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Canadian music and arts scene coverage and chats with the people behind the music and art we love

10/29/2026

PENNY & THE PITS | Anchor Fest | October 17, 2026

Although every festival eventually reaches the point where you realize the night is almost over, Penny & The Pits proved to be the perfect way to close out the evening.

We first encountered Penelope Stevens a few years ago when she accompanied Owen Steel for a showcase during Music NB Week. We were already familiar with her work with Motherhood, although we wouldn’t get the chance to catch that band live until much later, through Truro’s SUBvert series.

When word began to spread about Penny & The Pits, we were all ears.

Seeing Stevens step out from one of Atlantic Canada’s most respected experimental projects with a band carrying its own identity was enough to get our attention. The release of Liquid Compactor only reinforced that interest.

By the time the band took the stage at the Charlottetown B**r Garden, we’d already spent hours making our way through Anchor Fest.

We’d discovered artists we had never encountered before, reconnected with familiar faces, and picked up a few merch finds along the way.

Our final stop at the merch table proved especially rewarding. We left with a vinyl copy of Liquid Compactor, a split cassette featuring Penny & The Pits and Andy & The Dannys, and a copy of The Liquid Companion. Serving as a companion to the album, the booklet features drink recipes selected by Penny herself, recommendations we’re inclined to trust given her experience behind the bar.

Since our visit to Anchor Fest, the band has added another milestone to the story of Liquid Compactor. At the 2026 Prix MNB Awards during MNB Week, Penny & The Pits took home three honours: Recording of the Year for Liquid Compactor, Song of the Year for “Thick Black Gloves,” and Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

Anchor Fest wasn’t the reason we travelled to Prince Edward Island.

It may very well be the reason we come back.

📸 Darcy Walsh // East Coast DNA

10/28/2026

GREEN EYES, WITCH HANDS | Anchor Fest | 2026-10-17

Three years ago, we sat down with Green Eyes, Witch Hands for an episode of the East Coast DNA Podcast. At the time, much of our conversation revolved around the band’s origins as a recording-focused project and the challenge of translating carefully crafted studio recordings into a live environment.

Back then, William and Nicholas Morrison described Green Eyes, Witch Hands as a project born from experimentation, production, and songcraft. Live performance wasn’t the original goal. The studio came first.

That perspective made their performance at Anchor Fest particularly rewarding to witness.

The band always possessed a sound unlike much of what was happening around Atlantic Canada. While many regional acts draw primarily from rock, folk, or traditional influences, Green Eyes, Witch Hands occupied a space uniquely their own, blending electronic textures, acoustic instrumentation, and atmospheric songwriting into something instantly recognizable.

What stood before us at the Charlottetown B**r Garden was the next chapter of that story.

Three years of performances, touring, and collaboration have transformed what began as a recording project into a cohesive live band. The ideas we discussed during that podcast conversation have been refined on stages across the region, shaping the group into a confident and engaging live act.

Adding to the experience was the opportunity to hear the band’s latest album performed from start to finish. For anyone already familiar with the record, it offered a chance to experience the material through the lens of a mature live band. For those encountering the songs for the first time, it served as a compelling introduction to where the project stands today.

📸 Darcy Walsh // East Coast DNA

10/28/2026

BEHIND THE MUSIC | Anchor Fest | 2026-10-17

As much as this series has focused on the music, it would feel incomplete without recognizing some of the people helping make these spaces possible.

We’ve already known both Andrew Cormier and Sam Langille for years, yet seeing them at opposite ends of the evening served as a reminder of just how much work happens behind the scenes to support local music.

When we arrived at Beaconsfield Carriage House for the all-ages showcase, Andrew was the first face we saw. Working the door, welcoming attendees, and helping direct people through the space, his presence set the tone for the evening. The admission table was covered with information and resources, reflecting a commitment to creating safe, welcoming, and informed spaces within the music community.

Andrew’s work extends well beyond a single event. Through his involvement with Music PEI, local promotion, and support of all-ages programming, he continues to advocate for artists and genres that don’t always find themselves in the spotlight.

A few hours later, after making our way across Charlottetown to the Charlottetown B**r Garden, Sam was hard at work behind the scenes. Throughout the evening he could be found helping artists get settled, working the door, sharing stage management duties, and filling whatever role needed attention in the moment.

