SXSW 2023: Artists to Watch
Words by Ricardo Vazquez Garcia
Photo credit: SXSW 2023
Austin’s very own South by Southwest (SXSW) Music, Film, and Media conference and festival returns this March with another year of showcasing artists from all over the world. The 37th annual event is a great opportunity for the international creative community and fans to attend shows from emerging to headlining acts in iconic Austin venues.
In SXSW’s recent announcement, artists from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic and many more countries are scheduled to perform this year. Here are some highlights from SXSW’s recent round of announcements.
Coco & Clair Clair
Atlanta duo Coco & Clair Clair are fresh off their debut full-length album, Sexy, released back in November, with their lead single “Cherub.” Fast forward to 2023 where Coco & Clair Clair are set to start their first North American tour, with a stop in Austin for SXSW.
2. Diana Burco
Colombian singer-songwriter and accordion player Diana Burco joins this year’s roster of artists for SXSW. Burco was the first female artist to be nominated for the 2018 Latin Grammys Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album category for her self-titled debut album. Her 2021 sophomore album also received recognition from the Latin Grammy Awards by being nominated for Best Contemporary Tropical Album.
3. EKKSTACY
Vancouver-based artist EKKSTACY is among the names announced during this round of artists, bringing his early ‘80s style indie, post punk and synth wave to the SXSW stage. He gained a following on SoundCloud after releasing “i walk this earth all by myself” back in 2021. In 2022, EKKSTACY released his sophomore album misery and went on the road on his sold out North American tour.
4. Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream, founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese, has released over 100 studio albums and been nominated seven times for Grammy awards. The German electronic music band’s recent releases include their studio album Raum and Strange Behavior: Original Soundtrack in 2022.
5. Venbee
Venbee is a 22-year-old rising artist in the United Kingdom, with recent releases like “messy in heaven” back in 2022 reaching number five on the UK Singles Chart. The Kent-based artist also released “low down” in 2022, which went viral on Tik Tok. Venbee has plans to release a debut EP later in 2023.
More artist highlights announced include Anwan “Big G” Glover, Dende, DJ_Dave, Frankie Rose, Immersion, Isabella Lovestory, Killer Mike, Maiya The Don and many more. The SXSW Music Festival takes place March 13-18, 2023.
