We’re excited to share a new promo “Staff Picks” where we will pick our favourite latest releases of BC artists every month.
Check out these talented artist picks for the month of May wherever you listen!
#newmusic #newrelease #indieartist #unsignedbc #musicbc
Just south of Whistler Mountain sits Pemberton Village, chill younger brother to its commercially-inclined older sibling. Like their hometown of Pemberton, soul-rock quartet The Zummers are an oasis of bohemian cool, with their rookie album Distracted constituting some of the finest Canadiana rock on offer today. Distracted is an 8 song snapshot of small town BC, exalted in all its melancholic glory and lovable weirdness. From spacey jazz vamps to mariachi trumpet breaks, the Zummers lean hard against the guardrails of rock convention while remaining catchy and radio-ready.
‘Rock Collector’ is a standout track on the new record, featuring a swing-time drum groove and a surprisingly touching lyric tempered by Tom Csima’s carefree delivery. For tightly wound city dwellers like myself who ache for the natural beauty of the BC mountains, ‘Rock Collector’ is a 4 minute escape to those easy afternoons spent in the shadow of the Sea to Sky Corridor. Rock collectors of the musical (and geological) variety should take note of the Zummers: a hidden gem on the BC scene, and the pride of Pemberton!
Review by: @luclemans
To have your song reviewed, become a member: unsignedbc.com
#radioshow #songoftheweek #bcmusic #vancouvermusicscene
Song of the Week is “These Streets” by TImothy O @iamtimothyo , a bright, sparkly pop-country tune that appeals to the sentimental, the heartfelt, and the intensely earnest.
There’s not a single question in my mind whether Timothy O is speaking from the heart on this one. “These Streets” describes itself as a song about “finding that perfect someone to navigate the ups and downs in ‘these streets’ that is life’s journey. A feel-good ballad about persevering through hard times with that special loved one will undoubtedly find an equally resilient audience, and with an accompanying music video featuring lots of fades, smiles, fireworks, and couples walking hand-in-hand, it’s sweet to see an artist express themselves when the times are good. Reflective music is important, and I hope Timothy O continues his songwriting journey with these same ideals in mind.
Review by @colejackson___
If you want your music to be featured on Song of the Week, sign-up to become a Member now at unsignedbc.com
#songoftheweek #radioshow #bcmusic #countrypop
Winner of the Zattzoo Project’s 2025 Battle of the Bands and finalist in the 2024 Music in Motion Canada Awards, Alick Mac is making serious waves in Victoria’s hip-hop scene. Touting his signature blend of confessional lyricism and conversational delivery, his raw and emotional songwriting has earned him thousands of digital streams, and an ever growing host of fans.
Mac’s latest single ‘Phone Tag’ is an intricately crafted meditation on isolation. Using a relatable framing device — the drafting of a text message to a friend — Mac explores themes of post-teen angst, depression, and loneliness. Heavy stuff to be sure, but Mac keeps the pace moving along with a hypnotic hip-hop beat and even the occasional moment of wry humour. Bouncing between interior and exterior monologue, Mac measures the distance between the convenient lies we perform to others, and the truths we hold tight to our chests.
As tracks like ‘Phone Tag’ demonstrate, Mac brings a disarming vulnerability to his work that induces listeners to relax their guard and open up themselves. Part Eminem-inspired rapper, part stream-of-consciousness beat poet, his style is nearly impossible to silo into a single genre. One thing is clear, however: Mac is blazing his own trail, and his audience is ready for more.
You can also have your song reviewed! Sign up as a member: unsignedbc.com
Review by @luclemans
Introducing the next artist for our radio show with @unsignedbc on Saturday @konkabass
We are over the moon to have this local legend coming through and joining us on GuessWho¿ and friends! Konka is an unreal producer and an even better human be sure to tune in for his set
Song of the Week is “Rear-view” by The Wintermelons @thewintermelonsband
Mournful longing wrapped in bandages and empty paint cans. The Wintermelons deliver raw emotion in a dramatic acoustic ballad, reminiscing on painful memories as they leave a place of comfort for the final time. Just like the house left on stilts or a home left to rot, what was once a stable foundation can no longer be supportive: this central theme is recurrent all over the track, especially in lyrics like “in the floors though they creak, they’re holding us up for now”.
