Every year, some of the hottest new UK acts fly over to SXSW in Austin, Texas to show off their skills to a new audience. This year is no different, with a massive array of talent heading over. Here, we select 10 of the best.
Bleach Lab
Bleach Lab make you feel like you’re floating amongst the clouds. They’ve created a soundscape so dreamy, so stunning, it makes you forget about any other problems in life.
Listen to… their debut album, Lost in a Rush of Emptiness
Divorce
Classic storytelling mixed with a bit of weirdness, great guitar-playing and tempo changes, you can’t really put Divorce in a box, nor would they let you.
Listen to… ‘Checking Out‘, a stomping alt-country track with a belting video.
Ellie Bleach
One of the UK’s most promising songwriters, Ellie Bleach has a taste for the dramatic and a knack for unveiling entrancing suburban gossip. It’s pop music, darling, get with it.
Listen to… The brilliantly witty suburban commentary, ‘Pamela’.
Holly Macve
After producing two stunning albums of alt-country, Holly Macve is moving towards the dark, twisted pop world occupied by contemporaries like Lorde and collaborator Lana Del Rey. Holly is one to watch this year as she enters the next phase of her career.
Listen to… Her collaboration with Lana Del Rey, ‘Suburban House’, it’s perfect.
Hotwax
After performing at one of our own showcases last year, Hotwax have taken the UK by storm with their barnstorming, relentless rock ‘n’ roll sound. Having spent time on tour with Royal Blood, both in the UK and US, Hotwax are more than prepared to kick on in 2024.
Listen to… ‘Rip It Out’, it’s absolutely ferocious.
Lambrini Girls
Lambrini Girls don’t tend to leave a venue in tact when they play. It’s loud, in-your-face, raucous punk music, and possibly some of the most important punk music out there. Commanding attention from everyone in the audience, they ensure you listen to every single word. And every single word they say totally, utterly matters.
Listen to… their EP, You’re Welcome, accompanied by a track-by-track interview, read here.
Laura Mary-Carter
One of the finest voices in the UK Americana scene, Laura Mary-Carter’s 2021 EP Town Called Nothing showcased British wit amongst folk sounds and a distorted vocal reminiscent at times of Margo Price. Since, she’s been quiet, the only release a collaboration with fellow SXSW-er, Holly Macve, releasing a rendition of ‘Blue Moon’ in December last year. Hopefully ’24 is the year she returns and SXSW is the start of it!
Listen to… ‘Town Called Nothing’, the title track from her 2021 EP.
Lauren Housley and the Northern Cowboys
Country music does exist in the UK, and Lauren Housley and the Northern Cowboys are one of the leading lights. Having won UK Song of the Year at the UK Americana Awards for ‘High Time’, they’re ready to take America by storm.
Listen to… UK Americana Song of the Year, ‘High Time’, obviously!
Shelf Lives
Another act who’ve previously performed for us, Shelf Lives match high-energy, electronic-infused punk sounds with tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Their live shows are high-voltage, and nobody is safe.
Listen to… ‘All The Problems’, which confronts the supression of emotions particularly amongst men. Read our interview with the band about it here.
Vlure
I first saw VLURE at The Great Escape last year and the memories remain vivid. Pill-punk, I think they’re calling it. Fact is, there’s absolutely nothing like them out there right now.
Listen to… ‘This Is Not The End’, a beautifully brutal single from one of the most exciting bands around.
Listen to the artists who will be performing at SXSW 2024 by subscribing to the official SXSW Spotify and YouTube Music Video playlists.
