SXSW 2024: 10 Artists Worth Checking Out Now

Though the annual SXSW Conference & Festivals is more manageable now than it was at its frenetic peak a decade ago, it’s still a monumental exercise in FOMO for any music fan. This year, some 1,200 acts played the official showcases held March 12-16, and an uncounted (and probably uncountable) number of artists performed at unofficial events. MAGNET contributors Steve Fennessy and Hobart Rowland caught upward of 35 showcases over four days last week—and every choice meant foregoing dozens of others at the same time.

This year, around 80 bands expected at SXSW pulled out, protesting the fest’s sponsorship ties to the U.S. Army, various defense contractors and weapons manufacturer RTX Corporation. The boycott found its greatest momentum within the contingent of Irish bands. Almost all of them pulled out, citing their solidarity with Palestinians. Ash (pictured above) was one glaring exception. Now a hard-driving trio, Ash threw down a handful of powerful sets in support of its excellent new album, Race The Night.

Ash wasn’t the only oldster act to hold its own this year. Legacy funk icon Bootsy Collins made a few memorable appearances, and durable Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson showed up in Austin backed by a beaming crew of talented high-school students from Connecticut. “It wasn’t so much that I found them—they found me,” he noted outside after a short set.

There were plenty of other highlights. Here are 10, plus a half dozen more also worth your while.

BECCS
Homebase
Brooklyn

File Under
Singer/songwriter, indie rock, R&B, pop

Recent History
Beccs (who prefers to keep her real name a mystery) found her way from Newton, Mass., to New York City several years ago to study acting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. That performance background came in handy during a 1 a.m. showcase at iconic LGBT-friendly bar the Iron Bear. Mostly oblivious to the constant chatter in the rear of the establishment, she ripped off high-kicks and high-pitched vocal runs at will, obviously energized by her vibrant backing band.

Why You Should Care
No doubt Beccs can sing, but she doesn’t overdo the vocal histrionics. She’s a fan of Tori Amos and Portishead’s Beth Gibbons—and like those artists, she knows how to get her point across though great songwriting and an occasional flare for the dramatic.

Touring Plans
None right now. Her new EP, Stay Moist, is coming soon, though no release date is set.

DIVORCE
Homebase
Nottingham, U.K.

File Under
Indie rock, Americana, new wave

Recent History
It’s been a breathless 12 months for this frighteningly talented four-piece, who’ve fast become a mainstay on the BBC airwaves with their angular, aggressively tuneful mashup of alt-country, new wave and indie pop. The group has dubbed its sound “Wilco meets Abba.” We’d say it’s more along the lines of Talking Heads meets Kate Bush.

Why You Should Care
Divorce was the only band we saw twice at this year’s conference. The sexual/creative tension between chief songwriters Tiger Cohen-Towell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrows drives the group’s riveting live shows. 

Touring Plans
Divorce is currently touring the U.K. behind its outstanding new EP, Heady Metal (Gravity/EMI), which leaves us wanting more from this promising bunch.

L.C. FRANKE
Homebase
Austin

File Under
Singer/songwriter, jazz, orchestral pop

Recent History
L.C. Franke was a burned-out indie rocker named Jeff Klein when dancer Melissa Toogood asked him to compose the score for her performance with the Boston Ballet. Intrigued by the challenge, the My Jerusalem main man bought a Mellotron, banging out his own flutes, clarinets and strings. He eventually reached out to John Mills, a professor of jazz studies who’d worked with Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, to help him turn his keyboard noodling into a proper piece of music that members of an orchestra could actually read. The experience fueled a reinvention that led to dusky waltz “You And Me And Us Against The World” and a debut LP, Still In Bloom, coming out July 19 on Side Hustle.

Why You Should Care
A sublime respite from the persistent din of mopey indie rock at this year’s conference, Franke’s intimate performance at Austin’s St. David’s Episcopal Church featured a two-piece string section, grand piano, stand-up bass and drums. There’s a certain measure of sadness to Franke’s old-school orchestral pop. But it’s also delivered with a whiff of irony and a hint of camp.

Touring Plans
Franke joins Wesley Stace’s Cabinet Of Wonders at City Winery in New York City on April 21.

J. ISAIAH EVANS & THE BOSS TWEED
Homebase
Dallas

File Under
Blues, roots

Recent History
While this wasn’t technically a debut for J. Isaiah Evans & The Boss Tweed, they’re still pretty new, having formed just more than a year ago. Evans’ name might ring a bell with Texans—he’s the frontman for the 40 Acre Mule, a five-piece R&B band that’s been around for almost a decade. The Boss Tweed is Evans’ side project, and its music evokes Booker T. and Chuck Berry. During a showcase at the legendary Continental Club, the band ripped through a frenetic set that included “Stand Up,” a propulsive rock ‘n’ roll throwback number that could’ve been recorded in 1961.

Why You Should Care
Who needs a bass player when your trio has an organ ace like Matthew Vasquez banging out the low end with his left hand? It’s just one of the reasons Alejandro Escovedo tapped Evans and his band to open for him a year ago.

Touring Plans
Limited, so far. 

