ARC Showcase Day 1

Music BC presents three nights of showcasing featuring the 2023 cohort from the ARC Program.

Day 1 - October 3, 2023

Doors: 7:00pm / Music 7:30pm sharp

Tickets - $6

19+

Follow @arcprogram_bc on Instagram for set times.

Featuring:

JUNO-nominated Amanda Sum assimilates elements of Indie-Pop, Jazz, and Alternative Folk into her eccentric and genre-bending sound. The vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist’s idiosyncratic work freely traverses music, theatre, and performance art, engaging diverse audiences and championing underrepresented artists. Amanda's debut album, New Age Attitudes, has been covered by CBC, Exclaim!, and the Vancouver Sun. Reflecting the themes of the music, this record was created by an all-female team, and played by a 6 piece all- Asian girl band. Members of the team include Emily Millard (producer), Olivia Quan (engineer and mixer), Mary Ancheta (synths), and Jamie Lee (drums). Amanda's music video Different Than Before was nominated for Music Video of the Year at the JUNOS, and won the SXSW Music Video Jury Award. Directed by Mayumi Yoshida, the video stars Hollywood's Tzi Ma. As Theatre Replacement’s COLLIDER Artist in Residence, Amanda developed an experimental theatre version of her album. The piece, New Age Attitudes: Live in Concert, is part pop-up book, part performance. It premiered at The Cultch in the spring of 2023, and has tour dates set for 2024. Described by Stir Vancouver as “endearingly quirky at face value” with “surprising emotional depth”, this show brings together Amanda’s theatre making and music practices. Based in Vancouver, BC.

"With over 4 million career streams to date and songs featured on some of Spotify’s top alternative editorial playlists, FKA Rayne is working hard to cement herself as an upcoming staple in the Canadian alternative scene.

The Vancouver based artist first started releasing original music in 2019 with her debut single ‘Do with that’, later followed by a FACTOR funded EP ‘False Love’. Originally dabbling in pop before switching over to her current nu-metal and industrial influenced sound, FKA Rayne received radio play at some of the top stations in Canada, was made the face of Amazon music’s ‘artists to watch 2020 list’, and was invited by Live Nation to play pre-show for Billie Eilish.

Despite the promising opportunities found in the pop world, it just wasn’t where her heart was set. After releasing her EP, FKA Rayne spent almost a year evolving her sound; delving back into her emo kid roots, and falling in love with early 2000’s nu-metal. During this exploration phase, FKA Rayne signed on with a new manager (Abir Hossain), and was connected with her producer Reed Hoelscher, with whom she wrote her alternative debut single ‘Side Effect’. Since its release in June of 2022, ‘Side effect’ has received over 1.6 million streams and been added to almost 50k fan playlists. Later releases ‘K*ll Me Now’, ‘Loathe’, and ‘Can’t take me’ have also been well received by streaming platforms, receiving placements on editorial playlists including ‘Misfits 2.0’, ‘Ready to rock’, and ‘Equal Canada’.

FKA Rayne is continuing to release new music on a 6-8 week schedule, with plans to complete an EP by the end of 2023."

"Kate Yahn is a rock/pop artist from Vancouver, BC. She combines the glamour and strength of rock n’ roll with a sophisticated storytelling edge. Often echoing the energy of Stevie Nicks, the vocal abilities of Linda Ronstadt, and the style of Debbie Harry to draw listeners in.

Yahn’s “Edge of Nothing (Take Me Home)” (March, 2023), co-written with Michaela Slinger (604 Records) is an unanswered plea for vulnerability, shrouded in rock-pop synths and walls of self defence, pulling from influences Miley Cyrus, Paramore, and Donna Missal. “At its core it is an operatic ode to the lovers who won’t get too close, the romantics with their curtains drawn, and the ones who get away,” says Yahn.

Trained in Musical Theatre in Toronto and New York, Yahn performs locally at Guilt & Co, and produces tribute shows (Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours front-to-back). She secured a 2023 NXNE (Toronto) showcase through a Breaking Sound performance."

After years of artist development, I started by releasing 3 singles over 2021 to growing success. My debut single, "Chamomile Tea" was connected to a fundraiser for the non-profit Anxiety Canada and surpassed my monetary goal within the first 24 hours. My second single, "Hydrogen Peroxide" is currently at 44,000 streams and counting along with my debut music video which I created with esteemed Vancouver based production team, East Cherry. I have spent this past year continuing to train, save funds, and create new relationships with collaborators. I am creating a catalogue of songs I will be releasing in 2023 as a bigger project collaborating with producers like Mothe (The Wrecks), Adam Thein (Djo, The Aubrees), Zabrina (Berklee) and Alex Flagstad (5SOS, UPSAHL). I am passionate about sharing my mental health journey and queer pride honestly and positively through my music and representing myself authentically as a queer, mixed race black girl in the pop music space for others like me who don't see themselves represented.

Vancouver’s Winona Forever have ridden a wave of musical curiosity and chemistry further than imagined when forming in high school. After spending formative years touring Canada and packing Vancouver’s resilient DIY venues, the band stumbled into an international following with 2017 single Keep Kool. Listeners were quick to tune in to previous releases while waiting for 2019’s Feelgood, a sophomore album that sold out a first vinyl release through Kingfisher Bluez label.

In 2022, Winona Forever started to distribute new singles through Acrophase Records, with an aggressive US touring schedule allowing longtime cross-border listeners to finally come see the real thing. With a catalog offering thoughtful, tangled rhythms and frantic garage-rock head nods, Winona Forever refuses to be boring.

2023 LP Acrobat (Released April 14, 2023) offers 9 tracks of pop songwriting and fresh production chops, signaling another chapter in the Winona Forever songbook. Having lived together for many years, Winona Forever’s live show plays as a confident and witty conversation between friends. With milestones such as Pop Montreal, SXSW, Treefort Fest, Sled Island and an Audiotree live session under their belt, the band continues to push forward towards fresh musical territory and new adventures.

ARC is an intensive accelerator program that highlights, nurtures, and sends into orbit the exciting, diverse voices that beat in BC. This multi-stage program will advance the business, creative, and technical skills of recording artists to help them build sustainable careers in the music industry—both at home and away. Led by a faculty of music industry professionals, participants will benefit from decades of experience and success within the music business.

Venue Accessibility: The Cobalt is fully wheelchair accessible. Please contact [email protected] if we can do anything to make your attendance more comfortable.

Music BC always takes pride in being an inclusive and safe space for everyone. Please let us know if you have any questions prior to the event.

Music BC acknowledges that this event will be celebrated on the unceded and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ / sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Cobalt Cabaret, 917 Main Street, Vancouver, Canada