Andrew was there too, once again pitching in wherever help was needed. Different responsibilities, shared goals.

Having spent years performing themselves, both Andrew and Sam understand what artists need to succeed. Whether through Andrew’s time with Oakdrive or Sam’s work with Absolute Losers, those experiences seem to inform the work they do offstage just as much as the performances they give onstage.

In this scene, everyone chips in to give the best show possible.

Artists support promoters. Promoters support festivals. Festivals support artists. Everyone seems willing to step up and help make the experience better for the next person.

The bands may be what bring people through the door, but communities are built by people willing to do the work long before the lights come on and long after the final song ends.

10/28/2026

🔔 Subscribe to East Coast DNA on YouTube and help us preserve Canadian music history.

Long before East Coast DNA, CanCon Artist Services, podcasts, interviews, festival coverage, and thousands of concert photos, there were road trips.

Back in July 2019, I made the trip to Halifax with my brother to catch the reunion of one of our favourite East Coast bands, Burnt Black. At the time, seeing Burnt Black on stage again felt like a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

Fast forward to today. While digging through years of hard drives, memory cards, and forgotten folders, we uncovered a gem: Burnt Black performing “Escape Plan” live at The Marquee Ballroom.

For many younger fans discovering the band through streaming services, this song may be completely unfamiliar. Longtime fans will remember a time when Burnt Black CDs were passed around between friends, blasted through car stereos, and soundtracked road trips across Nova Scotia.

That’s exactly why East Coast DNA exists.

Not just to cover what’s happening today, but to preserve the stories, performances, artists, and moments that helped shape Atlantic Canada’s music community.

This performance of “Escape Plan” is now live on our YouTube channel and represents just one piece of a growing archive that spans festivals, club shows, artist interviews, showcases, and countless moments from the East Coast music scene.

If you believe Atlantic Canadian music deserves to be documented and preserved, we’d love to have you along for the journey.

🎥 Watch the full performance on YouTube.com/East Coast DNA
🔔 Subscribe to East Coast DNA
📸 Follow along as we continue uncovering and sharing rare footage from the vault

Were you at this reunion show? What’s your favourite Burnt Black track?

10/27/2026

DAYBLOOMS | Anchor Fest | 2026-10-17

As the all-ages showcase at Beaconsfield Carriage House came to a close, we made our way across Charlottetown for the second half of our Anchor Fest experience.

After missing the opening act earlier in the evening, we made sure to arrive at the Charlottetown B**r Garden early enough to catch the first performance of the night.

Formed in the spring of 2025, Dayblooms crafts lush, atmospheric songs that blend shoegaze and funk with an indie-pop foundation. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Kurt Vile, Mazzy Star, Slowdive, and Radiohead, the band balances reverb-soaked guitars, ethereal vocals, and thoughtful songwriting to create a sound that feels both intimate and expansive.

We had originally intended to feature their debut single, Swim, as part of our Fantastic Finds Friday series. Then we learned there was already another single waiting in the wings.

That discovery eventually led to a conversation.

What started with a live performance at Anchor Fest continued after we returned home, when we sat down with the band over Zoom for an episode of the East Coast DNA Podcast.

Looking back, it’s fitting that the first artist we caught at the B**r Garden became one of the stories that followed us home.

That interview is available now on YouTube at YouTube.com/. We invite you to subscribe to the channel and follow along as we continue documenting and celebrating East Coast artists.

Stay tuned for more coverage from the Charlottetown B**r Garden stage at Anchor Fest as our journey through one of Atlantic Canada’s most interesting emerging festivals continues.

📸 Darcy Walsh // East Coast DNA

10/27/2026

UNCLE | ANCHOR FEST | 2026-10-17

One of my favourite things about travelling through Canada is discovering the connections between scenes.

By the time UNCLE took the stage, we had already spent several hours getting acquainted with Charlottetown’s punk and hardcore community. What stood out wasn’t just the music, but the familiarity in the room. People weren’t simply attending a show. They were showing up for one another.

Originally active from 2012 to 2018, UNCLE recently returned from a lengthy hiatus and brought their signature brand of powerviolence back to the stage. As a two-piece, they proved that volume, intensity, and energy aren’t measured by the number of people standing under the lights.

The set was short, loud, and unapologetic. Exactly what you’d hope for from a powerviolence band.

