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Twelve artists playing The Current + eventbrite Music Day Party at SXSW 2020

Barracuda in Austin, Texas, provides the location for The Current Day Party during SXSW 2020.
Barracuda in Austin, Texas, provides the location for The Current Day Party during SXSW 2020.Nate Ryan | MPR

March 03, 2020

One of the biggest slots in the music calendar each year is the South By Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas. The Current will be there again in 2020, co-hosting a Day Party with eventbrite Music at Barracuda. Get to know these 12 artists who will be playing our stages at Barracuda during SXSW — and RSVP here if you can join us in person! If not, watch for video (some live, some shortly after the event) at thecurrent.org/dayparty.

Fresh off an EP release and a month-long residency at 7th St. Entry/First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN, Gully Boys are blazing ahead and "redefining rock n' roll." - GetAlternative.com

Gully Boys are Kaytee, Nadirah, and Natalie. Their chemistry and confidence on stage make it hard to believe that they've only been playing their instruments since 2016. They were named "Minnesota's Best New Band" in 2018 by City Pages, and released their second EP, Phony, in late 2019 — currently on regular rotation on Seattle's KEXP and The Current.

After recently sharing the stage with bands like Third Eye Blind, Soul Asylum, and Hippo Campus, Gully Boys have landed a spot in SXSW 2020 and have feature showcases popping up from coast to coast.

     – official bio

If you have ever seen The Murder Capital live then what will strike you most about the experience is not the heaviness, the bleakness or the rage you might expect, but witnessing a most extreme vision of tenderness. Their debut album, When I Have Fears, recorded with Flood (PJ Harvey, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, New Order etc.), embodies this tenderness; it is a purple bruise on the hard knee of the so-called post-punk resurgence. It is not a labor of love but a struggle through love, loneliness and grief that now sits weightless upon their five shoulders, not marching, but dancing, out into the cold light of day. It exists in two worlds which oppose each other yet breath each other's air, because ultimately it is an album about accepting that which you fear, loving that which you hate, feeling the excess that can only be found in isolation. The name, When I Have Fears, acknowledges its own vulnerability, and was given very early on to ensure that consistency of thought, and that beautiful arch in the narrative which gives space for the purging of guilt and leads, ultimately, to its final cathartic moments.

Listening to how many places opening track "For Everything" reaches sonically within the first ten seconds is representative of the album's attempt to touch upon "the whole spectrum of human emotion." The guitars, like saws, sing to each other, tenor and baritone; a chiming tambourine compliments even the methodical and angry deep-set drums. "Not at all, not for everything,/ It's not for everything at all./ Not for everyone, it's not for anyone at all," is so much more than just a smart, slick trick of the tongue, because the poetic and sonic landscape of which it speaks, and that which the whole album speaks, is both a mountain and a valley — it really becomes both everything and nothing.

     – excerpted from official band bio

Bea Kristi of Beabadoobee makes fast-evolving and catchy music. Her indie rock songs stand out musically and her songwriting captures the infectious energy of a 20-year-old recently swept into viral stardom. Kristi was born in the Philippines and grew up in London listening to OPM (Original Pinoy Music), '80s rock, and indie big hitters such as (Sandy) Alex G and Kimya Dawson.

She began casually making music as Beabadoobee in 2017. It became clear that this music would turn into something big when a fan-uploaded video of her first song garnered hundreds of thousands of views online within a few days. That song, "Coffee", has simple instrumentation that highlights her ear for creative melodies as well as her songwriting instinct. Her well-crafted lyrics about teenage experiences drew a young fanbase to Beabadoobee songs as their soundtrack for growing up. With the help of those avid supporters, her first few self-released singles garnered millions of streams online, leading her to sign with Dirty Hit Records in 2018 on her 18th birthday

In the last two years, Kristi has released three EPs that expand her sound beyond melodic singer songwriter stylings. The through lines in her catalogue are the sugary melodies, relatable lyrics and complex arrangements that seamlessly weave in punk, jazz, math rock, and other genres. Her latest EP, Space Cadet, came out in October of 2019. Kristi describes its fuzzier, louder sound as "bubblegum grunge."

