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Behind The Lens: Slack Key 'Ohana

  • Writer: Charles Luberisse
    Charles Luberisse
  • 3 hours ago
  • 3 min read

How would you describe your music to a first-time listener?

Our music is a little different. We combine traditional island sounds and instrumentation with pop harmonies and touches of Americana, bluegrass, and country. It’s predominantly inspired by Hawaiian music, but we enjoy bringing in influences from many other styles we grew up listening to and love playing.


If someone has never heard your music before, what’s the best way to introduce them to your sound?

Our latest album, The ‘Ohana Sessions, has a little bit of everything…so it’s a great introduction to our music. It brings together Hawaiian influences, slack-key guitar, family harmonies, Americana, country, bluegrass, and even a touch of blues. It really represents who we are and where our sound is today.



What do you want fans to take away from your music?

Whether we’re transporting listeners to a tropical paradise, helping them relax and find the right vibe, or simply giving them something fun to sing along with or relate to, we want our music to bring people a sense of calm and happiness. Most of all, we want people to enjoy themselves and feel good when they listen.


What about making music makes it fun for you?

What part isn’t fun? I enjoy every step of the process: from that first spark of inspiration and developing an idea into a song, to recording it and hearing it all come together. Of course, live performance is always a highlight, especially when we get to collaborate with other musicians and create something spontaneous together. We got our start both recording and performing with a rotating cast of guest musicians. Our latest album is a departure from that because it’s just the three of us (The ‘Ohana) however we still love to have special guests perform with us and we do have some awesome recording collaborations coming up soon that we are really excited about.


How do you know an idea is worth developing into a song?

It depends, and most of the time I won’t know whether an idea is worth developing until I’ve taken it a little further. Typically (but not always), I’ll start with a guitar riff or melody and then add lyrics once I have a sense of the song’s overall feeling and direction. I also start on piano sometimes. Other times, I’ll begin with a theme, story, or idea I want the song to express, even before I’ve written any actual lyrics. I usually have to follow the idea for a while before I know what it wants to become.


When do you decide to shelve an idea that isn’t going to work?

I trust my gut. If I’m still excited about an idea and believe there’s something worthwhile in it, I’ll keep working on it. If it stops inspiring me or feels like I’m forcing it, or I just don’t like it, I’ll set it aside. That doesn’t necessarily mean the idea is gone forever, sometimes a song just needs time, and I may come back to it later with a different perspective or idea that hits me.



Did you ever think a song was going to be less successful than it actually became?

We almost didn’t include our bonus track, Cheri, on the album because it was personally my least favorite song at the time. My managers and bandmates all felt strongly that we should keep it, so I trusted their instincts. It ended up becoming a standout track for many listeners, so I’m very glad we included it. It was also a good reminder that you can never fully predict which songs people will connect with.


If there were a museum dedicated to your life and career, what would fans find in the gift shop?

Definitely lots of family photos, guitars, ukuleles, steel guitars, surfboards, and vinyl records. There would probably also be some Hawaiian-inspired artwork, merchandise and memorabilia that reflects music and the places that have influenced us.


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