Joining us this week are rising stars like KNDRX, Stella Standingbear, and John R Miller, plus the return of Tokyo Syoki Syodo from last year’s festival. Don’t miss exciting additions like Shower Curtain, Yoshika Colwell, and Mountain Time.

Head over to ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin March 11-14 and catch Rolling Stone’s Future of Music Showcase featuring Benson Boone, Megan Moroney, Ivan Cornejo, Rema, hannah bahng, LAILA!, Anycia, Brittney Spencer, and more.

As we count down to March 10-15, here’s how to get into the SXSW groove:

Follow the Official SXSW 2025 Playlist on Spotify
Watch the latest drops on our Showcasing Artists Music Videos playlist on YouTube
Browse the Showcasing Artist lineup on the SXSW Schedule and build your must-see list

Stay tuned for more artist announcements, and get ready to experience the best in new music at SXSW 2025. Scroll down to dive into this week’s featured artists!

New 2025 Showcasing Artists

Everything subject to change.

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This week, we’re adding over 70 new artists to the lineup, including powerhouse vocalist Tia Ray, genre-blending artist Angel White, and indie favorite Wishy.

But that’s not all—get ready for the electrifying sounds of The Beatbox Collective, Austin’s own Quin NFN, singer-songwriter JC Stewart, experimental group SUSS, folk artist Humbird & many more!

As we count down to March 10-15, here’s how to get into the SXSW groove:

Follow the Official SXSW 2025 Playlist on Spotify
Watch the latest drops on our Showcasing Artists Music Videos playlist on YouTube
Browse the Showcasing Artist lineup on the SXSW Schedule and build your must-see list

Stay tuned for more artist announcements, and get ready to experience the best in new music at SXSW 2025. Scroll down to dive into this week’s featured artists!

New 2025 Showcasing Artists

Everything subject to change.

The post Tia Ray, Angel White, Wishy & More – 2025 SXSW Music Weekly Roundup appeared first on SXSW.

This week, we’re welcoming 30+ new artists to the lineup, including the Mexico City's Foudeqush, New Dehli electronic composer Arushi Jain, and the latest project from Corpus Christi-based producer EL DUSTY. Plus, don’t miss the infectious pop energy of Colombian artist VALÉ and even more rising stars like Scotty ATL, Baby Said, Taylor Rae, and Vanita Leo.

As we count down to March 10-15, here’s how to get into the SXSW groove:

Follow the Official SXSW 2025 Playlist on Spotify
Watch the latest drops on our Showcasing Artists Music Videos playlist on YouTube
Browse the Showcasing Artist lineup on the SXSW Schedule and build your must-see list

Stay tuned for more artist announcements, and get ready to experience the best in new music at SXSW 2025. Scroll down to dive into this week’s featured artists!

New 2025 Showcasing Artists

Everything subject to change.

The post Foudeqush, Arushi Jain, EL DUSTY, VALÉ & More – 2025 SXSW Music Weekly Roundup appeared first on SXSW.

This week, we’re adding more than 80 artists to the 2025 lineup! Get ready for the indie rock magic of Band of Horses, the genre-blending fusion of Runyu Qian, and the dreamy, laid-back grooves of Dope Lemon—the moniker of acclaimed Australian artist Angus Stone. Plus, experience the soul-stirring sounds of Jonathan Ferr, a standout name in Brazil’s new jazz movement, alongside an electrifying mix of global talent.

Get ready for the return of Seattle's Band of Horses, rising Chinese pop singer Runyu Qian, Australia's Dope Lemon and jazz-embracing Brazillian Jonathan Ferr, alongside an electrifying mix of global talent.

As we count down to March 10-15, here’s how to get into the SXSW groove:

Follow the Official SXSW 2025 Playlist on Spotify
Watch the latest drops on our Showcasing Artists Music Videos playlist on YouTube
Browse the Showcasing Artist lineup on the SXSW Schedule and build your must-see list

Stay tuned for more artist announcements, and get ready to experience the best in new music at SXSW 2025. Scroll down to dive into this week’s featured artists!

New 2025 Showcasing Artists

Everything subject to change.

The post Band of Horses, Runyu Qian, Dope Lemon, Jonathan Ferr & More – 2025 SXSW Music Weekly Roundup appeared first on SXSW.

It's time to indulge in yet another Weekly Roundup of new Showcasing Artists joining us at the 2023 SXSW Music Festival.

Expanding our list with another 80+ artists there is melder of a capella, electronic pop, jazz, and soul Madison McFerrin; South Korean multi-instrumentalist Asian Glow; singer-songwriter from Derry, Northern Ireland SOAK; heartbreak folk song aficianado Le Ren; Puerto Rican reggaetonera that is always living in the moment RaiNao; the never shy, southern rapper bbymutha to name a few.

As you mark off the days on your calendar towards March 13-18, here are some ways to get moving and grooving with our lineup:

• Follow and listen to the Official SXSW 2023 Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music
• Explore the SXSW 2023 Showcasing Artists Music Videos playlist on YouTube
• Browse the Showcasing Artist lineup on the SXSW Schedule and build your must-see list

Discover artists in this week's roundup below and get ready to pump up the jams!

New 2023 Showcasing Artists

Abigail Osborn (Nashville TN)
AdELA (Atlanta GA)
Asian Glow (Seoul SOUTH KOREA)
Ayanna Witter-Johnson (London UK-ENGLAND)
The Basil Trio (Austin TX)
bbymutha (Chattanooga GA)
Buppy. (Park City UT)
Chantel (Mississauga ON)
Coot Corleone (Los Angeles CA)
Danny Bonilla (Dallas TX)
Demi Grace (New York NY)
Density512 (Austin TX)
DJ Five Venoms (Miami FL)
DJ Rosegold (Mississauga ON)
Dr. Bobby Banner, MPC (El Paso TX)
DreTheGr8 (KILLEEN TX)
Dropper (Brooklyn NY)
Elena Rose (Miami FL)
The Eric Hisaw Band (Austin TX)
Free Range (Chicago IL)
Fruit Bats [solo] (Los Angeles CA)
Glockianna (Memphis TN)
Ha'angana (New York NY)
Half Gringa (Chicago IL)
Hermanos Quimica (Caracas VENEZUELA)
The Hide Outs (Austin TX)
Ivey Amour (St. Louis MO)
Jade Novah (Cleveland OH)
Jay CertiFYD (New Jersey NJ)
JC (Atlanta GA)
Juice (Brooklyn NY)
Kaitlyn Raitz & Friends (Nashville TN)
Ken LaFlaire (Dallas TX)
Kenyon Dixon (Watts CA)
Kina Love (South Haven MI)
Kosha Dillz (Brooklyn NY)
Kyle P. Walker (New York NY)
Lady Stone (Brooklyn NY)
Le Ren (Montreal QC)
LHF Lil Ke (Austin Tx TX)
LIFEOFTHOM (New York NY)
LIZZIE (Houston TX)
Luck (Richmond VA)
Madison McFerrin (Los Angeles CA)
Mama Duke (Austin TX)
mediopicky (Santo Domingo DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)
Megan Davies (Harrisburg PA)
Mehgan James (Los Angeles CA)
Mind's Eye (Los Angeles CA)
Miss Tiny (London UK-ENGLAND)
Molly Martin (Nashville TN)
Ms Madli (New York NY)
NOIA (Barcelona SPAIN)
Ohso (San Diego CA)
Olive Klug (Portland OR)
The Ophelias (Cincinnati OH)
RaiNao (San Juan PUERTO RICO)
The Rare Occasions (Los Angeles CA)
The Rite Flyers (Austin TX)
Runnner (Los Angeles CA)
Sangstaa (Raleigh NC)
SaulPaul (Austin TX)
sbk (London UK-ENGLAND)
Shana Cleveland (Grass Valley CA)
SOAK (Derry UK-N. IRELAND)
Stasseny (Austin TX)
Sueco (Pasadena CA)
Sunni Tha Rapper (Houston TX)
Their / They're / There (Chicago IL)
Thomas Dollbaum (Tampa FL)
Trash Panda (Jacksonville Beach FL)
TURITO (fka Y2K) (Austin TX)
Utley3 (Austin TX)
VCTMS (Chicago IL)
Vertarias (Palm Springs CA)
Victoria Canal (London UK-ENGLAND)
Vök (Reykjavik ICELAND)
waveform* (Monroe CT)
Weatherday (Malmö SWEDEN)
Whookilledkenny (Austin TX)
xBValentine (Georgetown TX)
Zella Day (Los Angeles CA)
Zelly Vibes (Las Vegas NV)

Everything subject to change.

View 2023 Artists Schedule

See You There

Join us this March 10-19 in Austin, TX for SXSW 2023. Explore Conference sessions, Music Festival showcases, Film & TV Festival screenings, world-class Exhibitions, and beyond on the SXSW Schedule.

Register Now

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and SXSW News for the latest event info and announcements.

Teaser Photo: Madison McFerrin - SXSW 2023 - Photo by Justin French

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SXSWfm had the opportunity to interview Adrian Galvin, previously known as a member of Walk The Moon, as he joined SXSW 2018 to showcase his solo project, Yoke Lore. They sat down on the roof of the Austin Convention Center to talk about his time in Walk The Moon, being in a dance company, and what's next to come for his new EP. Read an excerpt of the interview below, and listen to it in full on our Mixcloud.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Yoke Lore

Yoke Lore Interview Highlights

Welcome to SXSW 2018!

Yoke Lore: Thank you so much. It's great to be here!

How many times have you played at SX?

YL: This is my second year.

Why was important for you to come back?

YL: SX is a place that I really get to connect with people that I don't usually get to connect with. I have a label in Germany, a label in Australia, and people working my music in the UK, and radio people in New Zealand, and I just know them as names on an email. It's nice to have eye contact with them, and one - to express my gratitude to them, and another - to make the connection stronger so we can do more... So it's good to connect with them. And I'm always on tour, and a lot of my friends are in bands that are also on tour, so it's nice to see homies that I don't usually get to see often.

You were in a band called Walk The Moon. What was your relationship with that?

YL: I met Nick Petricca in an acapella group my freshman year of college, and he was a senior. We began Walk The Moon, and I dropped out of college to tour and write with them, and that was a ton of fun. Then, at some point, it was getting very, very serious and there were other people involved and lots of money involved, and the music got a little bit away from what I really wanted to do, but that was right for Walk The Moon. It was the path that Walk The Moon was on, and who am I to stand in the way of that. So I was like, I would rather go back to college, finish my scholarship, and then start something myself.

When did you start this [solo] project?

YL: Roughly two years ago.

And how did you get that name, Yoke Lore?

YL: I very much believe that value in life kind of occurs when things come together. The value of a life can be measured in its relationships. And I know it's true because it's true everywhere. You can measure the integrity of this beam by how well it's connected to the fucking screws that are hooked into the other beam. It's not about how strong the metal is, it's how strong the connection is, and that's true in everything and everywhere. So I want to tell stories about how things are connected. A yoke is something that holds oxen together as they tail the fields. Or it can be the yoke of an empire, holding peoples and makes them one. But whatever it is, it's a vice of sorts. And lore is obviously stories in a verbal tradition, and I'm trying to verbalize some stories about my connections.

You just released a new song. Tell me about that - what does that song mean?

YL: The song is called "Fake You," and it's pretty much about those moments when you have to contend with the fact that your perceptions about the world might not actually be how the world works. In those moments, it can be really, really jarring. it's kind of the story of my experience with that idea, and that sensation that happens pretty often if you are an aware person. You often come up to the idea like, oh shit this isn't what I thought I was. Or oh shit, this person is not who I thought they were. Or oh shit, I'm not as good as I thought I was at this, or anything like that. Those moments can be jarring but it's important to know that your perceptions aren't reality, and to have that in the back of your mind when you do things.

What's next for you? Is this [single] kind of a teaser that you're about to release more things - an EP, and album?

YL: An EP is going to come out this summer called Absolutes. "Fake You" is the first one. All of these songs are about conflicts of absolutism that come up, where things that were seemingly pure are not pure... Fake You is the first, and I'm going to release a video for Fake You next month, and then another song and a video. I'm going to stagger back and forth.

Tune in to hear the full interview with Yoke Lore below. Keep checking our Mixcloud page in the coming weeks as more interviews with 2018 SXSW Showcasing Artists are released. You can listen to SXSWfm 24/7 via our online player.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Yoke Lore

2018 Showcasing Artist, Yoke Lore – Photo by Carina Torres

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At SXSW 2018, SXSWfm interviewed soul R&B artist Jordan Rakei. They sat down to talk about his recent release Wallflower, his favorite collaborations, and his time touring the world. Read an excerpt of the interview below, and listen to it in full on our Mixcloud.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Jordan Rakei

Jordan Rakei Interview Highlights

How many times have you been to SX? Is this your first time?

Jordan: This is my first time, yeah.

Wow, welcome!

Jordan: It's crazy. It's a crazy place.

Why was coming to SX so important for you?

Jordan: I think it's important for all artists. It's sort of like a right of passage for all artists to come through here while they're trying to grow their careers. So it's great to play to loads of new fans. There were loads of fans at my show yesterday where they had never heard me before, so that was really sick.

You released your second album in September of 2017. Six months later you are here touring the US and now at SX, how does that feel?

Jordan: It's exciting! It's cool to be able to play new music to such a world wide audience. I went to Australia, I went to Japan, I went to Korea, and now America. They've been massive supporters of me since my first EP, so it's amazing to finally be able to tour a lot of cities for the first time. It's been amazing.

I read an article that called you an "Introverted Multi-Instrumentalist." How does that make you feel? Do you agree?

Jordan: Yeah, I would say I play multiple instruments and I'm introverted, so it perfectly sums it up I think.

Does that correlate to your album title, Wallflower?

Jordan: Yeah, so Wallflower is about me observing the world from the outside and sort of, coping with it as I grew up and dealing with social anxiety and stuff like that. So wallflower's usually someone who is sitting on the walls of the party, sort of observing from within.

So what's next for you? You have the album [out] six months ago, what's going on?

Jordan: So I released the album, and I've pretty much toured the world except for two continents, excluding Antarctica but I don't know if anyone tours there.

You should be the first.

Jordan: I'll play to the polar bears. But yeah, I think I want to write again. I've got a few festivals in Europe over the summer, but other than that, it's really chill. I'm just going to start writing. That's sort of where I'm at at the moment. As soon as I get back - I'm flying back tonight and going back to London tomorrow - I've got a session the day after and I'm going to crack on and start writing again. I'm inspired at the moment to write another album.

Tune in to hear the full interview with Jordan Rakei below. Keep checking our Mixcloud page in the coming weeks as more interviews with 2018 SXSW Showcasing Artists are released. You can listen to SXSWfm 24/7 via our online player.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Jordan Rakei

2018 Showcasing Artist, Jordan Rakei – Photo by Shelby Magness

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At SXSW 2018, SXSWfm was given the opportunity to interview Los Angeles indie band The Marías. Before their show at Palm Door, Maria, Josh, Edward, Jesse, and Carter discussed how the band formed, musical inspirations, and how they are similar to a smoothie. Read an excerpt of the interview below, and listen to it in full on our Mixcloud.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with The Marías

The Marías Interview Highlights

Is this your first time at SX?

Maria: It is. It's The Marías first time at SX.

What brought you guys here? Why was it important for you guys to come?

Maria: I think we just kind of wanted to branch out from LA. We haven't played a lot of shows outside of LA and this is out first tour. And Austin and SX just seem like the perfect stop along our tour, and it's just great being here with all of the other artists. We are excited to play.

Let's take it back. How did you guys meet and form?

Carter: I can speak to meeting Maria. It was super serendipitous. I had just moved to Los Angeles from New York and was scrambling to find stuff to do out here. And I had done some teaching and Maria hit me up on reverb.com or something. I had put "I can teach theory! I will teach you theory!" It wasn't quite that desperate, but it didn't scare Maria off. It was a couple lessons in and she said "my boyfriend and I are putting a band together, do you know anybody that plays bass?" And I was like "well yeah I do - I could be definitely down." And then going up and meeting Josh was like it was an instant hook up for me. I remember "Only In My Dreams" was the first song I had heard and we played just the three of us and I was like, oof - I have to be a part of this.

Edward: I actually met Maria when I moved back from New Orleans four years ago at a chance meeting through a mutual friend. And I've known Josh since the beginning of high school, and a year after I met Maria, Josh ended up bringing her to one of our friends houses. So that was a coincidence. And then Jesse I've known since high school, and I met Carter when we started the band.

Maria: I was playing a solo show at this place called The Kibitz Room next to Canters Deli in Los Angeles. Josh was running sound, and afterwards, he came up and said that he really liked the set the songs and that he wanted to record some of them. So we got together and then the rest is history.

Jesse: Josh and I had been playing in bands since we were ten, so that's just something we've been doing for a long time. And then all of the other stories you just heard happened, and then this band formed about a year and a half ago.

How would you describe your sound to new listeners?

Maria: Somebody had asked us if we could describe our music as a fruit, what would we pick? And we picked passionfruit.

Why?

Maria: Because it's really tasty. I said guava and passionfruit. But I think [our music] is just really dreamy and psychedelic, but also funky and bringing all of our... influences together to make it something special.

Josh: Taste is definitely the main adjective I would [use to] describe The Marías. It's a group effort to blend sounds together, rather than "Yeah my tone's fucking awesome. I don't know what he's doing over there, but my tone is great." There is none of that. It's really just all of us together, blending our tones.

Carter: We're a smoothie.

A passionfruit, guava smoothie.

Tune in to hear the full interview with The Marías below. Keep checking our Mixcloud page in the coming weeks as more interviews with 2018 SXSW Showcasing Artists are released. You can listen to SXSWfm 24/7 via our online player.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with The Marías

2018 Showcasing Artist, The Marías – Photo by Shelby Magness

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SXSWfm interviewed the up-and-coming Austin indie rock band Duncan Fellows during the week of SXSW 2018. Sitting on the floor of the Austin Convention Center, Cullen, Colin, Jack, David, and Tim discussed writing their latest album, Both Sides of the Ceiling, being KUTX Artist of the Month, and their love for writing sad songs. Read an excerpt of the interview below, and listen to it in full on our Mixcloud.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Duncan Fellows

Duncan Fellows Interview Highlights

How many times have you played [SXSW]?

Cullen: You know, that's an interesting question. One time officially. We've done a few SX's though - I think three, maybe four.

Why was playing at SX so important?

Cullen: I think it's a really big deal for us because we've been going to it for so long, so we've been in the mix and a part of it. So it's a cool privilege to get to do it officially. It's crazy - there's a lot of people, man.

I know everyone asks you this question, but just for our listeners, how did you guys meet?

Cullen: We met at a house on Duncan Lane that I was living at... We came together because my buddy Topher and I had played a support show with this dude and we got another show from that at Red Eyed Fly and were like "we should make a band and just put on a show here." So we hit up Colin, Tim, and a few other people that, R.I.P., are no longer with us, and we kept hanging out from there.

You guys have been killing it here in Austin, you've also been added to two [officially curated] Spotify playlists. How does it feel to be receiving so much praise about your [recent] release?

Jack: Feels great – we need the validation.

Cullen: It's absolutely incredible. It's cool that it gets shared, and people who don't live here in Austin and come to shows, that they can hear it and hopefully enjoy it or connect in whatever way they do.

Colin: It's really cool to have emotionally connect with something that you have emotionally connected with as well when you're creating it. There were three girls who came to our show this morning [at 7am]... and they love Duncan Fellows and love all the music, and it's always really cool.

Did you think "Fresh Squeezed" would be the one to take to these places?

Cullen: Originally it was going to be "Rosalyn" that was going to take us to these places... but I sent it over to [my sister] and she works over at a label called Ninja Tune...Her and all her friends were like "it should be 'Fresh Squeezed.' 'Rosalyn's' cool but that's not a single song." So we bit the bullet and they were right, so it was good. We just wanted to release sad songs.

Colin: Like Cullen just mentioned, the writing process was a little different on ["Fresh Squeezed"]. We usually lean toward sad songs, I would say. It was originally something different entirely, but we weren't jiving with that so we were like "well, we should just write about our immediate environment - what we see around us. Which was a gross house, eggs, OJ. It flirts with deeper contexts as well.

You guys have been recently posting some photos of y'all back in the studio. Are you guys teasing us for some new music?

Cullen: We're trying! It's a process. We went out a recorded a bunch of demos a couple weeks ago, but it's just something that, until we are happy with it, we will just keep working at. We've been playing so many live shows lately that it's hard to get yourself in that space and have enough time all together to really be happy with what you're doing. So right now it's just parsing out ideas - hopefully in a few months.

Jack: The short answer is we are writing. Don't have a date on songs and we probably won't for a minute. But we're writing them.

Well then what's next...is there a tour planned?

Colin: We are finishing SXSW, and then I think we are trying to write is the main thing. No big tours planned. I think we'll play some shows here and there...we've just been so busy because we did our residency at Cheer Up Charlies in February, so every Monday we played there. And then all of the SXSW stuff. So I am looking forward to just chilling for a bit and trying to write some new music and see what happens with that. We want to get back in the studio to explore and write.

Tune in to hear the full interview with Duncan Fellows below. Keep checking our Mixcloud page in the coming weeks as more interviews with 2018 SXSW Showcasing Artists are released. You can listen to SXSWfm 24/7 via our online player.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Duncan Fellows

2018 Showcasing Artist, Duncan Fellows – Photo by Shelby Magness

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During the SXSW 2018 event, SXSWfm interviewed Alexander Buck Meek who was here to showcase his solo project, Buck Meek. He sat down to discuss his roots in Texas, making the big move to New York, and his time as the lead guitarist in the band Big Thief. Read an excerpt of the interview below, and listen to it in full on our Mixcloud.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Buck Meek

Buck Meek Interview Highlights

Is this your first time playing at South By?

Buck Meek: It's our first time playing under the name Buck Meek. I've played the last two years with the band Big Thief.

Why was coming to SX so important?

Buck Meek: The number one reason, to be honest with you, is that I grew up here, and I always grew up coming to SXSW as a kid. My dad and I always used to come and we had so much fun. I think that for me it's just really exciting to be a part of that in a different way now, from behind the scenes.

What made you decide to do this side project as Buck Meek? Was this before Big Thief?

Buck Meek: I've been writing music on the side and writing songs for a long time. Big Thief took over a lot of my time for the last four years, and in the last six months I've just been prioritizing my own project more. So Big Thief has been going out a little bit as a trio here and there - one our of four tours I say they go out as a trio which gives me some time to work on this project.

How has growing up in Texas shaped your music?

Buck Meek: Well, I grew up listening to so many great outlaw songwriters and blues musicians out in the woods in Wimberley. And a lot of the old western swing players from Bob Wills' band were living out there. So I was exposed to a lot of that western swing music and the narratives of country.

You released Cannonball! a couple weeks ago. Talk me through the writing process.

Buck Meek: That was a song I was processing a breakup four years after the breakup, which is often how I write. After the initial mourning process of this breakup, I was just flooded with so many positive feelings about this woman - all of the bittersweetness and everything. But also, it was really easy for me to compare that as a memory to the pain, I suppose. Almost as if it was happening at once - to feel the memory of the positive aspects and the beauty of our relationship with the pain and how they intensified each other into this even more bittersweet feeling. So with the verses against the chorus - the verses are these memories and the conversations between her and I.

When can we expect more music? Is there going to be a solo tour?

Buck Meek: We just crossed the dessert, [Twain] and I playing as a duo. But I'm going to be going out with Margaret Glaspy for a week and a half. And then more solo dates out to California. And I'm putting out more singles until the album comes out in May.

Tune in to hear the full interview with Buck Meek below. Look out for his new album coming out in May. Keep checking our Mixcloud page in the coming weeks as more interviews with 2018 SXSW Showcasing Artists are released. You can listen to SXSWfm 24/7 via our online player.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Buck Meek

2018 Showcasing Artist, Buck Meek – Photo by Shelby Magness

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During the week of SXSW 2018, SXSWfm interviewed Matt Davidson, the frontman of his alt-country project Twain. They discussed the impact of social media, thoughts on spirituality, and his upcoming release focusing on the meaning of being a "man child." Read an excerpt of the interview below, and listen to it in full on our Mixcloud.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Twain

Twain Interview Highlights

How many times have you played here?

Twain: Six times.

Why is coming to SX so important to you?

Twain: Can I be honest? I want to play music for a living because I can’t do anything else. That’s not the main reason, but I’ve tried to do other things. Can’t do anything else. And it’s very important to me on one hand that I make a material life out of music. That’s hard to admit. Then I find it’s necessary to come and be visible...and then suddenly one day, you wake up and there are months and months of shows booked, and tours planned, and wonderful people helping you, and it’s a dream. Truthfully, last year at South By helped me organize that. I made contact with my label who put my last record out, began working with my fantastic booking agent, Jim Romeo, and it actually worked the way South By is traditionally supposed to work, or dreamed to work for the upstart musician.

Tell me about some of your inspirations, or your creative process when you write...

Twain: I meditate quite a lot - in practice, not so much sitting, but in the day. I like to think about problems that are happening in the world, and mostly problems that are happening to me. I think about a lot of internal problems and certain discomfort of the soul and body that I feel. When they become really intense and it's time to write a song, then that's how I make the words - thinking about the different problems that I feel.

Every song [on the album Rare Feeling] has a different story, but is there a theme? Or did you write music and it just all came together?

Twain: There’s not a theme. It was mostly some stuff we recorded in my buddy Scott’s toolshed. He’s one of my heroes and he invited us to hang out. We ended up taping most of the record and they were just songs from a couple year’s period of time. I’ve looked for a theme in them and I haven’t found one. There’s love songs for different people, there’s a few songs that are vague, there are spiritual numbers. But the record I’m working on now has a pretty distinct theme: being a man child.

Well what’s next, you said you are working on that next album, when can we expect that? Are there more shows to come?

Twain: In terms of recording, we are going to put out a record over the summer that’s two EP’s. One is Alternator which is out. But the other one is called Radiator and that’s basically side three of Rare Feeling - more songs that didn’t fit on one disk. That will be available over the summer. Hopefully by the end of the year another full length. I’m touring quite a lot. Going back to the East Coast after this and then to Europe for six weeks. And then lots of festivals - Nelsonville Music Festival, the Lost Sierra Hoedown, and then some more exciting ones that I’m not at liberty to discuss yet. It should be a fun summer.

Tune in to hear the full interview with Twain below. Keep checking our Mixcloud page in the coming weeks as more interviews with 2018 SXSW Showcasing Artists are released. You can listen to SXSWfm 24/7 via our online player.

Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Twain

2018 Showcasing Artist, Twain – Photo by Shelby Magness

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