{"id":3998,"date":"2025-03-19T05:07:38","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T05:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/?p=3998"},"modified":"2025-03-19T00:25:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T00:25:03","slug":"sofar-sounds-at-sxsw-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/articles\/sofar-sounds-at-sxsw-2025","title":{"rendered":"Sofar Sounds at SXSW 2025: Intimate Performances That Stole the Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/articles\/sofar-artist-news-january-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">We\u2019ve been itching for festival season to kick off,<\/a> and last week, Sofar hit the ground running at SXSW in Austin,TX\u2014a globally renowned festival celebrating music, film, and tech.<\/em> <em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across three special events, we witnessed the magic that happens when artists and audiences connect in an intimate setting\u2014proof that live music has the power to surprise and inspire.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Kicking Off with Sofar Studios<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We kicked off our Sofar Studios showcase with an intimate gathering<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0in the Equipment Room\u2014a speakeasy-style vinyl lounge known for its cozy atmosphere and rich acoustics. The evening\u2019s performers, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/6GRkcUEjH1zDb1nKjfaHGA?si=BFJrsDEpQxWvk4ldJ8cPwA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Dana Harper<\/b><\/a><b> (Dallas, TX)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/5q6z6GTth6lMbL9I8CAgby?si=hxC4dQ9oRfiIh9GNBzHXJQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Anderson East<\/b><\/a><b> (Athens, AL \/ Nashville, TN)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, delivered show-stopping sets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DHEmD8TxqN8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p> <\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DHEmD8TxqN8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Radha\ufe0f (@radhamusic_)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dana, a longtime Sofar favorite with over 40 performances under her belt, captivated the audience with her powerhouse vocals and smooth R&B grooves. Anderson, reflecting on his past Sofar experience, shared how he had initially been hesitant to perform in an intimate living room setting but was quickly won over. His stripped-down solo set at SXSW was nothing short of mesmerizing\u2014his voice commanding the kind of rapt attention rarely seen at a festival known for its bustling energy.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4000\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4000\" style=\"width: 534px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4000 \" src=\"https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8893.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=200&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=300&wpsize=medium\" alt=\"sxsw2025\" width=\"534\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8893.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=200&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=300&wpsize=medium 300w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8893.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=683&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=1024&wpsize=large 1024w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8893.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=512&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=768&wpsize=medium_large 768w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8893.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=1025&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=1536&wpsize=1536x1536 1536w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8893.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=1366&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=2048&wpsize=2048x2048 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4000\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">@candescent.photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Two Nights of Official Showcases<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Later in the week, we hosted two official showcases at the Grill Room at The Driskill Hotel, open to all festival badge and wristband holders. Word quickly spread, drawing packed crowds both nights. At one point, the room was so full you couldn\u2019t squeeze in another person!<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3999\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3999\" style=\"width: 540px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3999\" src=\"https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A9222.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=200&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=300&wpsize=medium\" alt=\"sxsw\" width=\"540\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A9222.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=200&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=300&wpsize=medium 300w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A9222.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=683&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=1024&wpsize=large 1024w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A9222.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=512&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=768&wpsize=medium_large 768w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A9222.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=1025&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=1536&wpsize=1536x1536 1536w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A9222.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=1366&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=2048&wpsize=2048x2048 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3999\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">@candescent.photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>The lineup featured a diverse mix of global talent across genres:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/3A9Soubh2RQ0YpAKEPAxQF?si=ND00kPabQoaLI0-acMTBlg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Olivia Komahcheet<\/b><\/a><b> (Austin, TX) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 A transcendent set blending found sounds (nature recordings, voicemails) with techno beats and layered vocals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/1dRlHic1Sq4S9G0XBOKHqy?si=18xFXA82RnCQ6BvCs0u_fg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>ADJUA<\/b><\/a><b> (Cardiff, Wales)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Crystal-clear vocals with a touch of \u201890s R&B nostalgia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/1PdmgC2URr5bdLpcS5YBdk?si=cbwd98jLQ76Vy3eEfDhWEg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Fake Dad<\/b><\/a><b> (Los Angeles, CA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 High-energy, punk-infused art pop that had the crowd electrified.