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Montreal’s DIY music scene is in crisis

Veteran musician Hua Li 化力 weighs in on how racialized artists can thrive today in Montreal’s experimental, indie DIY music scene.

Diamond Yao

Diamond Yao

November 21, 2024- Read time: 4 min
Montreal’s DIY music scene is in crisisPhotograph: Karla Ximena / @karlaximenae

When a teenage Peggy Hogan was growing up in Victoria, she admired Montreal bands like The Unicorns, The Dears and Stars. By moving to the city as a fresh-faced 17-year-old to study jazz at Concordia University in 2007, the young musician hoped to join the artistic community of her idols.

She has fond memories of that era of creative flourishing. “I kind of very quickly realized [that] this community is tight and thriving,” she remembers. “It was much easier to meet these [musicians] and start playing with them.”

Photograph: Karla Ximena / @karlaximenae

During her early twenties, Hogan could make rent with a few $200 gigs and spend the rest of her time working on her craft as recording artist Hua Li 化力.

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