We’ve reached the halfway point of SXSW 2015, and for the first time in all the years I have been traveling to Austin I still feel fairly energized and excited for the days ahead. This may due to the fact I haven’t drank a drop of alcohol since touching down, which is often considered a crazy idea at a festival where liquor and beer is free in every other bar on Sixth street most of the day, but as someone who got a root canal the day before flying here I just haven’t wanted to add a hangover to the aches I already feel. That was probably more than you needed to know about my life, right? These things have to start somehow, and today this is what I came up with, but tomorrow it’ll be something else. I promise.
Anyways, my third day at SXSW was a busy one. Having spent another late night at shows and events I awoke roughly 45 minutes before my first panel and rushed to pull myself together before heading to the Austin Convention Center. The discussion was centered around big data, but unfortunately didn’t touch on anything I hadn’t heard the day before in a discussion about the future of music discovery. I said this once before, but the biggest theme in the sessions I’ve attended is new companies relying on data to better service music fans with discovery options. This isn’t an innovative notion by any means, but it will be interesting to see who makes the most of this plan in the year ahead and who introduces something truly forward-thinking.
After this I caught a number of sets from some great promising bands, including Rozwell Kid, Beartooth, and the hip-hop trio known as Migos. It was an interesting afternoon of live music, but it gave me some great insight on how different genres approach performances. I want to write about it more, but I have a separate blog in the works on this very concept so I’m going to move on for the time being.
With night came another whirlwind of showcases, screenings, and conversations. At one point I spent thirty minutes discussing the future of branding streaming services in relation to live music. Venues around the world play music in between sets, so why aren’t services like Spotify and Rdio entering partnerships? If Uber wants a piece of streaming, I’m sure there are venues that would love to say they work with those services as well.
I know this update is a little shorter than previous days, but I don’t want to be too repetitive in my recaps. Tomorrow’s will be longer, so read some of my other posts from this week and check in around noon tomorrow to learn what happened in Austin on Friday night.
This is my fifth time visiting Austin. You would think by now that I have adjusted to fifteen hours days on my feet, followed by five to six hours of sleep, but waking up seems harder than ever this time around. Maybe it’s the meds from my recent emergency root canal, or maybe I’m just getting older. I hope it’s the former and not the latter.
Anyways, my second day in Austin was a weird one. Due to a few schedule changes many of my plans ended up falling apart, but those I was able to make happen turned into memorable occasions and great opportunities for content generation.
It all began as every day should with three breakfast tacos from one of the (probably) hundreds of food trucks in the greater Austin area. I love chorizo almost as I love tacos in general, but being from New England a good breakfast taco is nearly impossible to find, so whenever I find myself this far South I indulge until my heart and stomach are both content. You might not care about my meals, but it was only because of choosing this random truck I met three reps from Billboard who also happened to be searching for early morning chorizo. We swapped stories of bands good and bad, then told each other we’d try to meet up at Migos later in the week. I doubt we will see one another again, but it’s amazing to be in a place where such conversations can happen before 11AM on a Wednesday.
My first big event of the day was a panel on content curation and the way music discovery is changing, which you can find a summary/review of right here on the Haulix blog. The panel featured guests from Shazam, Rdio, 8Tracks, and Pandora, which one might think would lead to very different answers when hoping to learn about the future of discovery, but truth be told they were pretty much in agreement from the first five minutes onward. As far as everyone in that room was concerned, the future of discovery is all about data. If we can harness the information gathered from a music fan’s previous listening experiences we can service them with similar artists and songs that should play well with their interests. Again, if you want to learn more about all this, click here.
Following the panel I spent lunch with our clients and friends SideOneDummy Records. We chatted about their recent Jeff Rosenstock release, as well as the artists they plan to see while here in Austin. They promised me not to reveal those performers names for fear someone else may try to pick them up, so just know if you see someone from the S1D staff at a venue this week there is probably a buzz band playing in the near future.
After lunch I met with Nick Thomas, frontman for The Spill Canvas, and conducted a thirty minute interview which will soon be live here on the blog. We discussed the transition from The Spill Canvas to his current work as a solo artists, as well as his perspective on the industry after spending over a decade navigating its often treacherous waters. I had never spoken to Nick prior to this meeting, but I am really pleased with the results. Look for that piece to run here in the near future.