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/1SFz3S9eSUTc49ysstadiO?si=OYMeH498QQmg0tbgTBwN2A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Boo Seeka<\/b><\/a><b> (Sydney, Australia)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Synth-driven pop that transformed the space into a dance party.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/71NBOcJ9lMeXqnbnya1z0x?si=qIX9EPRJRC2gDtuhPcRS1Q\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>HIMALAYAS<\/b><\/a><b> (Cardiff, Wales)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 True rock & roll, complete with a mosh pit, befitting a band that has toured with Foo Fighters and collaborated with AC\/DC.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/57Iir1NKPEKKZkVZCXpSfb?si=bsTx5OKESHGkdilX08A4xw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Afterthought<\/b><\/a><b> (San Francisco, CA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Socially-conscious hip-hop with the unexpected addition of a saxophone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/0tPy6X0CV3nqKiLZjKSOyT?si=qbS-Mu4HTDCuHntOpGmWsg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Lauren Frihauf<\/b><\/a><b> (Denver, CO)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Hauntingly beautiful lyrics and an angelic voice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/5bV84EFrcgU2xCZSEuvDAs?si=ry0haX1IQhu9Q3SJkRa0vA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Mohsin Zaman<\/b><\/a><b> (UAE \/ Toronto, ON)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 A fusion of traditional Middle Eastern music and 1960s-style folk storytelling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/1YQiMR5M12HJ28hkJz7qnn?si=pjpk7GzbT32oMydZAW3uVA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Ailbhe Reddy<\/b><\/a><b> (Dublin, Ireland)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 A dynamic blend of indie-pop and rock, reminiscent of The Cranberries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/6Q9NXJYkMG6MzGfW5231Zr?si=XOBJtUVIS9mBoVoYeJ8JWg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Beatbox Collective<\/b><\/a><b> (UK)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 The world champions of beatboxing delivered a mind-blowing performance, joined by special guests including U.S. champions Beatbox House and Soup from Jurassic 5.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/1N0ACznriUeiiOJWN8hHC7?si=nAH6dT2xSPaK_6ziNbnsvw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>PUNCHING BAG<\/b><\/a><b> (Pomona, CA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 High-energy, guitar-driven rap that had the audience shouting along.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/088hvWlXHIipa6ZYe0N664?si=xGtQ0lYxScG0rhfM-y07mA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Palmyra<\/b><\/a><b> (Charlottesville, VA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Soul-stirring bluegrass harmonies that won over the entire room.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4003\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4003\" style=\"width: 528px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4003\" src=\"https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8400.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=200&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=300&wpsize=medium\" alt=\"sxsw 2025\" width=\"528\" height=\"352\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8400.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=200&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=300&wpsize=medium 300w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8400.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=683&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=1024&wpsize=large 1024w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8400.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=512&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=768&wpsize=medium_large 768w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8400.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=1025&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=1536&wpsize=1536x1536 1536w, https:\/\/sofar-sounds-blog.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/5Q1A8400.jpg?crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=1366&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=2048&wpsize=2048x2048 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4003\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">@candescent.photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SXSW was packed with moments that remind us why we do what we do at Sofar. Chill-inducing performances, genuine artist discoveries, and a room full of people falling in love with music in real time is what built our community. Tune into our social channels for more footage from these incredible shows, and if you missed us this time, we\u2019ll see you at the next Sofar event!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Special thanks to Chyna Brackeen for sharing her insights on the showcases and for leading Sofar’s involvement at SXSW.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ve been itching for festival season to kick off, and last week, Sofar hit the ground running at SXSW in Austin,TX\u2014a globally renowned festival celebrating music, film, and tech. Across three special events, we witnessed the magic that happens when artists and audiences connect in an intimate setting\u2014proof that live music has the power to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":4005,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4,26,6,361],"tags":[782,783,247,781],"class_list":["post-3998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","category-community","category-news","category-spaces","category-travel","tag-artists","tag-festivals","tag-sxsw","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}