In 2019 she was nominated for the BRIT's Rising Star Award, as well as BBC's sound of 2020 award. Her first tour was supporting Clairo last September, and she spent this February opening for The 1975 on their latest tour. In January, Kristi announced on Instagram that she would be releasing an album this year. The future is exciting for Kristi as Beabadoobee's fanbase and list of critical accolades swells.

     – Darby Ottoson

Hailing from various parts of the country, six-piece Sports Team met whilst studying at Cambridge. They're now based in Harlesden (west London), tucked "between the McVities biscuit factory and an evangelical church."

At one of their first gigs in London, they met producer Dave McCracken (Ian Brown, Depeche Mode, Florence & The Machine) who invited them down to his Hammersmith studio to get to work. As the band explain:

"He came to a show about a year ago and has become a close friend. He's based out of an old timber yard, which has a working mill and a small studio where they used to record Dr Who sound effects in the '70s. The council are knocking it down to make a multi-level parking lot in six months, so we're trying to do as much as we can while it's there."

Channeling a lyrical cynicism that touches on suburban cliches, young-professionals and the bleakness of the commuter belt — "Beverly Rose" came out of the British suburbs. Britain in Bloom displays on roundabouts. Mock-Tudor semis. Flower beds. The horse-meat scandal. Tired European stereotypes. Paul Dacre. The red-top trope of talking about how hot it is compared to foreign capitals.

"Hotter than Rome, after a cold December."

"Beverly rose, early from bed on morning / she'll see how it goes, coffee and absent browsing / dead in a row, crushed in a dusty building / do these monsters know, the Daily Mail's read by children?"

With influences ranging from indie pioneers Pavement, through to 90s post punk also-rans The Family Cat, Sports Team have cut through the ranks of London's live scene: supporting bands including Childhood and Happyness, playing festivals including Green Man Festival and Swn, and headlining packed shows at the Sebright Arms, Shacklewell and Birthdays — supported by the likes of Dama Scout, Yowl, Lice and Hotel Lux.

     – official band bio

Disq emerged out of Madison, Wis., just a couple years ago and have quickly generated a lot of buzz. The band's founding members, Isaac deBroux-Slone (vocals, guitar) and Raina Bock (bass, backing vocals), go way back. The two both grew up in artistic households, and their parents happened to be friends, which resulted in deBroux-Slone and Bock playing music together for years before eventually forming Disq. The band's lineup was rounded out by Brendan Manley (drums), Shannon Connor (guitar, keys), and Logan Severson (guitar, backing vocals). Manley and Connor were also childhood friends who had played music together for years and had actually competed in a Battle of the Bands against deBroux-Slone and Bock.

Disq's music conveys an authentic and youthful Midwest angst, and they are far from monolithic. Their many influences can be seen clearly across a wide span of genres, from post-punk to psych-folk, to jangle-pop and indie-rock. They are currently gearing up to release their debut full-length album, Collector, and have preceded the release with a few singles and a video for the opening track, "Daily Routine". This tune summarizes the nostalgic spirit of college rock, complete with catchy riffs and existential lyrics. "Sonically the song ended up a loose template for the sound of many other songs on the album, expressing feelings simply through loud guitars," deBroux-Slone says. "In dark times, life can feel like a cycle that I'm trapped in… The tongue-in-cheek lyrics are a coping mechanism for me as sometimes being able to laugh at my own situation is the only thing that can make me feel better."

Prior to releasing their first album, Disq garnered plenty of hype. They've secured spots on various tours, supporting the likes of Jay Som, Whitney, Girlpool, Shame, and more. Additionally, Stereogum named Disq as a Band to Watch before hosting them at its 2019 SXSW party, which Severson cited as his "first introduction into actually witnessing the music industry in a real way." The group, rooted in Midwest DIY, is still getting used to how quickly things are moving for the band, so it will be interesting to see how fast they will grow following the release of Collector. Connor noted, "The idea of recording an album with a producer and money being involved is so new to me. The smallest things about this band are crazy to me."