I caught a couple sets after speaking with Nick, including listening to Leon Bridges perform while waiting in line to see him at the Spotify House (which was better than not hearing him at all). Then I got a text from Jesse Richman of PropertyOfZack asking me if I had any interest in seeing the new Kurt Cobain documentary, ‘Montage Of Heck.’ I told him I definitely did and they two of us spent the next 90-minutes waiting in line for a 530 screening. I’m not allowed to talk too much about what we saw, but I will say that any fan of Nirvana owes it to themselves to see this film as soon as possible. It’s gorgeous, thought-provoking, and executed in such a way that you will want to see it again almost as soon as it comes to an end.
At this point I was pretty much ready to call it a night, but then my friends in the Atlanta band Microwave texted to say they were added to a house show several miles from downtown Austin. I hailed an uber and rushed to the southside of Austin where I found the band, as well as several industry professionals, hanging out in what was literally someone’s backyard. Microwave sounded great though, and less than fifteen minutes after they finished the cops came to shut the place down. The show was over already though, so their arrival was a little too late to make anyone all that nervous.
By the time I made it back to downtown Austin I was ready to collapse. I was walking back to my hotel from where the cab had dropped me off and encountered a poster promoting a new film with Jeremy Sisto called ‘Hangman.’ There was a screening starting at midnight, the last of the week for the film, and I told myself I would try to make it for Sisto. I made it, but the film was a mess, and I ended up going to bed disappointed.
It’s now 11am on Thursday and it’s time to begin another round of SXSW madness. Check back tomorrow for another blog and feel free to tweet me if you have any requests for future SXSW content.
This morning I attended a SXSW panel filled with leaders from Shazam, Sirius XM, and other digital music platforms that hoped to tackle the tough subject of music discovery and where it may be headed in the future. It was a continuation of a panel from 2014, but the content shared was wholly unique to this session.
The first topic was the rise in demand for professional curators. Apple is hiring some right now, but there is an argument to be made for whether or not machines can do they job just as well. The team from Sirius XM commented that this trend is good, but they have always made it a point to use both man and machine for their curation needs. Shazam seconded this notion, and added that their path to discovery begins with user generated questions. Users hear a song they like, then engage in discovery by opening Shazam to figure out who is responsible for the track. To help make a connection between personal discovery and more large scale music discovery the company recently added charts, which shows every user the songs most often being sought on the Shazam platform.
Other panelists had variations on the comments above, but almost everyone agreed the most difficult part of the curation and discovery process right now is how to expose people to talent they may enjoy without doing a hard sell. For Rdio, one of Spotify’s biggest competitors, the changes being made to better facilitate discovery began with the launch of their own radio tool. Users can choose the song or artist they like, turn on radio, and the service will attempt to serve users with artists and songs they believe to be similar to the user’s initial choice. Who makes this cut is based on cumulative data from all users, which is fed through an algorithm to find what artists/songs are most often played together.
When asked how they plan to take this idea and develop it further, Rdio mentioned personalized radio stations for users that take into consideration everything they listen to, as well as how often each song/artist/genre is enjoyed. Other panelists agreed that this idea was the way of the future, though each has their own take on how it should work. Again, everything comes back to data, and it seems that will be a constant theme throughout SXSW this week.
If we accept that data is the key to curation and digital discovery, which the panel in this session did, then we next need to discuss what parameters need to be placed on the data being used. People who use applications like Shazam or Rdio have possibly compiled years worth of data about their music interest, so how far back should these companies dig through that data when trying to determine new talent to show that user? No one seems to have an answer quite yet, but almost everyone agrees there needs to be some kind of cut off point. People’s tastes change over time, so it doesn’t make sense to use the entirety of your time with a service to generate new recommendations.
8Tracks founder David Porter was quick to reply to this conversation by adding that having too little data about a user is just as problematic as too much. He used Twitter’s ‘People You May Know’ service as an example, citing how the company did a poor job of recommending people you may actually know early on, but over time they refined their tools through the use of more and more data.
