Bar One – Derby Crown and Hammer – Collinsville Cherry St. Station – Wallingford The Space – Hamden Imerzion Fest – Hamden The Hungry Tiger – Manchester | VT: Stone Church – Brattleboro Radio Bean – Burlington The Matterhorn – Stowe Tine – Brattleboro The Underground – Randolph Gallery Walk – Brattleboro The Collective – Brattleboro Gusto’s – Barre Big Heavy World – Burlington New American Grill – Londonderry 802 Pizza Co. – Randolph Metropolis – Brattleboro Club VT – Putney The Pizza Stone – Chester The Pub – Williamstown Ft. Ginter – Townshend |
| MA: Middle East – Boston Greatest Bar – Boston Jack’s Abbey – Framingham 13th Floor – Florence The O’s Music Bar – Sunderland Electric Haze – Worcester Luthier’s Co-op – Easthampton Castle Island Beer Company – Norwood Claddagh Pub – Lawrence Club Meadows – Longmeadow Geraldine’s – Chicopee Maximum Capacity – Chicopee Figment Fest – North Adams | RI: Roger Williams University – Bristol The Parlour – Providence Wheel House – Narragansett Koto Lounge – Providence |
| NH: The Stone Church – Newmartket Liquid Therapy – Nashua Casey Magee’s – Nashua Harley Jack’s – Ossipee Littleton Opera House – Littleton Thayer’s Inn – Littleton | ME: Definitive Brewing – Portland Tent City Fest – Exeter |
| NY: Rockwood Music Hall – NYC Ithaca Beer Co. – Ithaca Olive’s – Nyack | PA: Century – Philadelphia Hop Fidelity – West Chester |
| UK: The Caves – Edinburgh, Scotland The Dog House – Edinburgh, Scotland |
REVIEWS:
” …In his bio, the Brattleboro-via-Connecticut musician labels his music “authentic and familiar; reminiscent of the singers and seekers who came before him.” That’s an accurate statement. O’Kanos’ sound is intensely familiar…O’Kanos plays every sound on the five-track EP himself, and does so quite well. That’s always an impressive feat, even more so when the record sounds like a band. O’Kanos manages to impart as much character to his drums as to his guitar solos. And the folk sensibilities in his memorable vocal melodies intersect nicely with his garage-rock foundation…He displays an abundance of talent, as well as the ability to flit between genres with ease…It will be fascinating to see whether he continues his shape-shifting ways going forward.”
– Seven Days 3.24.21