Interview – Derek O’Kanos of Oak Honest Records

So many of you may be unaware: Brattleboro – our sleepy little town – has its own record label, currently representing 16 artists (and growing)!

The idea was born in 2019, but it wasn’t until the onset of the covid pandemic, when Derek O’Kanos found himself with the time he needed to breathe life into it. Oak Honest Records became a reality in May, 2020. At a time when most of the world seemed to be slowing down, the new record label’s young founder was, and has been ever since, “busier than ever!”

When asked what inspired him to take such a leap, at such a time, O’Kanos’s answer was pretty simple, “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit.”

There’s something for everybody, under the label’s umbrella. Visit oakhonestrecords.com to view the extensive roster. Genres represented include everything from Indie and Folk, through Country and Americana, through Pop, Rock, Funk, and Metal, to Stand-up Comedy, and more!

The label is in a period of growth at the moment, having added a handful of new artists in just the last couple months. About this rapid growth, O’Kanos says, “it’s good, it’s bad, all of the above. It’s complicated. It’s challenging.”

The label’s artists are scattered, geographically, across 6 states, across time zones, ranging from the east coast, all the way to the west. The most challenging part, according to O’Kanos, is, “getting everyone on the same page,” coordinating release dates, events, and promotion.

However, he was clear, whereas most smaller labels have a genre identity, he said, “I decided right away, I wan’t going to be genre-specific.” Citing his own musical path for this tendency toward diversity, he added, “I’m in a heavier rock band,” (ed: two at the moment, actually – O’K and the Night Crew, and Riley Lücifer) “then I do acoustic stuff,” (ed: as Derek O’Kanos).

When deciding which acts to sign, Derek asks himself only, “does this feel like a quality piece of art… Does it deserve to exist? Pretty easy questions,” he states.

When selecting which bands are viable candidates, he knows what he’s looking for. “I want a self-starter. I want somebody who’s basically already doing all the work themselves, then I can help them, and we can work together to grow the thing. If someone’s serious, they’ll come to me.”

He views his label’s role as helping to build a collective pool of resources that all his acts can then draw upon.

Ideally, he says, “I would like, probably, two months between an initial announcement that music is coming, and the release date.” Then, “everything’s ready to go before you start -” Album art is done. Interviews are posted and podcasts are booked. Wherever possible, some local radio play has been arranged. Often, physical flyers are designed, printed, and posted.

The goal is the same, regardless of genre and target audience – to “create a theme. Get them some eyes.”

Above all else, though, he’s looking for, “people who are willing to collaborate,” and he’ll readily tell you, this isn’t as easy as you might think it’d be.

“So many bands in the modern era are too hands-on. Everyone wants to control everything, because that’s kind of how things have gone. It’s very DIY.”

He continues, “it’s tough to get a band to relinquish (some) degree of control, in exchange for a higher degree of quality in the actualization of (their) vision. The thing that you came up with in ‘Paint’ is a cool idea, but let’s really bring it to life!” he says with a laugh. “Let’s make it ‘pro’. Let’s figure out how to do it bigger and better, together.”

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Look for Derek O’Kanos to be playing a show for the Local Music Showcase, coming up in August. In the meantime, you’ll find one of his songs included in our Monthly Local Music Playlist, included in this newsletter. Don’t be shy, though, we urge you to check out his entire catalog, wherever you stream your music! If you prefer your tunes in a more ‘tactile’ format, visit oakhonestrecords.com to purchase CD’s and other merch.

With as many bands as he shelters under his label’s umbrella, representing as many genres as they do, Derek O’Kanos willingly admits, the primary challenge is determining the target audience. To this end, he says he has “leaned into the New England music idea.”

His focus is on thinking regionally – trying to get people out of their individual bubbles, or circuits, or areas, to play shows, or – just as importantly – to go see shows. We discussed how this has been more challenging, in the post-pandemic era.

O’Kanos – in addition to being the owner, promoter, and otherwise, ‘chief cook and bottle washer’ at Oak Honest Records – is also a seasoned performer. In a small town, like Brattleboro, and like so many New England towns, he states, “the personal connection drives everything. Our battle, as musicians,” he says, astutely, “is getting people to relate to our music.”

“There’s an element of nostalgia in music, that isn’t as prevalent in other art forms. If you haven’t heard it already, you’re not as interested in it,” he observes. In addition, he says, music played in a typical bar setting, can be “very secondary.” He adds, with another of his good-natured laughs, “it’s so tough, when you have an idea of how your set should go, then the audience just, kind of…completely derails it with their indifference.”

(ed: Having booked and worked several Derek O’Kanos solo shows, and having been to several more, I just have to interject, if you’re in the audience and you’re not paying attention, it’s your loss. Aside from the fact that his songs are great – catchy, power-pop-rock tunes – he has a particular knack for building the energy of his shows toward their conclusion. It’s always a great time!)

When asked how he, and most of his acts, earn the majority of their income, he answers with the obvious – “playing shows” – but laments about how that can sometimes be “so hit and miss.”

“They (meaning, venue owners and bookers) all do things differently. It’s very unclear…sometimes you’re offered a percentage of the door, or all of the door, or a percentage of the drinks, or a percentage of the door and the drinks, but minus security and sound.” Then he adds, with a wry laugh, “it usually equals out to you not making very much.”

(Ed: Sadly, it’s a ‘tale as old as time’… Yet, we do it, because we love it! Be a hero – tip the band!)

When asked about that elusive work/life balance, and how he fits in his own creative endeavors into the spaces between his responsibilities as a business owner and label promoter, he replied, “largely, I don’t. I’ve never been one to ‘work it’ every day, or even that long.” Writing happens, he said, mostly when, he’s, “just feeling it right now.”

Having spent his entire time in Brattleboro, living and working in rented spaces, having to always be neighbor-conscious, he adds, “I don’t ever sing at full volume, unless I’m performing.”

This led him to speak glowingly about the joys of the recording process, and ‘fleshing out’ his ‘vision’ of the songs he writes – helping them realize their full potential. “As a sound artist, I can write a song, but that’s just like sketching in thin air. If I want to lay it down…to make it real… you have to pay a lot of money to someone else, to have access to the canvas and brushes (needed) to bring it into existence.” This happens, “mostly on the fly, because the clock is ticking on the studio time.”

When asked about his goals for the future, his answer was fairly simple. “I hope there’s no upper limit to it. I hope that things continue to grow in a meaningful way.” Then he added, “I hope that I become more organized, because I’ve been learning on the fly.”

This is a sentiment to which we, here at the Local Music Showcase, can certainly relate!

Look for Derek O’Kanos to be playing a show for the Local Music Showcase on August 3rd.

In the meantime, you’ll find one of his songs included in our Monthly Local Music Playlist. Subscribe to our newsletter, to get access to that. Don’t be shy, though, we urge you to check out his entire catalog, wherever you stream your music! Or if you prefer your tunes in a more ‘tactile’ format, visit oakhonestrecords.com to purchase CD’s and other merch.