Victoria’s music scene is lively and it’s not difficult to find shows that feature local artists.
Local musician Cody Rueger noticed the wealth of talent and has created a Spotify playlist called Victoria Music Scene to highlight the music coming out of the city.
The playlist went live June 16 and it immediately gained popularity. Rueger had put a call out on Facebook for the Spotify links of musicians in Victoria so he could add their music, and received more than he expected. He continues to seek out more artists, but people are also starting to contact him first.
“All they need to do to be added is follow and share the playlist,” he said.
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Rueger grew up in Kelowna, but has found his groove here in Victoria, noting, “there are so many talented musicians [here].”
Artists can easily go unnoticed because of the sheer number of musicians in the city, he added, but he hopes the playlist helps raise awareness by having locally made music available together in one place.
The variety within the playlist lends itself to many settings, said Rueger. With music from all genres, there’s something for everyone. Some artists have as few as five monthly listens, while others average about 10,000, he said.
With 430 followers as of June 18, the local music playlist has become one of Rueger’s most popular, growing from a ratio of about one follower for every musician or band to about four to one. He has also created a separate playlist for B.C. artists, but that’s not performing as well as the Victoria list, he said.
The future of the playlist is unclear as Rueger is just “going with the flow.”
“I’d like to see the musicians in it get more streams and listens,” he said. “I just want to support local musicians and bring awareness to them.”
You can browse the Victoria Music Scene playlist here and request to have your music added by contacting Rueger via email at codyruegermusic@gmail.com.
editor@mondaymag.com
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