For over a decade, Sounds Australia has coordinated some of the most talked-about showcases at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. From THE AUSSIE BBQ to Sound Gallery, 2 For The Showcase, Beat Pie and more, Sounds Australia’s suite of showcases has consistently provided a platform for Australian artists to perform in front of music industry from North America and abroad.
And that won’t change this year. As part of the inaugural SXSW Online 2021, Sounds Australia will present CLOSE UP. 18 Australian artists, across three one-hour showcases, will each perform two live songs. These performances have never been seen before and all were recorded in the artists’ “backyard” (however they chose to interpret that theme).
Each showcase will feature six artists, streaming at 9:00pm US CDT on March 17th, 18th and 19th, which means it’s a great time for Australian industry and music fans to log in and watch too: 1:00pm AEDT on March 18th, 19th and 20th.
Performing as part of CLOSE UP will be Alexander Biggs, Alice Skye, Baker Boy, Beans, Death By Denim, Didirri, Hachiku, Hauskey, Indigo Sparke, Jaguar Jonze, Kee’ahn, Ninajirachi & Kota Banks, No Money Enterprise, Shannen James, Sycco, The Chats, The Lazy Eyes and The Merindas.
In keeping with the backyard theme, CLOSE UP will be hosted by Sounds Australia’s Glenny G, Millie Millgate and Dom Alessio, right from Glenny’s own backyard.
The Australian participation doesn’t stop there. Luke Howard and Sophie Hutchings will perform as part of a series of showcases at SXSW Online 2021 hosted by Mercury KX. Sophie’s performance will screen on Thursday March 18th at 12:30pm CDT (Friday 19th, 4:30am AEDT), while Luke’s set will stream on Saturday March 20th at 12:30pm CDT (Sunday 21th, 4:30am AEDT).
The 20 Australian artists selected for SXSW, along with their management teams, will also be offered networking opportunities, facilitated by Sounds Australia, to meet virtually with representatives from the North American music industry. These closed-door networking sessions will happen before and after the digital event.
As part of SXSW’s 2021 offerings, the digital experience will feature conference keynotes and sessions, film screenings, music showcases, networking, and exhibitions from March 16 – 20, 2021. To access SXSW – including the CLOSE UP and Mercury KX showcases – you will need to register for the conference. Passes are currently US $325, although that price will rise closer to the event. You can register at SXSW’s website.
CLOSE UP
Wednesday March 17th, 9:00pm CDT
(7:00pm LA / 10:00pm NYC / 11:00pm Sao Paulo)
(Thursday 18th, 2:00am London / 10:00am Singapore / 1:00pm AEDT)
Alexander Biggs
Baker Boy
Hachiku
Shannen James
Sycco
The Lazy Eyes
Thursday March 18th, 9:00pm CDT
(7:00pm LA / 10:00pm NYC / 11:00pm Sao Paulo)
(Friday 19th, 2:00am London / 10:00am Singapore / 1:00pm AEDT)
Alice Skye
Beans
Death By Denim
Kee’ahn
Ninajirachi & Kota Banks
The Chats
Friday March 19th, 9:00pm CDT
(7:00pm LA / 10:00pm NYC / 11:00pm Sao Paulo)
(Saturday 20th, 2:00am London / 10:00am Singapore / 1:00pm AEDT)
Didirri
Jaguar Jonze
Hauskey
Indigo Sparke
No Money Enterprise
The Merindas