In April, AKA one million years ago, we saw the entertainment world rapidly pivot to online performances as a way to stay afloat. Livestreams, recorded video content, and other innovative solutions to the no-gathering problem have been a life raft to many, but have also presented a very real set of difficulties to both artists and presenters alike.
At the same time, we saw a massive wave of community support and goodwill for artists. In the face of vast economic uncertainty, people spoke out about the necessity of the work artists do, and how crucial things like music, dance, and theatre are to our lives.
So we thought: people want to support artists, and artists are tired & working under difficult circumstances—why not encourage people to purchase the work that they’ve already sunk time and resources into? The audience gets high-quality, intentional work, and the artist gets paid for the hard work they have done.
And lo, “Buy a Record, Make a Difference” was born! We wanted to connect our community with the recordings local musicians were proud of, while also getting a glimpse into the backgrounds and processes of the artists in question. In the months since the series began, we’ve interviewed dozens of performers who were meant to take the stage at this year’s Festival, and heard about who they are, what they do, why they do it, and what other local music they love.
After three and a half months of interviews, we think there’s been something for everyone! If you’re in the mood for a new pop or neo-soul jam, we suggest checking out Katherine Penfold or Parlour Panther; if funk, hip hop, or blues is more your speed, there’s Missy D, Dawn Pemberton, and Dalannah Bowen. Into avant-garde? We’ve heard from stellar local players Julia Ulehla & Aram Bajakian, Peggy Lee & Dylan van der Schyff, Elisa Thorn, Jesse Zubot, and more. Looking for some cross-cultural exchange? Ruby Singh, Sara Kim, and Alvaro Rojas might fit the bill. And for fans of more straight-ahead jazz, there are always Vancouver gems Jodi Proznick, Anita Eccleston, and Daniel Hersog. These are just a handful of the many incredible musicians we’ve spoken with for this series—to browse them all, click here.
Moving forward, we’ll continue to share the work of local musicians with you, but not under the “Buy a Record” name, and not twice or three times a week as we have been doing with this series. We have some exciting things on the horizon that we’re starting to work on, and we can’t wait to share them with you.
In the mean time, we hope you have found something new to listen to or been reminded of a work you love by a local artist. The road ahead is long, and we’ll all need music along the way.
