604 Podcast Network marks one-year anniversary with new titles in comedy, music, and more
What started out as Comedy Here Often? Podcast Network now boasts more than 18 shows as the form continues to surge in B.C.
Azzaya Khan.
DURING THE PEAK of the pandemic, podcasts took off. This was certainly evident in the comedy industry, with many comedians turning to the platform to get their work out to the world.
At the time, 604 Records launched the Comedy Here Often? Podcast Network to amplify artists’ voices when people were craving them more than ever. Now that COVID is behind us, podcasts are still going strong. Last year, Comedy Here Often? Podcast Network transformed into the 604 Podcast Network, which has expanded to include music, true crime, and sports podcasts, with more shows to come as the organization marks its one-year anniversary on January 23.
“The biggest takeaway is despite it being a saturated market, there’s still a demand for it,” 604 Podcast Network director Azzaya Khan says in an interview with Stir. “As tough as the journey may be—you’re competing against these creators, you’re always going to be competing with someone else no matter who you are or what genres you’re covering—the saturated market led to the benefit of indie podcasts, not just for new content, but businesses are also using it as a marketing platform. For entertainers, if you look at comedians focused on stand-up, podcasts became a secondary platform to market themselves….And businesses are hiring marketing agencies with podcast services that are now acting as a marketing platform.
“The number of artists and musicians who want to add to their portfolio even caught me by surprise,” adds Khan, a former radio journalist. “As 2023 moves into 2024, there’s that question: is the market going to continue to evolve or has it reached stalemate? And the answer is, it didn’t. U.S. and other Canadian networks like CanadaLand are still pumping out new content. When analyzing the market, the biggest change is that it didn’t change. We’re very grateful for that at the end of the day. From the height of the pandemic, that hype has carried over.”
604 Podcast Network’s Podcast by Proxy, for instance, which features Nanaimo-based friends Oliva Wassbauer and Katie Thomson talking about true crime across Canada, gets more than 10,000 listeners per month.
Podcast by Proxy is just one of 18 podcasts that make up the 604 Podcast Network, with new titles coming in conjunction with its one-year anniversary. What further distinguishes the network is that it is focused squarely on all things local.
Stir is a partner of 604 Podcast network and has selected five shows as its top picks that you can tune into here. Podcast by Proxy is one. Soft for Us centres on the friendship of three local aspiring comics—Amy Walsh, Niki Mohrdar, and Danielle Florence—who dive into what makes someone the ultimate “softie”; they call themselves soft girls in a hard world. “Being soft is a lifestyle,” they say, as they navigate “cringey” men, soul-sucking 9-to-5 jobs, and self-care. They also find and judge various Reddit threads. Can they tell the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive vanilla ice cream?
The Intrusive Thought Cast, meanwhile, is hosted by comedian Henry Sir and is equal parts comedy, vulnerability, and honesty. Past topics have included anger and regret. Forgive Us features comedians Danika Thibault and Nathan Hare as hosts, covering all manner of worries, with episodes like “The Pros and Cons of Life” and “Describing Memes on Air”. The Eradicators is hosted by CC Voltage and Joseph Martin, self-described “indie rocker goofballs” who have “played in bands, made records, toured the world, and drank a million beers. But now they’re grown ups. Instead of drinking as much Labatt 50 as possible, they hang out, play squash, and talk about rock & roll with their buds.” The latter two speak with artists, musicians, and industry pros from all over the globe and highlight local events to catch.
Other titles include Sticks & Stones, where country star Dallas Smith and 604 Records president Jonathan Simkin dish on sports, music, and more; and comedian Rick Rowley’s Beauty Sauce, which covers anything beauty-, hockey-, and Canadian-related.
Three new podcasts are launching as the 604 Podcast Network turns one.
One of them, The Vocal Lab with Sara Ramsay, features the vocal coach helping singers get their start in the business and tips to improve their sound. “I don’t have a music background but when I listen to some of these stories, it’s mind-blowing to me,” Khan says. “I didn’t know you needed all that to sing in the first place or to tour.”
Country music artist JoJo Mason is joining the network with Mental Health Mondays with JoJo Mason. During the pandemic, Mason decided to use his Instagram Live platform to talk about mental well-being. He connects with people in the music industry and beyond about how to achieve and maintain mental health on his show.
There’s also a forthcoming comedic podcast with Simkin, inspired by a blast from the past.
Building local talent and providing solid storytelling are at the heart of 604 Podcast Network.
“I come from a radio background….and when reporting the news, you write down your script in a conversational manner and deliver a story,” Khan says. “What I realized is that I love this production aspect but wanted to be more creative to tell a story rather than providing context and getting reaction afterward. A podcast is the perfect place to do that. We’re helping comedians, musicians, and indie podcast creators create a storytelling format that’s seen as a success and we’re building talent from home.”
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