SXSW
Our newest addition to the Spinning Platters crew, Misty Brewster, had a daunting first assignment: SXSW 2026. Here’s SEVEN days straight of music:
Day 1 (3/12)
Sofia and the Antoinette’s
Sofia and the Antoinettes delivered 3 incredible performances at SXSW 2026, and I was lucky enough to catch two of them. On March 12th, they took the stage at ACL Live as part of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcase, and on the 13th, they performed at a more intimate show at the British Music Embassy House. Both times, Sofia’s hair nearly stole the show, because as she said, “Everything is bigger in Texas, especially my hair.”
Based in East London, Sofia writes beautiful, vulnerable lyrics over moody melodies that feel like a love letter to her younger, messier self. She sings about toxic boyfriends of years past, mistakes made, and friendships lost, as well as redemption and accountability. Her stage presence was stunning, and I feel we’ll be seeing a lot more from her this year.
Lola Young was the headliner of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcase on March 12th, and she held nothing back. She was light, bright, and full of energy, and you could tell that her short break from the spotlight was an excellent investment in herself, and her mental and physical health seemed to be all the better for it.
Throughout the performance, she belted her soulful ballads with so much heart and passion it brought several audience members to tears. Mid-show, she took a moment to address the heaviness of the world right now and read a message to the crowd addressing how world events continue to weigh her heart. Lola is a woman who feels it all and shares the entire spectrum of her emotions and experiences both in her songs and in how she walks through the world. She closed her set with her hit song, “Messy”, and gave everyone the Instagrammable moment they had been waiting for, with cowboy hats and all for her band.
Sarah Crean
Irish/Brighton-based Sarah Crean brought an intimate, emotionally driven presence to her show at the Swan Dive. Her SXSW sets marked her first-ever performances in the US, which is an exciting milestone for her. Her performance was fun and upbeat with expressive vocals and thoughtful songwriting. I hope she will tour in the US again soon.
Fine Food Market was a starred act on my SXSW wishlist this year. Based out of Montreal, they’ve been described as the folk dream-pop project of multi-disciplinary artist Sophie Perras, who is both eclectic and whimsical with a touch of sadness. The buzz around their talent and unique blend of country-folk and experimental indie styles proved well deserved. Their mixed vocals across all 6 band members and melodic harmony, combined with tangy instrumentals, make them a refreshing delight.
London-based Aime Blu is described by Rolling Stone UK as “Rich with honesty and unbridled emotion”. During her set at the British Music Embassy house, she performed songs from her debut album, when all is said and done (September 2025). Her vocals were rich and velvety, and the mood was mellow and vibey.
Holly Mcave, who was born in Ireland and raised in England, is an emerging singer, songwriter, and producer who beautifully blends themes of country music and Americana with dream pop. My first impression of her was that she’s hauntingly similar to Lana Del Ray in both sound and stage presence. I was delighted to find out that the two had collaborated on Mcave’s song, Suburban House after they connected on Instagram. Del Ray is a huge fan and supporter of Mcave’s and has said she has “one of the most beautiful singing voices in the world.” We love women supporting women.
Calder Allen
Calder Allen is a fifth-generation Texan and a born-and-raised Austin local. He picked up music as a lockdown hobby in 2020 and has never looked back. His songs feature raw storytelling exploring themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. His stage presence was commanding, and the midday crowd was engaged and supportive.
Next of Kin
Next of Kin is an incredible local band that was just named Best New Act by the Austin Chronicle. They have a dedicated following, so the crowd at their South By San Jose performance was on point. They combine rich three-part harmonies, country twang, and raw, progressive storytelling, creating an enjoyable woke country vibe. Their songs explore themes of healing and the very human challenges we face in an ever-changing world, and they performed an amazing cover of “Electric Feel” to close out their set.
The Band Loula is a duo of Georgia natives who are longtime friends turned bandmates. They put on a lively show performing their original soulful country songs as well as covers of classics like Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” but with their own twist. Malachi Mills did a great job working the crowd, cracking jokes, and keeping the atmosphere playful and fun.
Mên An Tol
Mên An Tol’s set got off to a rocky start (pun intended, as their moniker was derived from a rural site of ancient stones). They kicked off with several sound issues coupled with extreme jet lag due to a massive flight delay on their journey from London to Austin. Once they worked through the technical and emotional difficulties, they put on a great, high-energy performance showcasing a modernized version of the folky sound found in local British pubs throughout England. They’re a promising new band and have already made a splash performing two shows at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival.
Steven Bamidele is a Nigerian-born, London-based singer, songwriter, musician, and producer, known for his distinctive reverb-drenched falsetto, synth textures, and syncopated beats. His vocals were smooth and velvety, his band was on point, and the vibes were immaculate. His sophomore album, THE CRASH!, was released in September 2025 and is described as a “soulful meditation on the weight we place on relationships, the fundamental cost of growth, and the search for direction in an imperfect world.”
Whitelands put on a super fun and dancy set showcasing songs off of their most recent album Sunlight Echoes (Jan 2026). In this album, they’ve aimed to shift their sound away from their own updated spin on shoegaze towards something bolder, more vibrant, and uniquely their own. I love how innovative this group is. Their unique and varied musical backgrounds bring together all of their strengths to create a sound that feels like flying through the sky on a Care Bear Cloudmobile surrounded by blue skies, sunshine, and rainbows.
TTSSFU
TTSSFU (aka Tasmin Nicole Stephens) has been noted as a fast-rising star in the Manchester indie scene, and based on her four performances at SXSW, it looks like she’ll break out beyond this scene very soon. I caught her set at Hotel Vegas, where she donned a thrifted slip dress, sans shoes, ala Courtney Love, while her band was dressed like early era Beatles… or Mormon missionaries. She was fun and synthy with incredible vocals and unstoppable energy. At one point, she commanded the crowd to mosh, which resulted in varied levels of enthusiasm from the mixed crowd of middle-aged millennials and Gen-Zers. Intensity and emotion escalated as the set went on, and she jumped into the crowd, ending the set with one of her more raw and visceral songs. 10/10
Worlds Worst is bringing back the slacker rock band vibes of the early 2000s, and honestly, I think we’re long overdue for the reemergence of garage bands. Hailing from SLC, Utah, World Worst brings all of the high-energy antics, brassy grit, and inaudible vocals of a group of dudes perfecting their craft while hiding out in the garage. They earned recognition as one of Stereogum’s Best New Bands, and it’ll be interesting to see where they go from here.
Grrrl Gang is a rising force to be reckoned with in the indie music scene, and their performance at Hotel Vegas at Volstead did not disappoint. The trio (Angeeta Sentana, Akbar Rumandung, and Edo Alventa) hails from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and has been making waves in Southeast Asia since 2016. They’re said to be the voice for a new generation and are poised to take the global indie/punk scene by storm. Their performance was electric, and what I loved most about this show was the supportive friends and family members of the band front and center, rocking out and taking photos throughout the set. SXSW was a stop on their North America tour that kicked off in October, but unfortunately, they said they will probably not be coming back to the States anytime soon, so if you want to check them out live, you’re going to have to hop on a plane.
Dunnes
Dunnes performed a great acoustic set at the Take Action X SXSW showcase, a series of live performances and panels focused on the importance of music education, mental health, and gun violence prevention. Frontman Harrison Cohen was raw and emotional, channeling rock icons of the early 2000s. The last song of the set was Fever Dream, an upbeat anthem encapsulating the feeling of going out and partying only to end up “sliding down the gutter of a Saturday night”.
Spacestation is a fun, spacey rock band that transported themselves to Austin directly from the Icelandic Aurora Borealis. They played the indoor stage at Inn Cahoots, which provided the perfect living-room, garage-band atmosphere for their set. The band formed in 2022, and in the past couple of years, they’ve gained momentum and have earned a reputation for being one of Iceland’s most exciting new rock groups, bringing joyful vibes and catchy lyrics back to Icelandic rock music.
Ketch Secor
Ketch Secor, of Old Crow Medicine Show, performed an acoustic set joined by fellow co-founding member of Old Crow, Christopher “Critter” Fuqua. Secor is no stranger to SXSW and has been playing the festival for decades, and shared memories of $59/night motels and two for two tacos (lol – gone are those days). Their set was lively and included fun commentary between songs, telling tales of past tours around Texas and the greater south. Armed with a fiddle and guitar, they ended their set with Old Crow’s most popular song, Wagon Wheel, which was co-written by Secor and Bob Dylan.
The Dumes
The Dumes started in LA and have since found themselves in the less sunny city of Portland. Their front woman, Elodie Tomlinson, is badass and delivered a gritty, passionate performance with incredible energy and an impressive vocal range. They performed songs from their new benched EP including: “Pretty for You,” “Ordinary Lizard,” and “Don’t Act.”
