OHKABE’s musical resume is as colourful as his genre-blending music. His distinctive guitar melodies and gritty vocals have drawn comparisons to the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Alabama Shakes, and Tame Impala.
OHKABEis the creation of Canadian multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter, Kevin Okabe. After traveling the world and discovering his own unique sound that blends elements of blues, rock, jazz, and alternative pop, he settled down in Toronto to pursue his solo career as an artist.
OHKABE's new single, "Blue Was The Feeling," is a crunchy rock and hip-hop influenced track that deals with feelings of being lost in life and confused about where your place in the world is. It's his favourite track he's released so far because it really represents his originality as a songwriter.
The main riff of the song was something that OHKABE always had in his back pocket as something that he envisioned as a hip-hop beat for someone else. Eventually, the melody fell into place as he kept toying with the main riff.
OHKABE's says of the new single,"I think that everyone feels some degree of doubting their place in the world or where they are at in their lives at some point, but I wanted to write about that in a way that didn't seem so depressing. You know that 'stank face' you make when you hear a really crunchy groove? That's the feeling I'm trying to elicit in listeners."
OHKABE’s illustrious body of work includes touring as a support act with the likes of The Offspring, Sam Roberts Band, and The Tea Party with rock-based outfit Pigeon Park. After a decade spent toiling through the ranks of dive bars to arenas, the band burst into flames in glorious fashion. After a self-imposed exile around the world spent searching for answers in a post-band life, a decision eventually came to diving into a solo project for the first time. OHKABE moved across the Pacific and set up shop in Melbourne, Australia to redefine what playing music meant to him. New growth began to take root, and with it – a new musical direction. Blending elements of blues, rock, jazz, and alternative pop, he began to find his own unique sound.
A move to Montreal followed, where OHKABE spent time busking in the underground subway system working on new music. After returning to his hometown of Vancouver, a dark period followed. “I just felt completely lost without a clue of where I was going, or what path to follow, but I knew deep down that it was still music, it’s always been music.” OHKABE said. With change in sight, a move to Toronto soon followed.
Releasing his self-produced debut EP in May 2021, and a string of singles to close out the year, OHKABE began work on his upcoming second EP. Lead single “Blue Was The Feeling” explores the notion of wandering without direction, feeling lost in life with the weight of the world upon your shoulders.
Building on his body of work as a solo artist, the Toronto based multi instrumentalist is set to release his second EP, “A Sunday State Of Mind” in summer 2022 forging an endless path of musical discovery.
Website: www.ohkabe.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ohkabemusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ohkabemusic