At this point the panel was asked whether or not users would feel comfortable with constant data mining being made in the name of content curation and future music discovery. The panelists were quick to comment that the answer will always be dependent on the way the discovery tools are presented to users. General recommendations like Prince or Madonna are only going to push people away, as most users will already know of these artists. The key is to find a way to show users lesser known artists who relate to the talent they already know without coming across and pushing a hard sell or otherwise being intrusive.
Building on this idea, Shazam commented that they have learned bad and/or poor recommendations tend to drive away users. If people get push notifications or emails that attempt to connect them with music they already are aware of they are far more likely to turn off notifications and unsubscribe from email chains than if no recommendations were serviced at all. Other panelists commented that they have seem similar trends with their various attempts to change or innovate discovery.
Before closing the panelists were asked to summarize their thoughts. There were some variations, as well as plenty of pitches for their various companies, but as a whole everyone seemed to agree that the future of music discovery and content curation is not about man versus machine, but rather man and machine finding a way to work together while leveraging the vast pools of data each business has collected. No one knows exactly what the next phase of discovery will be or what it will look like, but everyone is interested in seeing it brought to the public sooner than later. In order for these companies to thrive they need users who are constantly consuming content, and the only way to guarantee that happens is by consistently providing them with good recommendations, or at least giving them the tools to find artists they may enjoy. Once someone cracks that code, everything about content curation will change.
The first day of SXSW Music 2015 has come and gone, leaving behind loads of St Patrick’s Day beads, hats, and other party attire strewn across Sixth street. I didn’t spend much time partaking in any of the holiday festivities, but I did do quite a bit of people watching while standing outside various events and showcases late last night. The scene was, to say the least, a crazy one. That’s kind of what Austin is known for though, at least around this time of year, and from what I have seen thus far it seems this SXSW is going to be one for the record books.
I arrived in Austin just before noon on Tuesday morning following a direct flight from Boston that required me to rise from my slumber at 430AM. It was overcast and humid, but I didn’t mind. Having spent the last three months living in a frozen New England, I embraced the warmth and quickly called an Uber to help me get from Austin’s gorgeous airport to the Hampton Inn downtown. There I met with Jesse Richman (PropertyOfZack) and Dan Bogosian (Reybee PR), the two men I will be spending the week living with, and not long after I hit the strip in search of tacos. Being in Austin, that search didn’t take long, and before anything else happened we made it a point to put SOMETHING on our stomachs.
Once fed, I quickly rushed across town to Esther’s Follies in order to meet with our clients and friends at The Syndicate. They were working with Comedy Central to put on a special two-show event at night, and during the day they used the same venue to host a round of interviews with the evening’s two headliners (Ari Shaffir and Big Jay Oakerson). I chatted with both for about twenty minutes each, shook hands with the team from HitFix, and headed back out into the Austin afternoon.
I didn’t expect to do much else with my day, as Tuesdays are historically slow, but I ended up crossing paths with over half a dozen Haulix clients while simply roaming up and down Sixth street. We swapped scheduled, discussed the horrors of air travel, and made loose plans to connect again once everyone else got into town. Having been here before I know some of those people will never be seen again due to scheduling conflicts, but regardless it was nice to meet people who use and love our platform.
As the sun began to set I made my way back to Esther’s Follies to enjoy the aforementioned Comedy Central show. It was a fun time, highlighted by unannounced appearances from Sinbad and Hannibal Burress. Here’s a photo I snapped of Hannibal shortly after he arrived on stage:
Once the first of the night’s two comedy shows came to a close, I ran down Sixth street to see Unlocking The Truth play their first set of the festival. Metal is not really my thing, but watching fourteen year old kids shred as if they were members of Iron Maiden is something I wouldn’t miss for the world, and having now seen it I can tell you it was well worth the effort made to make it in time for their set. The band also stars in a documentary playing the festival this week, so you may see me write about them again before the week is over.
After that set came to a close I headed over to the Alamo Ritz in order to catch a midnight screening of a new film called Turbo Kid. It’s absolutely insane and has nothing to do with music in the slightest, but it was probably the greatest thing I saw all damn day. If you get the chance to see it, please make it a point to attend.
Today I’m starting things off with a panel on music discovery and the future of content creation, so expect far more industry focused updates in tomorrow’s blog. Until then, follow both me and Haulix on Twitter for a constant string of updates from Austin.
Hello! We are packing in preparation for our first-ever appearance at SXSW, and though we will be spending a lot of time attending panels and developing content we will also be watching a number promising young musicians showcase their talent. We know you have probably seen other sites and blogs post their list of essential sets and showcases to catch, but until today we have not offered a single music recommendation. Why? We could try and say it’s because we wanted to build anticipation, but the truth is that we haven’t had much time to think about concerts as of late. Between figuring out our panels, as well as scheduling press opportunities, the performances more or less took a back seat on our priority list.
Today we are making a change. Instead of focusing on panels or the many ways one can successfully market themselves while at SXSW, today we are going to highlight several performers we feel will be gaining a lot of attention in the months to come. You might not like every act we choose, but we can promise that if you approach the following list with an open mind you will certainly someone or some group who may soon be your new musical addiction.
Leon Bridges
Hailing from Dallas with a sound straight out of Motown’s golden era, Leon Bridges has been building a lot of hype for his throwback sound and style over the last several months. The young musician recently announced his first US tour, which found many cities selling out within minutes, and will soon be headed overseas for his second set of European shows in less than a year. We have no idea when Bridges plans to release a proper album, but for now the three singles he has available on iTunes are more than enough to set the mood for an unforgettable night with the person you love.
Migos
Not exactly an up and coming group in the classic sense, Migos have been cutting a path entirely their own through the urban music landscape for the last several years. Through mixtape and live performances the men of Migos have made their names known, and later this year they hope to take things to the next level when their debut album arrives in stores. You may remember their Drake-assisted hit “Versace,” but that is only one of many catchy, high energy tracks we expect the trio to perform while in Austin.
Nick Thomas
For years we thought Nick Thomas would eventually be held in the same regard as Dashboard Confessional or Third Eye Blind. Both catchy and heartfelt, the music Thomas made with his band The Spill Canvas remains one of the alternative scene’s go-to soundtracks for young love (as well as young heartache). Now with a solo album in stores and a new band at his side, Thomas is reintroducing music fans to his vision of the world, and so far the results are nothing short of stellar.
Dustin Kensrue
There was a time when Dustin Kensrue was only known as the frontman for the rock band Thrice, but that point in history is starting to become a distant memory as Censure prepares to release his sophomore solo release. We don’t know what exactly to expect when Dustin arrives in Austin, but we do know his legion of fans will be lining up extra early to hear his latest material. We’ll be there as well, and we hope to see you too.
The Last Bison
Mumford and Sons may have chosen to dispose of their Americana sound, but for those who still believe in the power of harmony, banjo, and acoustic guitar will soon realize The Last Bison are likely to become their new favorite band. Their sound is not too distant from the hipster-tinged folk that has been big at radio in recent years, but it does pack an extra dash of emotion we never heard in those other projects. We have never seen the group live, but given the strong word of mouth currently helping them along we believe those able to catch them in Austin will be in for something special.
Microwave
This may be the set we are looking forward to the most, but to be completely honest part of the reason for my excitement is the fact this band is also part of blog editor James Shotwell’s record label. We would still love them if anyone else had signed them, but for the sake of transparency we felt that detail needed to be shared. ANYWAYS. Microwave hail from Georgia with a pop-laden take on modern alternative rock that you won’t be able to shake anytime soon. The hooks are big, the melodies are infectious, and the lyricism is unlike anything you have heard before. Don’t dig deeper, just give them a chance to impress. We promise they won’t let you down.
Rae Sremmurd
This time last year Rae Sremmurd were just another hip-hop duo looking for a hit song. They attended SXSW, but not as showcasing talent. This time around, they have a slew of hits under their belt, as well as a Billboard charting debut album. With producer Mike Will Made It slated to appear as well, possibly even during one of the duo’s sets, we think it’s safe to say Rae Sremmurd have become THE need to see urban act of the festival.
Dej Loaf
Rae Sremmurd and Migos a bit too mainstream for you? No worries. Detroit emcee Dej Loaf is poised to be one of the hottest solo acts in hip-hop this year. She has received praise from every corner of the industry, and now with a series of successful digital singles under her belt there seems to be no stopping this twenty-something from achieving her dreams. Our favorite song in her catalog is “I Got It,” but truth be told any track on her recent mixtape is sure to impress.
