Dean Lewis, Mojo Juju, Feels & more bring Aussie SXSW tally to 56
The addition of six more acts brings the number of Australian acts invited to next month’s South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, to 56.
Internationally rising Sydney singer-songwriter Dean Lewis this week played his first Los Angeles show – a sold out at the El Ray Theatre.
Melbourne singer-songwriter and guitarist Mojo Juju, artist of residence this month on Double J celebrated Valentine’s Day yesterday with a special anti-love show on the station.
Perth electronic duo Feels yesterday unveiled their new single ‘Post Earth’ off their upcoming album.
Sydney EDM duo Bad Decisions kicked off the year with the official remix of Martin Garrix & David Guetta’s ‘So Far Away’.
Post-punk Melbourne outfit Borzoi have been touring Europe and the US over the last few months.
Melbourne duo Oh Pepi have their album I Wasn’t Only Thinking About You out through ATO Records.
Some Australian acts have started to work at increasing their global profile to coincide with their SXSW appearances.
One of them is Melbourne-based Amaru Tribe, who are branding themselves as the first ever Latin Australian act to play the conference, “so we want to mark the beginning of a new wave of culturally diverse music coming from Australia,” leader Oscar Jimenez is telling the international media.
The bilingual act is making good use of its US visit by issuing a double single through Vibrating Planet and Ditto Music – ‘Me Alimento’ by Amaru Tribe, plus bonus track ‘Luchando’ by QVLN (USA) and Amaru Tribe feat. La Mojarra Electrica (Colombia).
The band plays two shows in Bogotá, Colombia after which they start recording its next album with British-born Colombian-based producer Richard Blair.
In the meantime, eleven acts from New Zealand have also been invited to showcase.
Probably the most likely to make a splash are Dunedin legends The Chills who play six shows and have their movie screened there at the same time.
Directed by Julia Parnell & Rob Curry, The Chills: The Triumph & Tragedy of Martin Phillipps traces how mainstream global fame eluded them, seen through their leader and talented songwriter Martin Phillipps’ eyes.
At 54, life-threatening problems with his liver have been minimised by a wonder-drug, allowing him to throw himself into a hive of activity which includes a new Chills record and tours through the US and Europe.
This week SXSW announced that among its latest speakers were Nile Rodgers, David Byrne. T Bone Burnett, a keynote conversation with Adam Horovitz & Michael Diamond of Beastie Boys with Amazon Music’s Nathan Brackett, Shirley Manson and Lauren Mayberry with Puja Patel, Brandi Carlile, Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow.