In the heart of Austin, Texas lies SXSW Festival, the largest music festival in the world of its kind. Coming back for its 37th year, the once intimate spot designed to promote local talent has now formed to become a powerhouse in the American festival scene, with some of the biggest names in the world choosing to perform on their grandest stages.
Ahead of our attendance at SXSW Festival, we’ve picked out some of the acts we’re especially looking forward to…
Kneecap
Hip-hop trio Kneecap is a group always making headlines, gaining a reputation for their live shows and always bringing an electric stage presence to match their mental crowds.
Kneecap also recently starred in their own film biopic, playing heightened character versions of themselves and becoming the first Irish language film to be presented at Cannes Film Festival. The film will be shown at the SXSW Film Festival.
Listen to: ‘Better Way To Live’
Fat Dog
Fat Dog is a band quickly gathering attention thanks to their feral live shows and quickly spreading word-of-mouth excitement.
Their debut single, ‘King Of The Slugs’ sounds exactly as the title would suggest; revelling in its chaos. Make sure to check them out if you want a party.
Listen to: ‘King Of The Slugs’
SPRINTS
Having already released one of the best albums of the year so far, punk outfit SPRINTS are quickly gathering acclaim to match them up against fellow Dublin bands such as Fontaines D.C and The Murder Capital.
They’ll hope to make their performance at SXSW Festival one to remember and continue to spread the word of all good things in the Irish punk scene stateside.
Listen To: ‘Up And Comer’
NewDad
NewDad released their debut album ‘Madra’ this year to critical acclaim and for good reason. Blending lush melodies and intricate songwriting, the Galway dream-pop band have asserted themselves as one of the most exciting voices in the Irish music scene today.
Listen To: ‘Up And Comer’
Being Dead
Describing themselves as “America’s Number One Sweethearts” is Austin natives Being Dead, an eclectic trio who pack their intricate songwriting into their captivating performances.
They’ll be brimming with excitement to play at their city’s biggest festival, undoubtedly marking it as a performance to watch out for.
Listen To: ‘Up And Comer’
Thus Love
Always playing with gutsy tones are the trio ‘Thus Love’, a band from Vermont who never stray from writing about tender and vulnerable topics.
Their biggest single, ‘Repetitioner’ is reminiscent of Joy Division with its brooding bass lines and excellent vocals.
Catch them at SXSW Festival, we bet you’ll be impressed.
Listen To: ‘Repetitioner’
Chalk
Hailing from Belfast are post-punk trio Chalk. Their tracks are filled with a dark atmospheric appeal, blending gothic synths and a monotone vocal delivery to make for an extremely promising outfit.
They’re beginning to rack up streams on Spotify — gathering almost fifty thousand streams — and have just released their new EP ‘Conditions II’.
Listen To: ‘Conditions’
The Sewing Club
Originating from Nashville (as all great American artists tend to do) is the exciting, ‘The Sewing Club’.
They began making their mark in the bedroom-rock scene after releasing their first single, ‘My Dad Wants You Dead’, exhibiting lush harmonies and a relatable songwriting style. The band have been hyping up their excitement for their SXSW performance, meaning you can be sure to be blown away.
Listen To: ‘Sport Mode’
Gurriers
Combining the genres of punk, shoegaze and noise-rock are Dublin outfit, ‘Gurriers’.
Their high-octave energy heard in their recently released singles translates to their live performances with ease, always putting on a riot in whatever venue they find themselves in. You can be sure they’ll light up Austin in typical post-punk Dublin fashion.
Listen To: ‘Des Goblin’
You can catch the Kneecap, SPRINTS, NewDad, Chalk & Gurriers playing special Irish shows at The Music From Ireland Showcase which will take place on Thursday, March 14 at 8PM at The Velveeta Room, with the Full Irish Breakfast showcase to follow on Friday, March 15 at 12pm, hosted with Flamingo Cantina at 515 E 6th Street.
Words by Jonah Osborne