     – Sylvia Jennings

Over the last 20 years, M. Ward has proven himself as a versatile voice in modern music. He has a reputation as a songwriter and producer for effortlessly incorporating new genres into his work. Evidence of this ever-evolving soundscape and knack for experimentation can be heard in his nine-album catalog or his many collaborative efforts. Today, his body of work contains elements of country, art-rock, blues, and most recently, pop.

Ward moved to Portland, Oregon after college, but began making music in his hometown of Glendale, California. With his brother's guitar in hand, he recorded his first songs on an analog four-track tape recorder that he would continue to record demos on for years to come. This old-school beginning likely contributes to the distinct warmth that spans Ward's music and comes through in his finger picking or distinct vocals. In a voice that sounds both wispy and gravelly, Ward delivers reflections on a variety of subjects from the personal to political with equal parts hope and gloom.

In 2006, Ward released his fifth studio album, Post-War, which was also his first album with a full backing band comprised of Jim James and Neko Case. Soon after, Ward became involved with collaborative projects like She and Him with Zooey Deschanel and Monsters of Folk, a folk-rock supergroup. He's worked on numerous releases with both groups and more recently has teamed up with the likes of Mavis Staples, Norah Jones, Lucinda Williams and more.

In January, Ward released "Unreal World," a deceptively cheerful-sounding single from his upcoming album, Migration Stories. In the new single, Ward explores more polished production and pop stylings with punchy percussion and synthesizers. The album will arrive on April 3rd and is described as a meditation on reality versus fantasy, and the irony of a world that's more divided and connected than ever. Migration Stories seems set to deliver another new spin on Ward's sound, along with a request for the world to identify more common threads that connect us.

     – Darby Ottoson

With the raw, frantic energy of a basement-dwelling punk collective and the musical curiosity of an art school retreat, Porridge Radio are the perfect group to explore the burgeoning revival of UK post-punk.

Formed in Brighton, the four-piece started out on a whim. Frontwoman and lead song-writer Dana Morgolin was anxious to jam and asked bassist Maddie Royale to come along to an impromptu practice. "Maddie couldn't play bass when we started - she was like, 'I just got a bass!' So I said, 'D'you wanna be in my band that I'm having the first practice for next week?" Morgolin told Vice UK. What came next was a sleigh of gritty, yet playful demos, EPs and chaotic live shows that would make Porridge Radio stalwarts of the modern British underground. Their debut LP, Rice, Pasta and Other Fillers, is jam-packed with eager guitar licks, haunting harmonies, and angsty lyrics.

The spearhead of the production always centers around Morgolin's meaningfully apathetic, beat-poet howls. Her voice is always seeking to scratch a scab off a bruised arm or pull a thread of knotted hair off of a scalp. Morgolin's lyrics are even more urgent: "Don't touch I'm afraid of what I might be feeling, Don't touch me ever again, If you do I will not try to pretend," she scoffs on the closer "Eugh."

The band is ready to take the next step with their American label debut on the stalwart Secretly Canadian. The singles for the sophomore release Every Bad, "Sweet" and "Lilac," are the band at its most refined; which is to say, every distorted note and guttural howl has the precision of an ameuter boxer who's trying to take on the heavyweight champion. It's this underdog mentality that is sure to make Porridge Radio a grand slam at SXSW.

     – Caleb Brennan

For the uninitiated, Margo Price's songcraft is everything country should be: brazenly independent, soulful, immersed in historical relevance for those who came before, and a deep desire to make people both shake their hips and reflect on their own hardships. Sonically, Price's musicianship rides the line between gritty and pristine. Her harmonies take flight like prairie hawks and her instrumentation can cut like a hacksaw or nurture a wound like witch hazel.