BERMUDA SEARCH PARTY
Homebase
Boston

File Under
Rock, funk, horn bands

Recent History
Formerly known as the Q-Tip Bandits, the Berklee School Of Music grads in Bermuda Search Party spent much of the pandemic honing their composition skills—and it shows on their 2022 debut LP, Melancholy Flowers. Guitarist Leo Son and bassist Claire Davis share songwriting duties, with Maclin Tucker and Hoyt Parquet moving effortlessly from brass to keys and drummer Dakota Maykrantz holding it down with considerable finesse on drums. The band snagged four 2022 Boston Music Awards nominations for Live Act Of The Year, Pop Act Of The Year, Song Of The Year (“Daisy”) and Album Of The Year. They’re currently working on their second studio album with producer Eric Palmquist (Tate McRae, Hunny).

Why You Should Care
Bermuda Search Party is the band any self-respecting music critic would be proud to have at their wedding reception. But perhaps that’s selling this dynamic unit short. Their originals avoid all the usually horn-band cliches with inventive arrangements and an uncanny ability to rock hard at all the right times.

Touring Plans
The group is playing select spring and summer dates in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, New York and Massachusetts.

MICHIGANDER
Homebase
Nashville

File Under
Indie pop, alt rock

Recent History
After he broke his leg in September 2022 while shooting a video for “Superglue,” Jason Singer (a.k.a. Michigander) had to postpone the release of his EP and an ensuing tour. It was the start of a tough run for Singer, whose wife, Britney, suffered a traumatic brain injury a few weeks later after she was hit by a pickup truck while walking to work. Still, he managed to make SXSW for the second year in a row, playing multiple shows in 2024. For its packed show at Antone’s, Michigander relied heavily on songs from It Will Never Be The Same, the band’s fourth EP. 

Why You Should Care
Songs like “Misery” (which is actually pretty rousing) and “In My Head” capture a generational disaffection that recalls the ethos (if not the sound) of the grunge era.

Touring Plans
No full-length tour at this point, but Singer is appearing at some summer festivals in the Midwest.

GIRL AND GIRL
Homebase
Brisbane, Australia

File Under
Garage rock, new wave

Recent History
After the band’s signing to Sub Pop last year, Call A Doctor drops on May 24. If the album is anything like such recent singles as “Dance Now,” expect an eerie energy and a palpable tension. At SXSW, singer Kai James charged through a set at the British Embassy with herky-jerky charisma as he gazed out into the unknowable distance. One of the band’s best talking points is its drummer, who’s actually is James’ aunt. A veteran of various ’90s punk bands, Aunty Liss originally offered to sit in until they could find a full-time drummer. It’s since become permanent gig.

Why You Should Care
James has all the makings of one of the more enigmatic bandleaders in recent memory. His vibrato is mysterious and oddly hypnotic.

Touring Plans
After a few dates in Australia, Girl And Girl returns to the U.S. in April for a month-long tour that takes them just about everywhere but the Southeast.

X AMBASSADORS
Homebase
Brooklyn

File Under
Arena-ready alt rock

Recent History
With his shaved head and thick goatee, X Ambassadors frontman Sam Harris may look like a cast member from Sons Of Anarchy, but he’s really an old softie. That much was evident when the band unveiled its latest single, “Your Town,” at a few SXSW showcases. Self-described “townies,” the threesome grew up in Ithaca, N.Y., home to Cornell University and Ithaca College. Townie, the band’s new album, is due out April 5 on Virgin.

Why You Should Care
Aside from their own work, XA (as they’re called) are also producers, having worked with Lizzo, among others. Harris co-wrote “American Oxygen” with Rihanna.

Touring Plans
After an April tour that takes them across Canada, XA embarks on a six-week headlining tour of the U.S.

KEN YATES
Homebase
Ontario, Canada

File Under
Folk, singer/songwriter

Recent History
Though he’s a pretty big deal in Canada, this low-key 34-year-old is largely undiscovered in the United States—and this year’s SXSW was his first ever. Accompanied by just his electric guitar, Yates leaned heavily on 2022’s Cerulean, a contemplative, sometimes somber journey partly inspired by the passing of his mother. Amid all the noise at SXSW, it was refreshing to hear an artist searching for meaning in the quiet spaces in between.

Why You Should Care
Yates collaborated with Kathleen Edwards on “The Big One.” Coincidentally, his Tuesday night set took place at the same time as Edwards’ belated return to SXSW.

Touring Plans
None currently.

WIC WHITNEY
Homebase
Chicago

File Under
Singer/songwriter, spoken word, hip hop

Recent History
Whitney may live in Chicago, but he’s a Southern boy at heart. Raised in Little Rock, Ark., he offers up hilarious confessionals like “Matcha,” about sharing a secret kiss with a boy under a magnolia tree in a town “where every old lady has a Bible tucked away in the back of her bag.” Whitney’s SXSW set felt like a true discovery—a cheerful guy in a muumuu, heavy gold chain and slippers, spitting out lyrics to a giddy crowd. What’s most striking about Whitney is his warmth. Music should be fun, and his set was a welcome reminder.

Why You Should Care
Whitney fuses so many styles that it’s hard to classify him. It’s precisely that musical gumbo that makes him so intriguing.

Touring Plans
None right now, though he may perform at a few pride festivals this summer.

HONORABLE MENTION
• All-female alt-rockers Razor Braids
• Queer-country phenom Paisley Fields
• California-raised, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Jack Van Cleaf
• Hamburg, Germany’s dreamy-yet-powerful Willow Parlo
• Philly-proud horn band Snacktime
• Bodega, currently New York City’s coolest export (and that’s saying a lot)