You Me & Zach will be one of the highlights of this year’s Purple City Fest Block Party, bringing a set tailored to the festival’s high-energy atmosphere. With just a half hour to work with, the Edmonton group plans to introduce festivalgoers to its contemporary take on Americana and roots rock.
The band grew out of late-night jams between vocalist and guitarist Patrick O’Neill and brothers Chris and Zach Schermbrucker. After discussing the idea of starting a band, the trio recorded an acoustic demo with friend Ryan Hall in 2022 and soon invited him to join permanently on bass.
Hall later helped recruit the group’s first drummer, Bob Chomyn, helping solidify a show-ready lineup. Following a handful of open mics and informal performances, the band played its first full-band show in January 2023 and has been steadily gigging ever since.
Today, You Me & Zach are part of a new generation of western Canadian acts embracing a rock-and-roots-driven sound alongside a grassroots DIY ethos. According to O’Neill, it’s a fantastic community to be part of.
“I feel like it almost wasn’t cool for awhile to be in an Americana-style band…it wasn’t as popular as hardcore and punk in Edmonton,” O’Neill recalls. “But now the scene is excellent. It’s a really good community and we’ve made so many friends in Alberta and BC. It’s just a really prosperous scene.”
You Me & Zach’s grassroots spirit extends to their recording process. The band has opted to release a string of standalone singles over the last three years, balancing songwriting and recording with the realities of being completely independent.
The approach allows them to steadily share new music while continuing to build momentum.
“We’ve done everything ourselves so far, minus our very first single [recorded by Aladean Kheroufi].” O’Neill explains. “So money- and timewise, it made sense for us to do singles and get them out when we can.”
Looking ahead, however, You Me & Zach is setting its sights on a bigger project.
“The plan right now is to do a full-length record, either 10 or 12 songs, late spring or early summer next year.”
In the meantime, O’Neill says that You Me & Zach are looking forward to their half-hour set at Purple City’s Block Party on Sunday, September 13.
“We’re going to try to bring a higher-energy set, play some of our faster stuff,” O’Neill says. “We’ll keep the energy high and bring a party atmosphere. I think it’s going to be awesome.”
Learn more about You Me & Zach along with the rest of the Purple City Fest lineup here.
Watch “Sleeping Shoes,” the latest music video from You Me & Zach, below:
