This episode, Dave Mattock, who owns the Mattock School of Music, explains a bit about how having a local music scene can enhance the community by creating a sense of togetherness. 🎹 🎻

Listen to the rest of the episode here: https://startlocal.co/playing-teaching-and-building-a-career-in-music-with-dave-mattock/

#ChesterCountyPA #LocalMusic #StartLocal

If you've spent time in regional Australia, you know there's a particular kind of musical talent that accumulates quietly outside the capital cities - nurtured in local scenes, passed between towns, occasionally breaking through and more often not.

Our government has largely decided that regional Australia is a touring problem to be solved, not a creative community to be invested in. Fewer gigs, less press, no budget. Invisibility.

The Pack's geofenced discovery is designed to address this directly - giving listeners the ability to find artists from regional and rural communities, and giving those artists an audience that has never had a structural reason to find them before.

Help us build it: https://crowdfunding.startsomegood.com/thepackmusiccoop

#RegionalAustralia #ThePackMusic #LocalMusic #AustralianArtists

There's a particular pleasure in discovering that the person who made the music you've had on repeat lives three suburbs away.

This kind of discovery is almost impossible on major streaming platforms - and it isn't a scale problem that will solve itself. It's a design choice.

Music Australia's 2025 research shows that 71% of Australians feel pride hearing Australian music. 66% want to hear more. Only 31% actively seek it out - not because the desire isn't there, but because the infrastructure doesn't support it.

The Pack's geofenced discovery is being designed to let you surface artists from your suburb, your city, your region. When a regional artist is discovered by someone in their own community, it has different consequences than being added to a global playlist.

You can help us build this. Our crowdfunding campaign is live. https://crowdfunding.startsomegood.com/thepackmusiccoop

#LocalMusic #MusicDiscovery #RegionalAustralia #FirstNationsMusic

THE LOCALIST: MARCH

Avalon Stone—Meant to Break (EP) 

Release Date: Feb. 27, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Alternative Rock, Grunge

The six-song debut EP from singer-songwriter, Avalon Stone draws clear inspiration from 1990s alternative and grunge rock but with a polished, modern influence. Produced by Juno Award winner Kevin Dietz (Glorious Sons, Billy Talent), the project features heavy alt-rock anthems that distinctively compliment the gritty vocal performance.

Nothing We Do Matters—Kinematics of Machinery

(EP) 

Release Date: Feb.28, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Experimental, Noise

The entirety of the band’s biography simply states “emo rhythm noise nonsense” which, while brief, perfectly encapsulates the experimental sound the band has concocted on their debut EP. The three tracks collectively present a challenging listening experience that melds layers of harsh noise, abrasive screams and unsettling electronic soundscapes.

I, the Mountain— Body (LP) 

Release Date: Mar. 6, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Indie Folk

Four-piece folk rockers I, the Mountain return with an emotional new five-song EP which is comprised of recent single releases, with the most recent and final addition being the title track “Body”. The collection of songs is raw and personal, exploring themes of self-worth and acceptance, while featuring some of the band’s tightest vocal harmonies to date.

Thorns—Closed Casket Burial 

(Singles) 

Release Date: Mar. 13, 2026

City: Waterloo

Genre: Metalcore

Thorns’ newest release consists of two singles, “Closed Casket” and “Burial”. Across both songs, the vocals are impressively dynamic, transitioning from deathly growls to aggressive shouting seamlessly. The band blends these vocals with heavy hardcore inspired breakdowns and intense metallic guitar riffs to create a unique sound.

Eric Folino—Hours for the Taking (EP) 

Release Date: Mar. 13, 2026

City: Waterloo

Genre: Acoustic, Indie Pop

Originally recorded in 2024, this eleven-song project was gradually released as singles and has ultimately culminated in Eric Folino’s debut album. With acoustic guitar and poetic lyricism at the forefront of each song, Folino presents a refreshing take on contemporary indie pop. The track “The World Began This Morning” is an impressively notable highlight from the album.

Album artwork sourced from Bandcamp.