Otis Kane

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Otis Kane hones a contemporary R&B sound that is funky and breezy, and it's also highly detailed from years of work as a producer. The Los Angeles-based artist started behind the mixing desk and soon stepped out on his own, self-releasing his first singles in 2019. Subsequently signed to Nettwerk Music Group, he made his label debut in 2020 with the Therapy EP, and in 2021 alone, he issued the Growing Pains EP, the full-length Purple Blue, and his third EP, November Love Notes. Numerous intermediary singles built anticipation for 2025's Violet, a refined second album with "Morning Sun," "Wanna Love You," and "Dance with You" among the kicked-back and grooving highlights. Otis Kane (the stage name of Anthony Vasquez) took an interest in music at a young age and had started singing by the age of ten. It wasn't until his football coach -- who had industry connections -- arranged some studio time for him that he took to producing. He started studying as a music major but dropped out when given the opportunity to work for Nellee Hooper (Soul II Soul, Björk, No Doubt). From there, he forged his own network, which led him to becoming the keyboard player for Lolene's live band. After a round of touring, he opened his own studio, STRZ Enterprises, working with artists including Nick Jonas, Wiz Khalifa, and Julia Michaels. He eventually handed over the reins in the studio to focus on production full-time while also taking up singing again. His first songs were released in 2019, and previously released and unreleased singles were issued on EPs like 2020's Therapy and 2021's Growing Pains. His debut album, Purple Blue, arrived in June of 2021 and included guest appearances from Chloe Angelides and KALLITECHNIS. A few months later, the EP release November Love Notes offered an addendum of sorts to Purple BLUE, with seven more tracks cut from a similar cloth as the album. November Love Notes was heavier on collaborations, with guest spots from India Shawn, Krysten Simone, and KALLITECHNIS. Over the next few years Kane released several stand-alone tracks, among them 2022's "Free" and the 2023 CLAY collaboration "Good Life." He made a full return in 2025 with Violet, a set of plush and inviting tracks co-produced by D Mills. ~ Liam Martin, Rovi