Hippo Campus
Best band name at SXSW? We think so. Hippo Campus have been on our radar for several months now, but Austin will be the first opportunity we have had to see them live. The band will soon be opening for My Morning Jacket on tour, so we believe this is one of the last chances anyone will have to see this band before they become a household name. Don’t miss out!
I’m part of a local music meet up called Balanced Breakfast. Although the group originated in San Francisco and Oakland, it’s since expanded all over the country, and even internationally in Toronto. The goal of this group is to strengthen and create community in the local music scene. That’s why I began attending a year ago. This year, they were able to take another step towards building the community, by booking an unofficial SXSW showcase.
As a Balanced Breakfast board member, I was part of the planning process for not only my own performance at the festival, but every other detail from the beginning. It’s been a huge undertaking, but it’s also provided a lot of opportunities and insight for me on playing my first SXSW showcase, and what to look out/plan for.
Planning Ahead
Being a touring musician for the past 11 years, I’m very familiar with what it takes to be on the road, as the musician. Show up on time, and be ready when it’s time to play. It really can be that simple at its core. As a road manager, I’m still learning. The band that I’ve toured with the most is ConFunkShun, a band that had hit records in the 70s and 80s and played the big old school R&B/Funk circuit. 5,000 – 20,000 seat venues much of the time. They are on a whole different level than me, but all the principles are the same.
I’d say the best advice I can give when planning for an event like SXSW is to be flexible, prepared, and stay calm. I’ve had to wear many different hats: bandleader, road manager, production manager, accountant, driver, travel agent. Many of these I wear regularly. Scheduling the flights and working around each band member’s schedule can be one of the most challenging things. I’m thankful in this case that I’m only flying in 3 band members and not 7!
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I know from experience that if you’re getting paid to be on the road, the scheduling is always about what’s convenient for the artist and getting everyone at the venue when needed. It’s part of being a touring musician. Some musician friends are driving with their instruments and booking gigs along the way to Austin. I think this is great if you have the time and freedom to do it. Tours like that, although exhausting, make life as a musician exciting!
For me, even with the backline provided by Balanced Breakfast, taking my full 8-piece band was not possible, and believe it or not this happens a lot with larger bands. Sometimes scaling down is necessary. So instead, I’m instead bringing my drummer, bassist, and guitarist along, and adding on another guitarist who is already going to be at SXSW. So my band will be without keyboards, my back up singer, and horns. To make sure I’m still representing my best self, I’ve been experimenting with different permutations of the band instrumentation. I’ve recently been doing some unplugged singer-songwriter shows too. However, I felt having a full band would make the greatest impression for me, and there is nothing like the camaraderie of musical friends!
Booking Travel & Accommodations
Booking the flights and the hotel are generally most cost effective when done in advance. I would advise only booking far in advanced if 1) You are paying for the flights and the hotel yourself and 2) The show is guaranteed. For most, if not all, big headliner groups require a 50% deposit upfront when the contract is signed, and the remaining 50% in cash generally before the band takes the stage. That doesn’t always happen on the smaller scale. For me and this showcase, I knew it was going to happen and booked the flights about two months in advance. My band is flying in the night before the showcase and flying out right after the show and they are staying the night with me in my hotel room. That was pretty straightforward, and with the exception of the hotel room situation, it’s exactly like being on the road with many bigger acts.
Shared housing is the most cost effective way to stay. If you know other bands and can all coordinate the housing, it can be fairly inexpensive. The fact that that it’s in Austin during this huge music conference can make it very challenging to find convenient, available and/or inexpensive housing otherwise.
Being part of planning the showcase, as well as coordinating my band’s involvement has been both scary and comforting. Scary in that everything is new, and while we try to plan for everything, there are always unexpected shifts and turns, and yet comforting knowing that we are all part of a community that is working together to make this enormous event happen almost 2,000 miles away.
One important thing I’ve learned in this whole process is to let people know you are coming to town and you are looking to play showcases. Research and networking are always important. There are lots of resources available on social media and by doing simple Internet searches. There’s the official SXSW feeds as well as unofficial feeds. My understanding is that there will be huge crowds in downtown Austin, and making connections beforehand is really important to making the most of your time at SXSW. Next year, I may look for showcases to play just as a singer songwriter, maybe even try and score an official showcase. It’s also very important to have a plan or an idea of why you are at SXSW.
This year it’s all a huge learning experience and I hope to be able to report back with some hindsight insights as to how it all went.
D. Edward is an Oakland-based Singer/Songwriter and Multi-Instrumentalist. He has been an active member of the music industry for over a decade now and has worked on numerous albums, including many of his own. His latest, Love Is, recently arrived in stores. We love his work, and we think you will too if you give him a chance. Visit Edward’s official website for more information on his current activities.
In preparation of South By Southwest (SXSW), the music industry’s most epic and grueling music festival, I felt inclined to make a list of advice and suggestions that I wish that someone had told me in 2009, as I headed into the event. So to all of you SXSW rookies out there, read the following:
1. Drink water, not whiskey.
Since SXSW is unlike any other festival in the fact that it is a marathon, not a sprint, pacing yourself is key. With schedules spanning six days and shows popping up from breakfast to bar close, bracing your body is absolutely vital. With Texas heat and expecting to be able to push yourself to unrealistic limits, SXSW can break down even the toughest of ironmen. Therefore, logistically speaking, drinking your lunch might not be the best plan for success. Picture the festival as a week-long season of Survivor. You have to be smart to stay alive, stay on top of the scene and maximize the shows you attend. Otherwise, you’re just another piss-stained pair of skinny jeans passed out on the sidewalk of Sixth Street that Nick Cave has to step over on the way to his next gig. Don’t be that guy.
2. RSVP for everything.
Sure, it seems like a waste of time now as you sit on your couch eating corn chips and watching Scrubs. Also, I understand that you have no intention of attending all of the 650 parties that I am currently asking you to plop your email address into. “It won’t hurt to skip just this one,” you tell yourself as you make a b-line for the events featuring your favorite new band. Yet, if you fast forward to the festival’s third day of bands, you’ll find yourself having drinks with a beautiful redhead named Zooey, who happens to work for Columbia Records. She has chatted you up through the whole of the last set, flirting and charming you into a state of complete smitten and butterflies. You stop for Tito Tequila shots on the way to her next assignment as a talent scout. She is on her way to analyze the talent at the “Next Big Thing” party at Emo’s in 20 minutes. She asks you to join, claiming ‘she doesn’t want the conversation to end.’ You’re in, man, hardcore. You, however, didn’t RSVP for that party because you didn’t know any of the bands on the list.
Long story short, don’t cock block yourself personally or professionally by being lazy.
3. Bring a power strip.
We live in a time where it is impossible to exist without our cellphones. I mean, how the hell do you expect to check into every bar on 4square, keep in the SXSW know through Twitter and update your Facebook status if your iPhone runs out of juice? Obviously at some point during the course of your 18-hour day, you will need a jump. You will also quickly discover that as everyone in the modern world (and some bands from the dark-age countries) descends into the Texas state capitol, power outlets become scarce. You’re doing everyone a favor by packing a power strip. You’ll be a hero at the convention center when you add five new ports to the mix. Additionally, you be forced to socialize as people ask you permission to plug into your device. Phone-addicted application junkies will unite as one and the world will bond over the experience.
4. Be prepared to snack. A lot.
At some point you are going to find it impossible to eat at SXSW. This is not due to a lack of access to food—that actually couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Hell, everywhere you turn around in Austin there is a dining option. In reality, starving will come due to a lack of time. With bands starting sets more often than Taylor Swift starts relationships, there will too-often be no time to sit down and snarf a steak. It would be wise for you to pack a collection of “hiking food” in your bag. Power bars and granola are both light and take up very little space, yet leave you with plenty of energy in return. Shoving them in your face on the go leaves much reward for little effort.
5. See someone play in a church. Anyone.
The coolest thing about SXSW is getting to see bands play in places you’ll experience no place else. I’ve gotten to see Fiona Apple play in a Presbyterian church and Broken Belles rock a parking garage. Both experiences have pushed the boundaries of what I expected to experience in my music journalism career. They are unique and amazing stories I am blessed to have. Do yourself a favor and experience them too.