John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting delivered a performance that was equal parts storytelling and song, with each track rooted in the narratives he shared. He told tales of trips to Tahoe with his wife, where the performer at Gar Woods Grill played one of his songs while they were dining, of traveling to Ukraine to play in a burnt-out airplane hangar, and partnering with NASA to play “What Kind of World Do You Want?” at the international space station. Ondrasik is the Co-Founder of Let Music Fill My World, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to music education and ensuring young people have the opportunity to create, learn, and thrive through music.
Michael Angelakos of Passion Pit performed a sleepy acoustic set on a very chilly Austin night at Inn Cahoots in East Austin. It was in the low 40s, which was a stark change from the high 80s we’d experienced the day before. During his performance, Angelakos mentioned he was broke and needed to put out some new music, then showcased 3 new songs that were a bit low-energy in my opinion. I’m not sure if it was the cold weather or the acoustic nature of the performance vs what I was expecting, but I did not love his new stuff. Like many people, I love his past hits; maybe he’s trying something new this time around.
Day 6 (3/17)
Artie Tobia & Redtail Revival
Redtail Revival is a high-energy, jammy, folky country band based out of Wykagyl Station, New York, but they sound like they would fit right in at any country dance hall in Texas. Their music embodies the traditional twangy sound and story-driven lyrics about life in a small town associated with old-school country. The band is currently working on a solo acoustic project as well as a full studio album
Micha Edwards put on a super fun show. As a California transplant now living in Houston, you can see in his stage presence and hear in his music how his two worlds have blended together to create his own unique spin on classic country. The crowd was lively and dancing to songs about Texas, and Edwards played a few teasers from his new album, Texas Soul, which is coming out on May 1st, 2026.
Jo Alice
Jo Alice is a soulful, multi-lingual singer/songwriter who was born in Portugal, split her time between there and Ireland growing up, and now lives in Los Angeles. Her performance showcased poetic lyrics and pensive melodies to an intimate yet engaged crowd. Her songs are deep and slow while also remaining upbeat, making her a unique delight to listen to.
Ways Away was another act giving garage rock band vibes of the early 2000s. They dedicated a song to Unwritten Law, who were headlining the showcase later that evening. They were able to work the crowd into a respectable mosh pit, consisting of 3 psyched middle-aged dudes having the time of their lives. Rock on, friends.
Cootie Catcher is a Toronto-based quartet that mixes twee pop, electronics, and powerful lyrics to create an incredibly unique and joyful sound all their own. They played a mix of old and new songs, including several from their sophomore album Something We All Got. There’s a lot going on in their songs. They are complex, fun, lively, and emotional, and they mix a bunch of different sound effects, voiceovers, and instruments. They’re probably not for everyone, but I enjoyed them.
MX lonely has a raw, gritty aura, similar to grunge legends like Hole in their heyday. Lead singer, Rae Haas, has a haunting voice and showcases incredible depth and emotion through her lyrics and stage presence. During the show, she ran into the crowd, climbed up on an amp, jumped off, and generally threw herself around the stage in a fit of organized chaos meets interpretive dance that worked perfectly with the emotional lyrics and brassy instrumentals. Highlight songs from their set were Return to Sender and Shape of an Angel. They have a few more stops on their North American tour through the end of April, so catch them if you can.
Unwritten Law was part of the soundtrack to my high school and early college days (they are from my hometown after all), so I was excited to see their name on the lineup this year. I have to say, they still rock. They played a high-energy set to a group of excited but mellow fans who likely also listened to them throughout their formative years. I loved this set so much. They sounded great, played all of their hits, and put on an incredible show.
Blair Davie
Blair Davie played a super emotional set to a surprisingly large crowd, given it was later in the evening on the 7th day of SXSW. Their lyrics were an honest and passionate presentation of themselves to the world, sharing personal stories of love, struggle, and heartbreak.
Home Counties had a rough start with some crazy bass issues – when I walked into the room they were playing in, you could feel the bass vibrating in your chest. After that was all sorted out, the Brit Pop Revival band played an upbeat and energetic set. The crowd was dancing, the lights were flashing, and the base was heavy (but not offensively so anymore). Some of the band donned cowboy hats, likely a souvenir purchased on S. Congress Street. Their most recent album, Humdrum, was produced by Al Doyle of LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip, and has confirmed Home Counties as one of the UK’s most inventive new acts.
Basht. Put on a set that evoked the color blue for me; it was deep, moody, and angsty with a heavy base and snare, giving a very 90’s grunge vibe. Basht. most recently came off a year-long tour with Wunderhorse and have also shared the stage with Been Stellar, Goo Goo Dolls, and Deadletter.
