In this new episode of How I Learned to Sing, I Prevail‘s Eric Vanlerberghe tells us all about how he learned to do clean vocals now that he’s handling those alongside the screams in his still-rising band.
Fans may remember when we had Vanlerberghe on an episode of How I Learned to Scream and he’s the very first vocalist to be featured twice in this interview series about the journey to the front and center of the stage.
On Violent Nature, I Prevail’s forthcoming fourth studio album (out Sept. 19 on Fearless Records), Vanlerberghe finds himself tasked with performing clean and harsh vocals as the sole frontman of the band following the split with Brian Burkheiser earlier this year.
While he’s throwing himself into this role a bit later than most, Vanlerberghe has actually been working on his cleans for a very, very long time.
Eric Vanlerberghe’s Early Singing Influences
“Early on, it was Metallica, Ride the Lightning” he says of his first inspiration to want to sing in seventh grade. “Hearing the aggression but still having the melodic sense to it was so mind-blowing to me at the time.”
Pointing to another primary influence, he looks back, “Obviously, like almost every other person in our scene — Linkin Park. Hearing Chester being able to go from this beautiful tone to crazy harsh vocals… that, I remember singing along to that as a lot when I was a kid.”
How Eric Vanlerberghe Practiced Singing as a Kid
When I was starting off, it was radio cranked to 11 and singing along to all of [Linkin Park’s] Meteora. I remember my grandma gave me that record when I was a kid.”
Hell yeah, grandma!
“I never recorded myself singing until I was in college,” he further recalls, singing into a microphone plugged directly into a computer. “I heard it and I was like, ‘Oh shit, that’s what I sound like?’ That was the first time I heard what I sound like recorded.”
Even now, he still has the same approach toward practicing and finding new ways to push his voice even further.
“In my truck now I’m driving along and I hear something… just turn it up, learn the part and sing it over and over. That’s when I started realizing, ‘Oh, I can hit that if I sing it like this’ or working on falsetto stuff,” Vanlerberghe continues, “I figured out I’ve got a pretty high range for someone who does all the guttural and screaming stuff.”
What to Do and Not Do on Tour or Onstage, According to Eric Vanlerberghe
How does a singer manage their voice on tour. Vanlerberghe doesn’t have any tips you won’t get anywhere else, vouching for the universal standards — “rest, tea and honey and lots of water helps.”
“My pre-show warmup was a shot of whiskey and a White Claw before I walked out. Now, it’s maybe a shot of whiskey and extra water,” he says of any sort of rituals or habits he has before stepping out to level crowds.
“I’ve been doing a little bit more warming up. I’ve been blessed to do be doing this for 10 years and if we’re going to want to do another 10-15 years after this, I’m going to have to start taking better care [of my voice]. Just doing scales and humming and all the little warmups have been helping a lot.”
As for what not to do? He says he’d be a hypocrite for trying to offer that kind of advice. What it comes down to is “you really need to know yourself as a singer” and manage your habits based around that.
Watch the full episode below for even more.
How I Prevail’s Eric Vanlerberghe Learned to Do Clean Vocals
I Prevail in 2025 — New Album, Tour Dates
I Prevail are wrapping up the Summer of Loud North American tour alongside Beartooth, Parkway Drive and Killswitch Engage.
See the remaining dates directly below.
July 18 — Mansfield, Ohio @ Inkcarceration*
July 19 — York, Pa. @ York State Fair*
July 20 — Wantagh, N.Y. @ Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
July 22 — Mansfield, Mass. @ Xfinity Center
July 23 — Camden, N.J. @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
July 24 — Holmdel, N.J. @ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 26 — Bristow, Va. @ Jiffy Lube Live
July 27 — Charlotte, N.C. @ PNC Music Pavilion
*Festival
Violent Nature, the followup to I Prevail’s 2022 album True Power comes out on Sept. 19 through Fearless Records. “Violent Nature,” “Into Hell” and, most recently, “Rain,” have already been released and are part of the new record.
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I Prevail, “Rain” Music Video
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Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner