Yes, we went to SXSW so that you wouldnât have to â isnât that so nice of us? Iâm not sure of the exact number of bands that played, but I do know that looking at the schedule and trying to figure out who to see was one of the most stressful things thatâs ever happened to me.
The SXSW Music Festival is a difficult beast to tame, since many emerging bands are there to perform for industry insiders for the first time with set times up against artists like Khalid. While itâs nice that some of the larger artists pop by for seemingly surprise performances, it often makes it difficult for the newbies to get seen. And since you may have missed some gems while you were in line waiting to catch Salt-N-Pepa at Stubbâs BBQ, we put together a portrait gallery of some of our favorite emerging acts from this yearâs festival â all shot by Mallory Turner.
Yoke Lore – So many artists try to be Bruce Springsteen and it just doesnât work. But for Yoke Lore, it totally does. His Springsteen vibes are done in a way that is completely effortless with dashes of Bon Iver and echoes of  jĂłnsi â it legit makes for the perfect mix of modern sophisticated rock.
Most Recommended Track: âGoodpainâ
BAUM – Â BAUM performed at SXSW with shows with Urban Outfitters and VOLCOM’s FEM, and just released an EP titled, âUngodly.â The EP includes many stellar pop tracks with the stand out being âThis Bodyâ which explores telling people who owns what (like, in case they donât understand the âme tooâ movement).
Most Recommended Track: âThis Bodyâ
Eighty Ninety – This duo made up of brothers Harper and Abner James recently had their track, âYour Favorite Song,â added to Taylor Swiftâs Playlist. They describe their sound as â808âs and Telecasterâsâ but really it should just be described as âstellar guitar jams.â
Most Recommended Track: âYour Favorite Songâ
Ezi – With bad ass tunes like âAnxiousâ and âAfraid of the Dark,â Eziâs tunes are super easy to relate to since, well â we all have anxiety and like 11% percent of the US population is secretly afraid of the dark. Her pop tunes have an EDM slant thatâll make you just wanna dance. She also has cool shoes.
Most Recommended Track: âAfraid of the Darkâ
Wallows – If you didnât know that Dylan Minnette had a band alongside Braeden Lemasters and Cole Preston well now you do. And if you imagine a non-aggressive indie punk band, with some throwback dashes of Seattle grunge rock â thatâs what they sound like. So like, Billie Joe Armstrong and Kurt Cobain had a very depressed child who super likes playing bar chords. Yeah, thatâs it.
Most Recommended Track: âPleaserâ
Violet Days – Dare I say it, Violet Days is basically the cooler version of Katy Perry. Iâm not even going to apologize for saying that. Just listen to âYour Girlâ and youâll get a darker indie pop vibe with doses of EDM hooks thatâll make you wanna jam.
Most Recommended Track: âYour Girlâ
Frank Turner’s jangly acoustic guitar is super reminiscent of the Goo Goo Dolls. But if youâre too young for that, his music seems like it would have been a perfect match for a break-up scene on the One Tree Hill soundtrack. If I still didnât hit your age demographic, just go listen to Frank Turner and I swear youâll probably like it.
Most Recommended Track: âThe Way I Tend to Beâ
Vocal powerhouse Olivia Noelle is a modern day version of some of the R&B greats like SWV and Brandy. If youâre that girl that wants a love like a 90âs R&B love song, then you need Olivia Noelle on your playlist right quick.
Most recommended track: âHigh For Meâ
If you close your eyes and listen to Blonde Maze  youâd be almost positive you were listening to a female Electro-BORNS. With lyrics that will make you cry for the boyfriend you donât even have, look up âDreamy synth popâ in the dictionary and youâll likely see her photo.
Most Recommended Track: âAntarcticaâ
Hoodlem takes heavy beats and tops them with chill harmonies â if you were throwing an old school âkick backâ with lava lamps and beaded curtains, Hoodlem is definitely the artist to play while hanging. Her track âOld Friendâ may or may not also work as a great makeout track, Iâm not even speaking from experience.
Most Recommended Track: âTeenagerâ
Rock Artist Sam Himselfâs newest single âNobodyâ is super reminiscent of Bowieâs âHeroes,â if thatâs not a reason to listen to it, I donât know what is.
Most Recommended Track: âNobodyâ
If âElectro-Chillâ were a genre, Glassio  would be the band known for it. And if you needed a soundtrack to chill to whilst driving with the top down in Summer weather, Glassio is your go-to.
Most Recommended Track: âMorning Houseâ (ft. Charles Fauna)
If you like bands like Saint Motel with a tad bit more of psychedelic-ness, add in some vintage synths with minimalistic melodies and youâve got yourself a recipe for lovelytheband.
Most Recommended Track: âbrokenâ
Kittenâs sounds are like a dreamy version of The Bangles with their 80âs synth punk vibes. If âDream Punkâ were a genre, Kitten would undoubtedly top the list.
Most Recommended Track: âCut it Outâ
Mosie – With their newest full-length album release, âTangerineâ which came out during the festival, Mosie has the indie rock vibes that are synonymous with SXSW with a dash of modern-day hip hop.
Most Recommended Track: âlook@ugo”
STORY // ANGIE PICCIRILLO
PHOTOS// MALLORY TURNER