6. Leave your TOMS at home. Bring your Jordans.
At SXSW, you’re going to walk. A LOT. Wearing shoes that are made to comfort your feet is a stellar idea. Sure, it is important to look cool, but honestly how cool are you going to look as you limp around from the quarter-sized blister you gathered on your heel?
Think comfy, not cool.
7. Bring a hoodie, just in case.
Sure, Texas is hot. Texas is T-shirt and jorts (jean shorts) hot. Your shirts are going to pit stain and you’re going to want to change clothes a minimum of three times a day during the fest. Texas is this hot IN MARCH. However, fluke weather happens. I can remember standing in the photo pit of Auditorium Shores preparing to shoot She and Him a few years back, freezing to death. The weather had dropped from 75 and sunny the previous day to the 40s and rainy. Come prepared for everything.
8. If that secret show has been announced on Twitter, it isn’t secret anymore.
It is pretty badass that Green Day has decided to play their one and only show at SXSW in a tiny, hole-in-the-wall dive off the beaten path. The venue holds roughly 300 people. The event will be second to none and something that you will never get the chance to see again. It is something that you don’t want to miss. However, it is also something that hundreds of thousands of other people will not want to miss. You do the math. Do you want to stand in line nine hours early in order to get in the venue? Or would you rather see nine other bands play?
Seeing the big names are great, but you’re missing out on a lot.
9. Expect for your schedule to fall apart.
You can make as many spreadsheets, Google docs, to-do-lists and itineraries as you want, but at the end of the day all of them will fail you. SXSW is a clusterfuck, plain and simple. Bands are going to miss their sets. Shows are going to run late. Shows are going to hit capacity and you’re going to be left outside.
SXSW doesn’t give a shit about you or your spreadsheet. You have to adjust. If one bar is full, go next door and see what you find. You never know if the next band that you randomly walk into will turn out to be that band that changes your life.
Take a chance on a no-name or two.
10. Be polite.
You’re going to be tired and cranky throughout the week. Your feet are going to hurt and you’re going to be overwhelmed by the amount of people who are constantly in your face. Weather, delays, drunks and a gaggle of other obstacles are going to piss you off throughout your experience. You have to smile through them. It is understandable for you to be annoyed, but don’t be an asshole. Everyone else is just as fed up as you and it pays to have friends from all over and you never know who you’ll meet!
Josh Hammond is a music industry lifer. After years spent reviewing artists and discussing their ongoing activities as a music journalist, Josh now spends his time pitching talent as one member of Another Reybee Production PR. Follow him on Twitter to gain more insight on his life in the music business.
We are less than a month away from the start of SXSW, and from the growing number of press alerts in my inbox it seems safe to assume promotion for every band’s numerous performances is well under way. Being a musician at SXSW can be an exciting, dizzying, and altogether life-changing experience, but it is of the utmost importance that you do everything in your power to remain level headed. You never know where your time in Austin will lead, but if you keep the following tips in mind success will not be far away:
1. Do your research and come with a plan.
SXSW is chaos on Sixth street. If you’re part of a band that has never experienced this — do research. Talk to bands that have played showcases in the past, know where you want to be, who you want to see and whose hand you want to shake. Be aware of everything going on and make the most of every minute you are there. This is an industry driven on being in the right place at the right time. Make a plan and do your best to stick to it [and stay relatively sober, no one wants to hear you drunkenly describe your band as The Beatles meets Bon Iver and how you’re going to change the world forever].
2. Keep an ear to the ground.
The amount of unofficial showcases, house parties and sideshows are unreal. Stay glued to social media, email and the talking heads around you for opportunities to jump on last-minute gigs and impress an entire new group of potential fans. These shows are a great opportunity to play with artists you would have never shared the stage with on a normal bill and can build relationships for future touring.
3. Don’t make an ass of yourself.
We already mentioned how important it is to stay sober enough to make the right impression, but really, if you take your band serious, don’t become overwhelmed by temptation. Being the mecca of musical discovery, your band is a dime a dozen for the entire week, your impression is everything. Don’t get us wrong, it is so important to embrace the week and have an unforgettable time doing so, but you must also bring your A-game for all day, every day. Show the people who matter that you are impressive both on and off stage.
