South by Southwest has remained an incredibly unique, evolving mash of culture. The festival mixes industry and fans from film & TV, music, technology, and brand marketing. Over the course of a week and a half, Austin comes alive with international and local acts. Every year, I feel relieved and reinvigorated coming out of the festival, having seen the cutting edge of bands from all over the world. This year was no exception.
I saw 44 shows this year, across 40 individual artists. While that sounds like a lot, there were over 700 bands to view in town. This list isn’t a comprehensive ranking but rather what I think are SXSW 2025’s hidden gems. The festival announced changes for next year – extending music by a day, and moving all of the tracks to the same time. I know I’ll be back to cram as much music into my ears as possible next year.
My Favorites from the Festival
Master Peace – The electric Master Peace created one of the most exciting dancefloors all week at the British Embassy (Palm Door). Similar to Gorillaz, he’s a genre-bending performer that blends elements of alternative rock, electronic, trip hop, and emo. Instead of incorporating psychedelic rock as they have, however, Master Peace leans on disco and metal lines to keep the dancefloor moving. He had the crowd wrapped around his finger. After the festival, I learned that ‘Don’t Speak’ by No Doubt was one of his favorite songs, and it fit perfectly into the world Master Peace invited the crowd into. I hope to see them at Mohawk or Austin City Limits in the future.
Soda Blonde – I had the unique pleasure of seeing Soda Blonde play midday in the middle of an ‘Irish Breakfast’, and although the noisy daytime space didn’t seem ideal, they shone through the lineup. Their piercing rock conjured visions of a smoke-filled, David Lynch-inspired bar scene. Lead singer and songwriter Faye O’Rourke crooned beautifully through the set list, memorably building a low sing-along to heartbreak with “In The Heat Of The Night”. The synth-pop ballad “The Saddest Thing” has been playing in my head since the festival ended.
ALT BLK ERA – The sister frontwomen of Alt Blk Era Took British Music Embassy (Palm Door) by storm on Wednesday evening. Catching them early in the week delighted me, as I enthusiastically recommended their later shows to others. Metal heads banged their heads to the long guitar riffs throughout the audience. The dual vocalists create a dynamic sound, weaving together soaring melodies and powerful rap verses. Their latest album “Rave Immortal” will be popular with fans of bands like Evanescence. Their powerful live performance delivered, above all, pure fun.
Joan & The Giants – I found myself on Rainey Street in a midday windstorm, watching Joan run around the outdoor bar stage barefoot, in a long dress, with hair flying. The chill didn’t detour the blissful performance. It was clear Joan exudes larger-than-life star power no matter the stage. She expressed joy at playing for the first time outside of their “small Australian town”, as she belted song after song. They get bonus points for giving vinyl to a few audience members after the show – creating a physical memory for their new fans.
Beth Mccarthy – Beth was one of the few artists I came into the festival trusting my gut about – after adding multiple songs to a hits playlist the year previous – and I was thrilled to not be disappointed. Her first performance was an intimate, flirty affair at the British Embassy at Palm Door. The crowd became more and more enamored as she sang songs like “All My Friends Are Hot” and “You’re Hot & I’m Stupid” Her second show was equally fun and chaotic, the sing-along she was able to elicit evidence of the infectious nature of the music. I joined a growing number of fans following her from stage-to-stage for her final performance (skipping something else planned for that time – as you must at SXSW). The rasp she had acquired after partying all week only lent itself to the raucous quality of her performance. Nearby, an audience member lovingly remarked “welcome back, Bi Avril Lavigne” – a sentiment impossible to disagree with. Her talent and energy suggests appearances on much bigger stages in the future.
Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge – Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge were an unexpected pleasure at the JBL Sound Bodega (ACL Live). The audience size grew quickly as the guitar riffs spilled out into the street. Rarely do we encounter bands with a guitarist leading the way, and Bowers proved to be a powerhouse. The most obviously impressive biographical fact – one it seems wrong to not include – is Bowers is 18-years-old. Witnessing a band with such immense potential at this early stage undeniably excites any music fan. The band itself is pumping out funk hits and kept the dancefloor joyously grooving throughout the set. I caught them again at Luck Reunion, and that crowd seemed equally impressed.
Jo Hill – Jo’s warble and sharp lyrics were captivating on the outdoor stage at British Embassy. I believe she said onstage she had only been joined by a bandmate the night prior, an impressive feat given the maturity of their sound together. “Honeymoon” is a catchy ballad moving between longing and leaving a lover, with a funky dance break in the middle. Much of her work focuses on the light, sweet side of young love. Hill bared her unguarded, raw emotion through dulcet tones all night.
Bonus Categories
Best bookings at brand activation: Gordon’s Seafood on Rainey Street had a solid lineup of bands early in the week while the fried shrimp and free drinks were flowing.
Bonus Highlights from Luck Reunion – Although not officially part of the festival, this event on Thursday out at Willie Nelson’s ranch proved to be a highlight of the weekend: Jesse Welles (watching Welles in the 30-person historic chapel felt like watching a young, political Bob Dylan), Torres & Julien Baker (this newly-formed country duo gave a folk-inspired performance) and Lucinda Williams (grateful to be onstage, and still has a voice straight off her older records)
Bands I didn’t get to See But Wish I Had: Big Girl, Tokio Myers, Borderline, Fourth Daughter, EMSKI, Emmeline, Sir Jude, Maruja, La Sécurité, YHWH Nailgun , Chinese American Bear, Sexpop