Price skyrocketed to relevance when she was plucked from obscurity by Jack White's Third Man Records in 2016. Her debut album, Midwestern Farmer's Daughter, took her from broke to baroque; music critics praised her for the exceptional lyrics and stunning vocal chops presented on the record. She made appearances on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert and played Late Night and Saturday Night Live. Price also broke new ground as the first solo female artist to debut at #1 on the country album charts without ever appearing on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.

Yet what makes Price so potent as an artist is her brutal honesty and authentic lumpen storytelling. Both Farmer's Daughter and 2017's All American Made deal explicitly with the sociopolitical stories of Price and those in her community. There's the trauma of too many late-night blackouts, the struggle to handle a miscarriage, falling deeply in love with a married man, having your family's farm get sold to the bank, and the always relatable crisis of being totally broke.

Price is due for a new album soon, and if the most recent single "Stone Me" is any indication, she'll continue to both break our hearts and make our woes feel valid.

     – Caleb Brennan

Margaret Glaspy took up music from a young age. She first picked up the fiddle in third grade, and in high school, began to focus on learning guitar. She then went on to attend the Berklee College of Music and immersed herself in the Boston folk scene, briefly played in a folk band called The Fundies, and eventually moved to New York and established herself within the city's singer-songwriter community. Glaspy began her solo career by self-releasing her Homeschool EP in 2012, and one year later releasing a second EP called If & When. She establishes her swagger and self-empowerment in songs such "Who Says," where Glaspy exclaims, "I'm not free to let you be the death of me."

In 2016, Glaspy signed to ATO Records and released her debut full-length record, Emotions & Math, which reemphasized Glaspy's swagger and folk roots, but also stylistically leaned into a sort of '90s grunge-rock, comparable to the likes of Liz Phair or The Breeders. When it comes to songwriting, Glaspy has certainly mastered her craft. She can write a quick two- or three-minute song with a somewhat formulaic structure and have it stand out. Perhaps this is due to her unique vocal style, her biting lyrics, or simply the fact that she can seemingly write interesting guitar riffs and parts with ease. All of this is easily recognizable within listening to just the first two songs of Emotions & Math.

Fast-forward to now, Margaret Glaspy is releasing her latest, and long anticipated full-length record Devotion on March 27. Announcing the release Glaspy said, "This record is very different from the last. It's not about being righteous or all-knowing, its about letting love in even when you don't know what will happen when you do. It's about devoting your heart to someone or something, against all odds."

     – Sylvia Jennings

"I'll love you 'til I die, how else will you decide, how hard you're gonna try, one more, one more?" sings Thao Bich Nguyen on her 2016 hit "The Evening." Like much of her discography, Nguyen's lyricism deals with conflicts and desperate moments of freedom.

This dilemma of opposing forces would continue with her fourth LP, A Man Alive. The veteran singer-songwriter seemed to have reached an impasse in her career: her quirky, freak-folk inspired jams seemed to have reached their limit. In a shift in trajectory, Nguyen transformed her style, with the help of Tune-Yards' Merrill Garbus, into an intriguing combination of experimental rock and hip-hop.

"I wanted A Man Alive to be beat- and bass-driven--rather than guitar-based--extending and elaborating upon the hip-hop influences of the previous record. A Man Alive is more instrumental, more riff- and loop-centric, and has more manipulated sounds," she explained through her label Ribbon Music.

That's what makes Nguyen's tinkering so intriguing. After years of relying on guitar as her main instrument, the 35-year-old Virginia native not only prioritizes rhythm, but her own voice. No longer enveloped by the mix or dulled by static, her voice stands centerfold with her earnest calls and playful yips.

But her evolution isn't simply sonic. Rather, her songwriting deals deliberately, rather than autobiographically, with the life of her father, who left Nguyen's family when she was 12.

