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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.
SinglesHouseguest — “incinerator”
Despite the central metaphor of “incinerator” being cremation, Houseguest’s latest single isn’t particularly fiery. Instead, it is languid: a little dreamy, a little hazy, fusing sparser verses that let MJ Laing’s voice wistfully crackle with more full-bodied, harmonized choruses. The repeated invocation of “some days” and “some nights” in the chorus collapses time into a sludgey milieu reminiscent of doomscrolling, making the final sting of “Some nights I lay in bed/And I know that it will be fine” a brief triumph of putting your phone down.
Robyn Froese — “Frida Kahlo”
The Dream (The Bed) is one of Frida Kahlo’s best-known paintings, a self-portrait that sees the artist asleep on a four-poster bed while a skeleton reposes on the canopy above her. In “Frida Kahlo”, musician Robyn Froese ruminates on the striking visual by marrying reflections on the cyclical nature of life and death with a groovy bassline and plenty of scatting. The result feels textured and intimate—perfect for days when rain is sliding down the windows.
Orra — “Friends”
Situationships seem to be the primary form of dating these days, so of course they’re everywhere in music right now too. The latest local track to tackle the impossibility of text flirtation and semi-interested partners is Orra’s “Friends”. The late-night disco song is both peppy and pondering, as a throbbing bassline provides a springy bass for Sarah Orr’s vocals to bounce off of. Give it a spin as you ponder the pourous boundaries of romance.
Jonah Ocean — “Up In the Clouds”
“Up In the Clouds” is a simple piano ballad about the bond between two brothers during a troubled adolescence. It’s a sweet premise, underlined by the fact that Jonah Ocean’s brother Kane (who has photographed Kaytranada and Pharrell) shot the video himself in a charmingly DIY manner, all iPhones and roaming through Vancouver. The song itself is a classic piece of escapism, with strip-backed vocals and keys recorded in a single take to let the emotion shine through. It’s a little saccharine, but doubtlessly sweet.
AlbumsThe Abramson Singers — Anything You Could’ve Been
After dropping 2017’s The Lost Pod, the Abramson Singers seemingly submerged. Now, almost a decade later, Leah Abramson’s project has resurfaced with a new EP. Anything You Could’ve Been chronicles Abramson’s last decade—moving, motherhood, mentoring the youth—alongside new faces guitarist Jason Starnes and bassist Mark Beaty. The record pairs Abramson’s powerful vocals with shimmery synths and throwback sensibilities for a twee-tinged pop package.
Jody Glenham — Still Here
Jody Glenham’s latest EP is a reminder that, even after nearly two decades, the musician isn’t going anywhere. The self-produced five-pack of songs provides glimpses into a number of cinematic vignettes, portrayed with moody sonic choices like fuzzy guitars and unhurried melodies. “The Local” celebrates the community of indie venues, while lead single “Love Deficiency Syndrome” considers the post-breakup awkwardness of melodrama when you know that, like Glenham’s artistic career, you’ll “be fine in the long run”.
Becca Stefanson — Going Forward, Looking Back
Pitt Meadows-based musician Becca Stefanson joins a prestigious list of musicians who have released their first albums as a teenager. The 17-year-old leans into country and folk on her debut EP, bucking attention-chasing brevity in favour of well-developed songs. “How I Feel” employs finger-picking to tell a ponderous ballad, while sunny “Mr. Mailman” muses on what might become a rare sight for future generations under the Canada Post cuts: the joy of a delivery.
Whipped Cream — Home Was Always Me
It’s almost surprising that it has taken Vancouver Island producer Whipped Cream so long to drop her debut album. Home Was Always Me is a 14-song collection, released after six mixtapes in the past decade, and proves to be worth the wait. The record is chameleonic, bouncing between club-filling beats and introspective quieter moments—sometimes on the same song. There’s hyper-pop, trap, pounding bass that would sync up perfectly with strobe lights, but mostly the sound of an artist figuring out how to be true to herself. Welcome home.