If Bilge introduced us to the local scene, Dear Blossom highlighted its emerging talent, and Heavenly Blue demonstrated the strong ties connecting artists across the Maritimes, UNCLE showcased the foundation that helps sustain a community over time. The kind of band that reminds you every scene needs its veterans as much as its newcomers.

By this point in the evening, it was becoming clear that the artists sharing the stage weren’t isolated acts connected only by a festival poster. They were part of an interconnected creative community built through years of collaboration, friendship, and mutual support.

As the final performances wrapped up at Beaconsfield Carriage House, our time at the all-ages showcase was coming to an end. Waiting across Charlottetown was a second venue and another chapter of Anchor Fest yet to unfold.

📸 Darcy Walsh // East Coast DNA

10/27/2026

HEAVENLY BLUE | ANCHOR FEST | 2026-10-17

As Heavenly Blue took the stage, the energy inside Beaconsfield Carriage House continued to build.

For the second time that evening, I watched as a lead vocalist became one with the audience, stepping off the stage and delivering vocals from the floor while the rest of the band carried on behind him. In a venue like this, there was no barrier between performer and crowd. Everyone occupied the same space, and that closeness became part of the show.

Made up of Nova Scotian punk rock veterans with connections to bands including Booji Boys and Black Dog, Heavenly Blue walks an interesting line between chaos and melody. Beneath layers of fuzz, grit, and garage-rock energy are songs that seem determined to get stuck in your head whether you planned on it or not.

What stood out most wasn’t any single song or moment. It was how naturally the band fit into the atmosphere of the evening. The all-ages showcase brought together artists and audiences from different backgrounds, generations, and scenes, yet every act felt connected by the same DIY spirit.

As someone crossing the Confederation Bridge expecting little more than a place to spend an evening, I wasn’t expecting to find myself invested in a lineup I knew almost nothing about a few hours earlier. Yet here we were.

The night was gaining momentum, and Anchor Fest continued to reward curiosity.

📸 Darcy Walsh // East Coast DNA

10/27/2026

DEAR BLOSSOM | ANCHOR FEST | 2026-10-17

Dear Blossom brought a youthful energy to our Anchor Fest evening.

The up-and-coming post-hardcore band from Charlottetown is emerging from the island’s underground music scene with the confidence of a much more seasoned group. Their performance offered a glimpse of the young artists helping drive the local scene.

As someone experiencing much of the lineup for the first time, I found myself paying almost as much attention to the audience as the bands. Friends supporting friends, musicians supporting musicians, and a room full of people invested in seeing local artists succeed.

That’s the sign of a healthy music community.

By this point, it was clear the all-ages showcase at Beaconsfield Carriage House was more than just another stop on the Anchor Fest schedule. It felt like a gathering place for Charlottetown’s punk, post-hardcore, and underground music scenes, with emerging artists and local supporters of all ages sharing the same room.

Dear Blossom’s self-titled debut EP was released on July 13, 2026, marking another milestone for a young band making its presence felt.

What started as an unexpected addition to our travel plans was steadily becoming one of the highlights of the weekend.

And there was still plenty of music left to discover.

📸 Darcy Walsh // East Coast DNA

10/27/2026

BILGE | ANCHOR FEST | 2026-10-17

One of the best parts of covering festivals is discovering artists you’ve never seen before.

Between interviews, photography, video edits, and everything else that comes with running a media outlet, finding time to explore new music isn’t always easy. Sometimes, an unfamiliar name on a festival schedule is reason enough to show up.

We were in town ahead of another event the following day when Anchor Fest caught our attention on social media. Formerly the Charlottetown Film Festival, Anchor has grown into a multidisciplinary celebration of music, film, comedy, and industry programming across downtown Charlottetown.

Our evening began at the all-ages, pay-what-you-can showcase at Beaconsfield Carriage House, featuring a lineup of punk and hardcore acts.

We missed the first band and next up was Bilge, a Charlottetown hardcore outfit describing themselves as a group of friends playing “ass-shaking hardcore.”

After catching their set, it’s hard to argue with that description. Their set delivered an immediate burst of energy, making for a memorable introduction to Bilge and PEI’s underground music scene.

Sometimes the best moments at a festival aren’t the acts you travelled to see. They’re the ones you discover along the way.

Bilge set the tone, and our Anchor Fest adventure was officially underway.

📸 Darcy Walsh // East Coast DNA

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