STANDARDS is a multimedia web magazine run and operated by a small team of musicians, friends and collaborators, predicated first and foremost on the documentation and celebration of Vancouver's DIY music scene.

STANDARDS Field Sessions, our flagship video series, is an ongoing archival document of intimate, informal sets performed in unconventional circumstances by a wide variety of local artists. Our first season was shot over a few days in January and February of 2023, and from those initial recordings, the shape of this project started to come into view. We're launching with just a preview of what's to come, and we hope to release new sessions every two weeks, albeit with short breaks between seasons.

As STANDARDS grows, we hope to see its editorial voice bloom through the publishing of a bi-weekly newsletter penned by a rotating crew of writers. There, you can expect us to advocate for and discuss our larger community through short personal essays, interviews, music recommendations and who knows what else. You can already sign up for the newsletter so you don't miss the first issue when it publishes very soon.

It should be noted that this whole thing is very much a passion project. Currently we are entirely self-funded because it feels important that the coverage we offer be accessible to anyone trying to make meaningful art in a culture that systematically devalues and attempts to exploit creative work. That said, until we figure out proper means of audience support, we deeply appreciate anyone who may want to share what we're making here. Any bit of word of mouth can help us tons.

Over time, we're excited for new creative forces to come into this project's orbit and shake up the limits of what it can be. If you'd like to take part in a Field Session with us, or if you'd simply like to collaborate in any capacity, please reach out to contact@standards.fm - our channels are open.

For now, STANDARDS has been Arman, JM, Nazanin, Phil and Sam.

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Welcome.