Hello, everyone! Another work week is upon us, and we’d like to think the content we have in store is some of the best we’ve ever produced. We’ll have interviews, editorials, podcasts, and more in the days ahead, but we thought it best to start out with a bit of advice. March may feel far away, but SXSW will be here in no time at all, so now is the time to prepare for the world’s largest music festival.
This site exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Last week I received a press release announcing the third wave of talent that will be appearing in Austin, Texas during the week of SXSW 2015. It was a great list that teased many potentially game-changing performances, but more importantly it reminded me just how close we are to the start of the world’s largest music festival. If you’re any better at planning than I you should have already booked a hotel, solidified showtimes, and began ordering whatever promotional items you’ll hand out up and down Sixth street, but I am willing to bet that is not the case for many young performers. So, with that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of questions every musician should ask themselves before making the trek to SXSW:
1. Do you know your travel plans and budget for the week?
Budgeting and planning a trip can be a headache, which is why many people choose to procrastinate nailing down the details of any journey until the last possible moment. If you want to make this SXSW the most successful is can possibly be you need to know your plan of attack as soon as possible. Book a flight (while you still can), lock in your lodging, and discuss amongst everyone coming with what your daily budget will be. Many events offer free food and drink, but those seeking water or actual meals will need cash in order to satiate their cravings.
Beyond budgeting financially, you will also want to begin discussing how you plan to use your time in the city of Austin. Create a calendar and fill in every event you absolutely need to attend. Once that is complete, work together with your band members and anyone else going to Austin and devise ways to promote you music and any performances you may have during the week. Assign each other tasks and brainstorm various approaches you can take to gain the public’s attention.
2. Speaking of promotion, how are you going to get the word out about your music?
There are over 1500 bands performing in Austin during the week of SXSW, and more than 90% will walk away without seeing much, if any change in their careers. We could go back and forth about the reason for this, but more often than not it boils down to how much attention the individual act is able to bring to themselves during the course of the week. If your plan for promotion is social media updates and handbills, you probably will not see a very big impact on the trajectory of your career following the festival. If, however, you begin researching innovative marketing techniques for 2014 and apply them to your efforts in Austin the sky is the limit. Creativity is key to success, and when you’re surrounded by literally thousands of creative people it takes something extra special to stand out from the herd. Do not let your art become part of the majority.
3. Are you focusing on your efforts on quality or quantity?
There are bands who believe the key to being noticed at SXSW is to play as many shows as humanly possible, but the real way to take your career to the next level is actually far simpler: Connect with the audience. Whether you play one show or ten, it only takes one person with the right connections noticing your music for your career to change overnight. Do not stress over the amount of gigs you have or the time allotted, but instead focus on delivering the highest caliber performance possible when the time comes. Remember: It only takes one person to change your world.
4. What are you doing right now to promote your time in SXSW?
The entire list of artists showcasing at official SXSW events was recently released, which means everyone with a publicist on their team is already at least one email into their promotional efforts for Austin. As an independent artist with few festival appearances under your belt, it would be a good idea to begin promoting and otherwise advertising your presence at SXSW as soon as possible. Reach out to bloggers, share your latest music and let them know if they’re coming to SXSW you would love to meet up. You don’t need to sell them right away, but you should at least make them aware of your plans. It won’t be long until publications begin compiling the ‘must-see’ bands of SXSW and with a little luck your group could make the cut. Click here for some additional tips on contacting members of the press.
5. What goals do you have for SXSW?
The worst thing you could possibly do before heading to SXSW is convince yourself that one trip to Austin will change your life forever. We’re not saying such things will not happen because they most definitely could, but the odds are incredibly stacked against you. Set achievable goals that will help you further your efforts in the long run instead of focusing on short-term success. If you want to play to 50 people, then do whatever you can to bring 50 people to your show. If you want to find a manager, order business cards and make plans to network whenever time allows.
SXSW works for those who know how to work it, and the first step to doing that is understanding you get out of your efforts what you put in. Those who do the work necessary to play at their absolute best and go out of their way to be creative with marketing are going to get further than the band with great hooks and zero following. It’s that simple.