"The record is essentially about my relationship with my dad, its trajectory. It's a document of my life in conjunction with his, even though we've always been leading our lives away from each other. Some are optimistic and forgiving, some are the opposite. There are songs from his perspective," Nguyen said.

After a few years away from the spotlight, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down are back on the road, and should put on another impressive set at SXSW.

     – Caleb Brennan

"We went through a pretty dramatic shift with this record," says Seratones frontwoman AJ Haynes. "The band lineup, the creative process, the sound: all of it changed in ways that really reflected our growth and evolution."

One listen to Power, Seratones' spectacular sophomore album, and it's clear just how much of an evolution has taken place. Produced by Cage The Elephant guitarist Brad Shultz, the record finds the Shreveport five-piece trading in the brash proto-punk of their critically acclaimed debut for a timeless brand of gritty soul, one that takes its cues from vintage Motown and Stax even as it flirts with modern synthesizers and experimental arrangements. Haynes' captivating voice remains front and center here, but her delivery this time around is more measured and self-assured than ever before, a beacon of confidence and clarity amidst a sea of social and political turmoil. Perhaps even more marked than the any sonic development on the record, though, is Haynes' lyrical turn, which points her gaze inwards for the first time as she grapples with race, gender, and justice, writing with an unfiltered honesty that at once exudes strength and vulnerability, hope and despair, beauty and pain.

"I learned to tap more into my own stories with these songs," says Haynes. "I came to recognize that I have this lineage and these inherited experiences that are beautiful and worthy of exploration. The more personal my writing got, the more deeply I was able to connect with people."

Seratones have been chasing those kinds of deep connections since 2016, when they first rocketed into the national spotlight with their breakout debut, Get Gone. Rolling Stone called the album a "fitful collision of punk, soul and jazz echoing out of a shed strewn with whiskey bottles," while Pitchfork praised the collection's "soulful grease and punky grit," and NPR hailed it as "lean and compact, with an impressive assortment of anthemic stompers." The music earned the band dates on the road with artists as varied as St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, The Dandy Warhols, and Drive-By Truckers, along with festival slots from Hangout to Newport Folk and invitations to perform on national television and at NPR's Tiny Desk.

     – official bio

There's something deeply American about Pokey LaFarge's music. Not in the vein of apple pie and baseball, but rather a deep cultural lineage that reckons with the underbelly of American life. It's through this exploration of dive bars and dreary river piers that LaFarge finds a kind of commonality that most of us have experienced--self destructive behavior, the toil of dead-end work, a desire to escape our current circumstances.

What's so interesting about LaFarge's music is the dueling concepts of a highly stylized aesthetic and temporal imprecision. On one hand, he performs and dresses in a way that is intended to invoke a more barebones past. However, his sound feels mid-modern, caught between the folk and blues-grass of the Dust Bowl '30s, the blues rock of the jukebox '50s, and everything else in between those three decades. When these two forces collide, LaFarge's rough and rowdy edges are dulled by an almost wholesome desire to make people dance.

The most precise comparison you can make for LaFarge is not to any guitar-based acts, but rather to big band leaders like Cab Calloway and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. It's not just that he shares a similar eccentric and slightly deranged energy, but that he also captures the same gothic and demonic tendencies of Americana music.

That's where we find LaFarge on his latest record, Rock Bottom Rhapsody. The Illinois native and St.-Louis-based artist picked up and moved to LA to escape what he calls a "fall from grace." Despite achieving fame and fortune, and selling out shows across the world, the 36-year-old felt an uncanny sense of fulfillment.

"I was letting evil spirits and demons rule me, and I came into certain agreements with them, and it took me down. I was giving too much power to the darkness, and I got in too deep, and I made some bad decisions. The reality of the situation is that I hit the closest to rock bottom that I ever had, and I've definitely had some hardships in my life," he said in a press release.

Luckily, LaFarge used this crisis to create a record that helped expel these forces. Rock Bottom Rhapsody finds a changed man, eager to live and bring his tunes to a honky-tonk near you.

     – Caleb Brennan

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