In case you somehow missed it, SXSW, one of the world’s biggest music, film, art, and culture conferences descended on Austin last week, and its greatness has been dominating headlines for all the right reasons.
Naturally, each year sees a healthy influx of Aussies make their way over to Austin, Texas to play shows, shake hands, and maybe have a little fun. That’s of course if they get time, the festival is notoriously chaotic.
To help fans get an idea of just what it’s like for our favourite Aussie artists behind the scenes at SXSW, we decided to piece together a list of all the rad things the performing artists have been getting up to both during the event and outside.
The Delta Riggs Lose Their Phone In The Worst Way Possible
It sucks when you lose your phone, it really sucks when you lose your phone in another country, and it sucks even more when you lose your phone because you dropped it in the toilet. However The Delta Riggs will have you know it’s the absolute worst when you lose it to a dirty SXSW port-a-loo.
Meg Mac Is A Star In The Making
Meg Mac is already a star on the rise here in Australia, but it looks like our girl is making some seriously big waves overseas. The ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves’ singer was recently featured in a BuzzFeed list of must-see SXSW acts and you don’t have to scroll far to get to her name, because it’s the first on the list.
Tkay Maidza Dropped In, Killed It & Bailed
SXSW? One of the world’s biggest music and culture conferences? The place that every musician around the world is desperate to get to? Yeah, Tkay Maidza might stop by. She’ll see if she can fit it into her schedule.
Yes, folks, Tkay Maidza is blowing up in a big way and she only had time to do one show at SXSW before she had to make a break for New York. That’s a busy schedule for a young rapper from Adelaide.
@TKAYMAIDZA got shit done!
#ATX #SXSW pic.twitter.com/lcumxyJWRm
— Stefan Barr (@stefan_barr) March 22, 2015
Remi Got On Stage With Hiatus Kaiyote
As much as we love to see onstage collaborations, SXSW isn’t exactly fertile ground for such things. The inherent chaos of the event, with hundreds of showcases, gigs, and performances all happening at once, means it’s hard to sync up schedules.
That’s why we were so excited to see our very own Remi sharing some stage time with our very own Grammy nominees Hiatus Kaiyote. As we can see in some incredible snaps shared on Instagram, Remi got on stage and dropped a few rhymes with the soulful Melbourne crew.
Courtney Barnett Is Becoming A Bonafide Rock Star
During her short stay in the States, Courtney Barnett has already performed in front of millions of people on Ellen and by all accounts she’s absolutely killing it at SXSW, which we must say is a good start.
Taking one look at the snaps below, it doesn’t take long to realise that the young Tasmanian songwriter is turning into a fully fledged rock star.
This Is How Mansionair Does SXSW
While Courtney is doing her best power stance onstage, Hiatus Kaiyote and Remi are doing hot impromptu collabs, and The Delta Riggs are losing their phones to the mole people of Austin, Mansionair prefers to just chill out with some Simpsons.
The Laneway Folks Really Are The Luckiest Aussies In Music
Besides the fact that they run one of Australia’s coolest music festivals, constantly trawling the musical landscape for the hottest buzz acts, the folks at Laneway get to have a whale of a time at SXSW.
Their annual SXSW showcase is a must-attend for locals, travelling Aussies, and international guests alike and the Laneway boy and gals always take the opportunity to check out some of the awesome talent in town.
Austin here we come! #SXSW pic.twitter.com/1kiE13vsOC
— Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) March 17, 2015
Such a killer day at @Red_7 — thx to everyone who came down #sxsw pic.twitter.com/lhi5lqfXYk
— Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) March 19, 2015
.@tobiasjessojr so nice #sxsw pic.twitter.com/bL6KaELt0h
— Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) March 21, 2015
.@runjewels smashed it last night at @FloodMagazine party last night! #SXSW pic.twitter.com/ax68VizaHx
— Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) March 21, 2015
.@earlxsweat slayed it last night at @sxsw! #LanewayAlum #sxsw pic.twitter.com/gldzxOQYCW
— Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) March 22, 2015
Peter Bibby Has Some Awesome Parting Words
After playing an impromptu acoustic set during Laneway’s popular SXSW showcase, singer-songwriter Peter Bibby left some rousing and humorous parting words for Austin. Readers can check out the missive below along with a highlight from his sudden acoustic performance.
Yes!! Impromptu acoustic set by @peterdbibby #sxsw pic.twitter.com/ARqt3eHpwl
— Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) March 18, 2015