Independent record label launches out of Smithers
Published 5:30 am Sunday, February 15, 2026
A new independent record label based out of Smithers is launching at the end of this month.
Understory Records is a partnership between journalist Pamela Haasen and musician Naomi Kavka.
With their combined media and business experience, they are forming a company to provide a service to local and regional artists to produce and distribute vinyl records, which have seen a resurgence in popularity recently.
They plan to help artists navigate funding and production challenges, especially in the North, where access to resources can be limited.
“I’ve been an independent musician for my entire career and done several releases, and just sort of realized the amount of work that I put into my own project,” explained Kavka.
“It would be no different if I was putting it towards something a bit bigger and also able to do something for my community and to my fellow artists.
“I thought using the skills that I have with knowing all the steps for record production and the artistic side and keeping up with someone like Pam, who is an incredible promoter and very business-minded, the two of us together, would be able to work on something like a label that would be functional and also a fun project.”
She said that with her first album, which she recorded by herself in a cabin in Haida Gwaii with the little equipment she could scrape together, she discovered the biggest barrier was access to funding.
“One of the mandates with the label is to also help artists with grant applications,” Kavka said.
”I wouldn’t be able to do the records I have without access to public funding. But there’s gatekeepers and barriers to that as well, one of them just even knowing where to ask or how to ask for funding.
“So being able to help artists navigate those things while also getting them in touch with the right people for production and for promotion, that’s sort of where we step in to kind of help bridge all of those gaps.”
She also said this service makes it easy to shop locally for music and support local artists instead of turning to increasingly exploitative streaming services.
“This can be an alternative to streaming and all these algorithmic kind of ways that we’ve gotten used to discovering music. I do feel like there’s this craving for people right now to be able to find music in a more organic way,” said Kavka.
There will be a launch party for the label on Feb. 28 at Smithers Brewing at 8 p.m.
The event will feature artists Wedgwood, Urchin, and Naomi Kavka.
The label’s first release, “Understory Records Volume One” is also being released on Feb. 28th.
This is a limited edition 12” vinyl compilation of Northern BC and Yukon artists, including Elijah Quinn, Scouts Honour, EARTHXSTAR, Jordy Walker, Highbush Caribou, and more.