Our lead singer holds the despondant tone of “Rear-view” perfectly, in an earnest vocal delivery that leaves no question of genuine expression. There’s a precision to this type of song for it to be effective, and that can only come from being true, vulnerable, and reflective. The Wintermelons may be looking back at the past on this track, but with a continued effort towards meaningful, honest music, they should be looking forward to a bright future.
Review by @colejackson___
If you want your music to be featured on Song of the Week, sign-up to become a Member now at unsignedbc.com
#radioshow #songoftheweek #bcmusic
It’s always a pleasure when a new Zummers song lands on the desk of Unsigned BC headquarters. Uniquely Canadiana and constantly innovating, these Pemberton-based rockers offer listeners a heady mix of Dylan-esque lyricism and spacey, jazz-rock arrangements.
Take ‘Art In the Country,’ a track from their debut album Distracted. A melancholic tale of changing times and shifting economic tides, the song begins as a roomy rock arrangement, featuring Ginger Baker inspired tom work and languorous slide fills. As the story of Art reaches its final act, the song plunges into a double time jazz vamp, its swaggering arrangement giving way to jittery guitar lines and mariachi trumpet stabs. ‘Art In the Country’ is musical spectacle, an auditory spaghetti western that unfolds as intensely as a Sergio Leone film.
In today’s desert of generic pop and rock productions, the Zummers are an oasis of originality. The Tragically Hip have long been Canada’s gold standard of narrative-driven songwriting, and with Gord Downie’s untimely passing, it’s up to acts like the Zummers to seize the pen and conjure up fresh stories that strike at the heart of Canadian life.
I had the pleasure of catching a Zummers set last September, and their live performances are as captivating and well-rehearsed as their studio work. If you have a chance to see the yourself this summer, don’t miss out!
Review by @luclemans
Sign up as a member of Unsigned BC to have your song reviewed! unsignedbc.com
#songoftheweek #songreview #bcmusic #radioshow
Song of the Week is “Echo” by Four Good Emperors @fourgoodemperors , an independent odyssey through reverberated longing.
Based out of Vancouver, BC, Four Good Emperors evoke some of the best alternative rock of the late 2010s with a sound palette straight out of the 70s. A soulful, intimate, and forlorn intro of reverb-heavy keys and subtle ride hits lead our voyage through a song full of rich vocal passages and beautiful horns. Layers and layers of lush instrumentation, and a moving breakdown too? “Echo” feels far beyond what you’d expect from a relatively newer band.
“Echo” also serves as a lyrical treat. Direct but poignant writing serves a somber, memorable refrain: “trying to drown in an echo, echo, echo…” Very little appreciation for text painting in modern music discourse but I’m going to give it to you all here! Thought this was a lovely song that I’ve personally played far more than what was required for this review 😉 excellent work from Four Good Emperors, I’m excited to hear what’s in store.
Review by @colejackson___
If you want your music to be featured on Song of the Week, sign-up to become a Member now at unsignedbc.com
Despite being a relative newcomer on the songwriting scene, Todd J McLean has amassed a formidable catalogue of original music since his 2025 debut.
While his solo records span a variety of genres (all the way from country to funk), McLean’s recent collaborations with Noobly have distilled his latest record (Ups & Downs) into a Blade Runner-esque, dark wave style that handily complements his signature baritone. The dark-wave sensibility of Ups & Downs reaches its full power in ‘Hades & Persephone,’ the album’s lead single.
Partially inspired by the tale of Hades (Greek god of the underworld) and Persephone (his unfortunate mortal bride), Hades & Persephone draws deep inspiration from such new wave forerunners as Roxy Music, David Bowie, and Joy Division, with McLean adopting the genre’s icy, melancholic vocal style (as well as its penchant for abstract, Impressionistic lyrics). Meanwhile behind the console, Noobly arranges a sci-fi soundscape of synth arpeggios and drum machines against McLean’s processed vocal lines, masterfully evoking the so-called “sad robot” production style (so coined by Troye Sivan in description of his hit record ‘One Of Your Girls’). We’re all familiar with Marshall McLuhan’s old maxim that “the medium is the message.” In the veiled tension between McLean’s raw vocals and their robo-sequenced surroundings, listeners may discover an implicit commentary on today’s struggle to safeguard human experience against the rising tide of digital dominance.
For fans of dark-wave, McLean & Noobly, or indeed Greek myth, Hades & Persephone is a perfect introduction to the captivating, dystopian musical underworld of Ups & Downs.
Review by @luclemans
