Understory Records

Greetings! I hope this letter finds you in a shady spot enjoying a cool treat! It’s suddenly very warm in Smithers after a pretty chilly start to July.

We had a rainy weekend for Midsummer Fest, but it definitely did not stop the community from coming out. We had an absolutely blast hosting the 4H stage on Saturday night. Pam and I have been really honing our improvised Vaudeville comedy duo act, and look forward to having more opportunities to do that kind of thing together. Some of our favourite moments at the festival, unsurprisingly, involved our friends on stage. Ezra Beaton absolutely slayed on Friday night, and had a massive audience packed into the hanger at Stage 3. Seriously incredible guitar playing. This kid inspires me to shred more, and I already like shredding. We also had the most wholesome party watching The Hazletones on Saturday. Surfy, rockin’, also involves tap dancing for some reason and it really works! And of course Maddie Jay made the whole valley proud with her set on Saturday. It was a really cute time this year at Midsummer.

But enough about the festival that happened, lets talk about the festivals that are coming up! I’ve already told you all about The Kispiox Valley Music Festival which is coming up next week. We will be there selling records and hosting the hall stage on Friday night! I’m looking forward to introducing a bunch of artists on one of my favourite stages in the North.

Going into August we have lots of things to be excited about! July 31-August 2 is MoMfest in Fort St. James. This festival is held on Nak’azdli territory, at the beautiful lakeside Cottonwood Park. Entry to this festival is entirely by donation, which includes camping! This festival really has something for everyone. Moka Only is going to be there! Some Northern favourites that will be performing include the Brain Porter (who just released a new album!) Folky Strum Strum, and Rabbitt Soup. Also the Hazletones will be there and as I asserted earlier, they are super fun!

A little later in August will be CICK Radio’s annual Deck Fest! It’s a great annual event, with two days of free, live alternative music in the heart of Smithers. Keep an eye on CICK’s website and socials for more details! Deck Fest is hosted on the actual deck outside the CICK lounge car, and it’s a great way to see where independent radio is broadcast from in Smithers.

Forest floor update: summer is in full swing, and the last of the late spring blossoms are all done in the valley, though I’ve found a few lonely lupins in the shadier sub alpine parts of the ground. There are paintbrushes coming up now! I noticed this year that they seem to grow different colours in the alpine. Orange, peach, cream, all the best flavours! Speaking of flavors, the huckleberries are coming, but they’re still green, and need a bit more sunshine before they’ll be ready to pick. The rain we got recently should bode well for mushrooms though! I even heard of some boletus edulis popping up in Lheidli T’enneh, east of Prince George.

Stay safe out there, hope you’re having a wonderful summer!

Love, Naomi (and Pam)

Solstice is upon us! The days are almost as long as they are going to be, and it feels like summer here in the valley. This is always a busy time of year for musicians and presenters because we are on the cusp of festival seasons! In the spirit of all things summer festival, I have decided to dedicate this month’s newsletter to talk about some exciting events happening in and around Northern BC in June and July!

First up is Valhalla Fest on June 26th. This takes place in Terrace, and is largely an EDM festival. That being said, they do have a live music stage as well. I haven’t been to this one myself, but my friends who have attended speak very highly of it! There are three stages, and over 60 artists. I have also heard that they have some massive subs, so the physical experience is especially immersive. For what it’s worth, I advise anyone to go just for the experience of seeing Wax Mannequin perform in a beautiful rainforest. The stages also look awesome. There’s even a treehouse stage! Get your tickets here!

The next festival on the calendar is Midsummer Music Festival in Smithers. This festival has been a summertime establishment for over 40 years. This year Understory Records artists Puddy Waters and Highbush Caribou will be performing, as well as cherished Northern BC musicians Kym Gouchie, Mark Perry, and Gamskimoon. The set I’m looking forward to the most is Maddie Jay. Maddie grew up in Smithers, went to Berkley, toured with Lorde playing bass, and released their first album last year and it’s really cool. There are a lot of reasons to check out Midsummer, and if I wrote about all the friends playing that you should go watch, I would write an essay, so just go! Get tickets here!

Rounding out my very short list, is my favourite festival of the year Kispiox Valley Music Festival. KVMF took a year off in 2025 (I think more festivals should do this btw!!) and are coming back strong with presale tickets for the first time and an exciting line up of regional and far reaching talent. Taking place on July 24-26 in the beautiful Kispiox Valley, this dreamy festival invites you to unplug (there’s no cell service) and enjoy a well curated weekend of music. KVMF is one of those events that I don’t even pay attention to the line up before going, because I already know it’s going to be a good time. As a musician, it always feels like a really great reunion party, and the attendees bring such good energy and happiness to the event. The line up is awesome this year, and one of my favourite BC songwriters Dana Sipos is performing! Spank Williams and Devours are also going to blow some minds. Some Northern BC darlings that will also be there include The Grid Pickers (not to be missed, they are so wonderful), Genevieve Jaide, and Understory artists Elijah Quinn, Simba, and EARTHXSTAR. Elijah is also a big part of organizing this festival (he’s like the main guy) so big props to him for all he does! Again, there’s too many artists for me to list here, so check their website for more info and get tickets here!

Also, you can look forward to Understory Records emceeing for stages at Midsummer and Kispiox! We’ll have records for sale, and will be around to chat and hang out! Don’t be strangers, we want to be friends!

Forest floor update: everything is lush and sprawling. Wild roses are blooming, as well as lupins! The Saskatoon blossoms have fallen off, and we’ll be getting berries very soon. I’ve also been spying a lot of wild strawberries everywhere. Berry season will be upon us soon enough! The earth is a little dry for my liking, and I’m hoping for some rain to keep things soaked and safe from fires.

I hope you’re having a wonderful season, and get to spend some time outside. Stay safe out there, listen to lots of music, and share it with your friends too!

Love,
Naomi (and Pam)

Well, Spring has sprung! In the Bulkley Valley, spring basically just bursts into existence, and in just a few days we went from bare trees to being surrounded by green leaves, flowers, and pollen. It’s beautiful. Especially when we take a look out of our office window from the Central Park Building right in downtown Smithers. If you want to stop by, we’re in Studio 5, just to the right of the stairs on the second floor. From this spot we can have a homebase to work with our artists from, and also have community members stop by and see what we are up to! Office hours are a bit random right now, but for now if you’re in the neighbourhood and want to say hi, pick up a record, or just enjoy a tea, feel free to stop by on Tuesdays between 12-3! We will have more seating soon.

Other than that big news, we have been really busy writing grants, project plans, and general scheming. We are in talks with some local artists about putting out some records this year, and we will keep you updated as that progresses! Also, for our Terrace pals, Sight and Sound is now carrying our records! Head there to pick up a copy.

Forest floor update: everything is alive! In early May, I spied some blueberry flowers, and saskatoon bushes are in full bloom right now! Leaves are green, fiddleheads, false solomon’s seal, they’re all here! Lilacs are just starting to open up and smell amazing. It’s a beautiful time of year. I hope you’re able to get out and enjoy it.

Love,
Naomi (and Pam)

Happy April!

We’ve been busy moving records and making plans this month, and we have two exciting announcements! First, the amazing Red Cat Records in Vancouver, BC, is going to start carrying our records! Big thanks to Dave for being keen to work with us. Back in the day in Prince George, I used to work at a little place called Meow Records, an independent shop owned and operated by my super cool big cousin Bryndis. Red Cat Records was our sister shop, so it feels really cool to reconnect and have them sell our music. The records shipped out this week, so keep an eye on their newsletter and website to find out when they are available. If you’re in Vancouver, go check them out!

Our other big announcement is that starting May 1st we will have an office! We’re taking up residence in Studio 5 of the historic Central Park Building in Smithers. It is so special for us to have a home base for this operation. You can look forward to seeing some pictures of our new space, and I’ll be keeping office hours if you want to stop by and talk shop. We look forward to being able to hold meetings somewhere that isn’t one of our kitchens, and to have a dedicated space to record our radio show, make project plans, and be a general HQ for all things Understory Records!

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In other news, here’s a cool sneak peak of a live video Puddy Waters will be releasing soon! Keep an eye on him on Instagram for more updates on what he’s been working on.

Forest floor update: It’s snowing in Smithers, but small green plants are starting to poke up from the otherwise sepia toned ground. It’s not quite time, but soon I’ll be doing my best Mark Perry impersonation, endlessly saying “it’s sprrrringtime!”. Hope you’re staying warm and dry, and let us know what you’re excited about this spring!

Love,
Naomi (and Pam)

Hello!

Welcome to our first newsletter! Every month we are going to share what’s been going on here at Understory Records, and write about things we’re excited about. If you’re looking for a break from your algorithm, this is the place to be!

First and foremost, we had a thrilling launch party on February 28th over at Smithers Brewing Company. We crammed every last person we could into that room (95!) and had a beautiful evening of music and community. We had folks drive from all over the North to attend. Black Mountain Howl set up a little table to share their very cool magazine, which came all the way from Fort Saint James. A posse of seven came from Prince George and helped us put up decorations before the event. And Oscar Carlick AKA Puddy Waters attended all the way from Quesnel! I am so proud of Smithers for the great turn out. There were at least three big community events going on that night, and from what I’ve heard, each one had an amazing turn out. Go team!

We didn’t have our records in time to bust out a turntable, but we did have a recording of a test pressing of the record, so we were able to play that to open up the evening. Wedgwood performed the dreamiest of sets, which sounded incredible. My band played after, and it was a real mishmash of music. I played some of my songs, some Pitted tunes, and Elijah Quinn jumped up for a couple of songs too! Then Urchin played their unique brand of salty uncle rock late into the evening. The dance floor was really bumping by then, especially with the addition of the crew from Camino y Despedida who arrived after their performance earlier in the evening. I had the best time. I ate so much sugar and drank so much kombucha. I definitely paid for it the next day, but I can still party like I used to. 

As I mentioned, we didn’t have our records. There was a manufacturing defect that was found during quality control at the record factory, so they are being pressed again and will arrive soon! We have been collecting names for when they arrive, and the list is filling up very fast. We only have 100 records for this run, so please reach out if you want to secure one! We also have cute stickers available now too. When records do arrive, I will get our online shop up and running, and they will be available locally at Bettyz on Broadway Ave. They are just reopening an exciting change in format, and we’re excited to be a part of the new chapter in that sweet little shop!

In other news, our radio show will be premiering this week! You can hear it on CICK Radio at 93.9, or online at their website. We’ll also include an RRS feed on our website, and soon everything will be on the HIO app. 

Here’s some things we think you should check out!

Stream our compilation here!

Black Mountain Howl Subscription Form

Bettyz

CICK Radio

HIO Music

Oh! And a little forest floor update: There is still snow on the ground, but it’s melting fast. I always really notice lungwort this time of year, and soon new plants will start pushing up from the earth. It smells like spring! Let us know what’s going on in your neck of the woods!

xoxo

Naomi (and Pam)

Welcome to Understory Records! Please read our About page, browse our artists, and reach out! We’d love to hear from you!