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You can’t catch a bus in Vancouver without tripping over a struggling indie musician trying to figure out how to turn the pain in their soul into 10,000 Spotify streams and a record deal…or even just a level of familiarity that means the Green Auto regulars are excited to see their name on the bill. We all start somewhere.
So, we’re collecting jams from local artists both small and not-so-small and giving them a spin each month. Maybe you’ll find your new favourite bop.
bloom effect — “itero”
It’s always a surreal moment for an upcoming artist when audiences know the words to your songs. For trio bloom effect, that’s true of new single “itero”—which, the band members say, was getting the singalong treatment even before it was officially released. The chorus hinges on a piercing declaration of “It’s now or never!”, grounding an ethereal track that thrums with layers of synth, bass, and tingly hi-hats. Pulling from the members’ Argentine, British, and Canadian music backgrounds, “itero” soars as an ode to the one that got away—a wistful figment of the heartbroken imagination.
ZADA — “Access Denied”
Whistler–based artist ZADA is all about juxtapositions: the flow of street dance against stark architecture, the beauty of the mountains hiding their brutal dangers, or the harsh edge of beats butting up against her smooth vocals. “Access Denied” is broadly an alt-R&B track, gritty yet elegant, with ZADA’s soulful declaration of “Not my fault you’re hypnotized/You can’t take me out tonight” punctuated by almost siren-like synths. But with songwriting like this, maybe a little hypnotism is to be expected.
Fake Shark — “Monster”
The opening of “Monster” might remind you of a certain era of indietronica, with chunky electro notes evoking the hazy whirl of the mid-’00s pop-rock radio. But straightforward comparisons end there. Frontman Kevvy delivers the first verse in a drawling murmur that more closely evokes Bright Eyes or Dry Cleaning, before launching into a singalong bridge and gang-vocal chorus. The song’s shifting modes mirror its subject matter, the confusing feeling of a fallout that you didn’t see coming—making it relatable to everyone who’s ever been blindsided by a friend break-up.
Anjalica Solomon — “Late Bloomer”
It’s not often that the clarinet gets to take a starring role in a song. Anjalica Solomon’s “Late Bloomer” is a soft, slow meditation on the power it takes to grow. Solomon leans into piano melodies and their own silky vocal runs, letting their South Asian heritage shine through in the soul-folk track. As a spoken word artist and poet, Solomon usually works with words: but here, the gentle, unhurried production is the star, letting the emotion behind the lyrics settle over you like a weighted blanket.
Kate Yahn — “Graceland”
The story behind Kate Yahn’s “Graceland” is worthy of an album unto itself. The upcoming folk-pop singer was on a trip to Nashville with some other familiar Vancouver faces, namely Vox Rea and Michaela Slinger. Her grandfather had paid for her ticket, bidding her to head to Graceland for inspiration—but a chance meeting in Memphis turned into a romantic entanglement that ruined her plans. “We woke up knowing/That I’d have to leave too soon,” Yahn sings, “Oh I wonder/Will I get back to you?” Here’s hoping she makes it to Graceland one day—the King is waiting.
Mark Ledlin — “Wish I Was”
It would be easy to roll your eyes at Mark Ledlin: a former professional hockey player, son of a professional hockey player, who decided to follow his passion for guitar and leveraged a short stint on Germany’s version of The Voice into a music career. But small-league sports and small-time music are both punishing careers. Although his sound has some stadium-country bombast, his roots are undeniably practical. When Ledlin laments, “Wish I had a couple more zeroes in the bank/So I got a second job, now I’m working like a dog” it’s not the hollow words of an out-of-touch star: it’s a real reflection of the graft needed to survive, “the living proof of what hard work does.”
Teon Gibbs — “Casualty”
Teon Gibbs is proud of his past: his birth in Botswana, his formative years in South Africa, Angola, and the U.K., and his current base in Vancouver. That kind of travelling gives people perspective, and Gibbs parlays that into his music. “Casualty” is dark and thrumming, a track that nods to Sade and Sting with an almost cinematic bent to its narrative. Rumbly 808 drum samples underpin the track, and Gibbs’ falsetto musings close it out with a deliberately eerie sense of unresolved tension.
Emma Alves — “Even a Worm Will Turn”
Would you still love Emma Alves if she were a worm? The alt-R&B artist wiggles across a whole sonic palette with her latest release, “Even a Worm Will Turn”. Citing WILLOW and Polyphia as influences, the track is experimental without being pretentious. Taking its title from an idiom reminding people that even the meekest creatures can bite back, Alves considers what women have to do to be seen as people—with the end of the track gaining swaggering guitars that lean into blues-rock groove.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.straight.com ’
